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Tigers display sense of urgency after falling to .500
DETROIT -- After getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates at home and falling to 39-39 Thursday, several Tigers players talked about having a greater sense of urgency and trying to get on a roll before the All-Star break.
On Friday, the manager and general manager made the first moves to do so.
Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski designated Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny for assignment, recalled the contract of Drew VerHagen from Double-A Erie and purchased the contract of Jeff Ferrell from Triple-A Toledo.
"Well, I don't think any of us are happy with the year so far, at this point," Dombrowski said. "I don't think anybody in the organization would be pleased. It starts with me, on down. I think we still have a good club. I think we still have a chance to have a real good season, but we need to turn it around and start playing that way."
Both VerHagen and Ferrell are 24 years old.
VerHagen, the Tigers' fourth-round pick in 2012, started the season on the disabled list because of the same back injury that cost him the last part of the 2014 season.
Originally projected to be a starter, VerHagen has shifted to the bullpen.
"I'm sticking with the same fastball/curveball/changeup," VerHagen said. "Same pitches, just for a shorter amount of time."
He was 2-1 with two saves and a 5.73 ERA in eight games between Double-A Erie (five games) and Triple-A Toledo.
Ferrell, a 26th round pick in 2010 and another converted starter, was hardly considered to be a top prospect, especially going 10-9 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.54 WHIP at Double-A Erie last season.
"The changeup is my best pitch," Ferrell said. "But I use them all. I kind of feel like that's why I have done a little better in the 'pen because I can go right after the hitters right out of the gate. You can't really do that as a starter."
Chamberlain, 29, teared up when talking about what he said he would remember most, his teammates.
But Chamberlain, who was not expecting this move, made no excuses for the fact that his ERA, which was 1.69 in April and 1.00 in May, was 7.50 in June and 16.20 in July.
"If I was good, I was good. If I was bad, I was bad," Chamberlain said. "It's always on me. I'm so thankful for this opportunity and the chance to come back and the chance to win with these guys.
"Just to be able to say I was a Tiger for a year and a half is really special."
Gorzelanny, 32, was fine at the beginning of the season, with a 1.93 ERA in April.
But in May his ERA was 9.45 and he didn't get any better in June, recording a 9.82 ERA that month.
"Sometimes, changes have to be made," manager Brad Ausmus said, admitting that releasing players, especially ones you like, is not fun.
Ausmus said that Joakim Soria remains the closer but the other roles are not defined.
"If there's a lefty, you might see (Blaine) Hardy. Righties, (Bruce) Rondon maybe could possibly pitch the seventh or eighth, full inning. No one's pitched well enough that I can say, hey, this is your job. It hasn't worked."
For now, Ausmus said he would be reluctant to use Ferrell in an eighth-inning, one-run situation.
The other major changes were found in Friday night's lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Instead of Rajai Davis or Anthony Gose leading off, Ian Kinsler was in the leadoff spot.
Yoenis Cespedes was moved from fifth in the order to second.
"The one upside to Cespy is that he can really run," Ausmus said. "And generally, you want guys who can score from first on a double when you have Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez coming up after him.
Cabrera and Martinez remain the third and fourth batters.
J.D. Martinez returned to the fifth spot.
"Part of the reason I was a little reluctant to move JD is he was hitting so well in the six-hole but I don't think it'll affect JD," Ausmus said. "He'll keep swinging the same. I just think you put these five guys in the lineup and it's immediately a dangerous lineup, whoever's pitching against us."
J.D. Martinez is batting .278 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI in 158 at-bats in the fifth spot and .288 with eight home runs and 18 RBI in 73 at-bats in the sixth spot.
Alex Avila, just activated off the DL, is batting sixth.
Nick Castellanos, Gose and Jose Iglesias are hitting seventh, eighth and ninth.
Ausmus let the players know after Thursday's game about the changes and said they were all on board with them.
"The truth is overall, non-specifically, we just have to play better," Ausmus said. "We need to win some baseball games. We should be winning more baseball games than we are."
The president/general manager and manager have made their moves, now it's up to the players.
