Okay, I jest. But one glance at the starting pitcher stats to the right, and you'll see what I mean. He's the only starting pitcher without a true bone-headed start this year. Scherzer, who had been very impressive, got lit up by the Twins on Tuesday.
Is Dontrelle for real?
Having seen four of his starts, I can say that his command is much improved from last year. He still throws a ton of balls. A big difference, though, is he seems to be able to throw a strike when he absolutely needs one. When the count was 3-0 last year, he couldn't throw a strike underhanded. He'd load the bases on walks. It was ugly. It was uglier the year before. So, through one month, he does appear to be improved significantly in control.
Today, Dontrelle was downright nasty. Minnesota's lineup didn't have its regular teeth - no M&M boys - but they're still Minnesota. Dontrelle pitched a shutout through six innings. It was only his second win as a Tiger.
Whether he can keep it up over the course of the season remains to be seen. As a Tiger fan, I hope he succeeds, but I also hope he succeeds on a personal level. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. After what he's endured as a Tiger, his comeback would be Agassi-like. Not many pitchers recover from "the thing," but let's hope the D-train makes a few more stops.
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