On the heels of whispers of trade discussions in Denver, Terry Francona decided to thaw out Julian Tavarez and send him to the mound in a 1 run game in Detroit. The last time Tavarez was actually used in a game, a land bridge existed between Alaska and Asia.

Alas, the showcase turned into a horror flick, as Tavarez coughed up 3 quick runs in one inning of work. There are those who believe that a sinkerball pitcher shouldn’t be kept on the shelf for too long between outings, and last night wouldn’t exactly disprove that hypothesis.

Starter Clay Buchholz also struggled, though he did show flashes of brilliance when he wasn’t being possessed by the ghost of John Wasdin. Clay stuck out six and only walked one, but was extremely hittable and only lasted 4 innings before giving way to The Missing Link. In what became a battle of bullpens and clutch at-bats, Detroit edged the first-place Red Sox 10-9.

Papelbon did blow his first save of the season, but he did so without giving up one hard-hit ball. The game-winning single by Placido Polanco was just a nice piece of hitting; and perhaps a microcosm for Detroit’s performance last night. They were backed into a corner in their house, and scraped their way back on more than one occasion.

It’s just a case where you just tip your cap, walk off the field, and prepare for Justin Verlander tomorrow.

Notes:

• Loosen that noose: David Ortiz has found his stroke. The DH is hitting .423/.483/.769 in the month of May, and is finally “above average” on the season (OPS+ of 106) after suffering through the worst slump of his career.
• May has been kind to corner infielders in general, as Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell are .375/.484/1.042 and .323/.344/.677 for the month, respectively.
• Julio Lugo had a major error in the bottom of the ninth, allowing the eventual winning run to reach base. He’s quickly becoming a lightning rod, but before you grab the torch and pitchfork, consider this: a) Lugo is (from all accounts) a much better defensive option than Jed Lowrie at SS, and b) he’s actually getting on base, with a .354 OBP.

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