New Tiger starter Armando Galarraga's plan: Keep start simple

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Right-hander Armando Galarraga isn't new to pro ball, but he is new to the Cleveland Indians.


Galarraga has pitched in 156 pro games, including three in the majors. He has never faced anyone on the Indians in a major league game.

So before Galarraga steps in for injured left-hander Dontrelle Willis and starts against the host Indians tonight, how much information will the coaching staff give him about the Indians' hitters?

"You try to keep it as simple as possible," manager Jim Leyland said. "The worst thing you can do is overload him with information. Then he becomes defensive: 'They told me don't throw this pitch to this guy, and I have to throw this pitch to that guy.' "

Galarraga, 26, joined the Tigers in a minor league trade just before spring training. He impressed Triple-A Toledo manager Larry Parrish in winning his two starts this season for the Mud Hens.

Galarraga has a fastball that topped out at 91 m.p.h. in his last start, and a slow, tricky curve Parrish says he doesn't use until the middle of the game.

To make room for Galarraga, right-hander Francis Beltran (1-0 in five games) was designated for assignment. If another club doesn't want Beltran, he could return.

As the Tigers and Indians start their 18-game season series tonight, keep in mind:

? The Indians won the Central over the Tigers last year in large part because they took 12 of 18 in the series.

? Indians reliever Rafael Betancourt didn't allow a run in 13 2/3 innings against the Tigers last season. That was the most innings any reliever pitched against any team last season without allowing a run.

? Galarraga's opponent tonight is left-hander C.C. Sabathia, the incumbent American League Cy Young Award winner. He has struggled in all three starts this season, including allowing nine earned runs to Oakland last Friday.

 

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TONIGHT'S PITCHERS: Tonight was supposed to feature a matchup of two left-handed starters who have been friends off the field for a long time - Detroit's Dontrelle Willis and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia. But a knee injury to Willis changed all that.

The Tigers' starter tonight is now Armando Galarraga, who was called up from Toledo and is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA with the Mud Hens this year.

Galarraga, a right-hander acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers in February, saw his first big-league action for the Rangers last year when he went 0-0 with a 6.23 ERA in three games (one start).

Leyland said the Tigers sought Galarraga to add depth, and it was Galarraga whom they turned to when Willis went on the disabled list, not No. 1 Toledo starter Virgil Vasquez.

"The reports from Toledo at this point are that Galarraga is pitching better than anybody else," Leyland said.

To make room for Galarraga, the Tigers will designate relief pitcher Francis Beltran for assignment. Beltran was the winning pitcher Monday night.

Vasquez is 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA for the Hens.

Last year in his first stint in the majors, he went 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA in five games (three starts) for the Tigers.

Meanwhile Sabathia, who like Willis grew up in a suburb of Oakland, is entering tonight's contest with no momentum.

The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner was rocked in his first three starts and has an 0-2 record and an 11.57 ERA.

"That stuff happens," Willis said of his friend's poor start. "From what I've seen he looks strong. It's just that right now the ball's not going his way."

 

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Armando Galarraga meet the Cleveland Indians

1-0 Tribe after a 1st inning hr