Any Walks For the D-Train in Rehab? I Say No, No, No

At least one of the Detroit starting pitcher threw well last night.  Unfortunately for the Tigers, he did so on a rehab assignment with the Toledo Mud Hens. 

Dontrelle Willis wasn't just making sure his knee felt better, but was also trying to regain the control that had eluded him in his first two starts this season.  The results from Toledo seemed encouraging in that regard, as Willis didn't walk any batters in his 4 2/3 innings.  And of his 72 pitches, 51 of them were thrown for strikes.  For the night, Willis gave up two runs on four hits (two of which were bloop singles), struck out four batters, and took the loss.

What did the Mud Hens think of Willis' outing?  Manager Larry Parrish thinks one more start with Toledo might help him.  From the Toledo Blade:

"He commanded his fastball better than he did this spring, but he needs to command his breaking ball better.

"Overall, he basically had a five-inning outing, no walks. I'd have to say that's positive."

The D-Train's next rehab start will likely be Wednesday in Toledo against Lehigh Valley, the Phillies Triple-A affiliate with an awesome team name.  His Mud Hens teammates should be happy he'll start at least one more game with them, as the Blade reported that Willis fulfilled the traditional expectation of footing the bill for a great food spread after the game.