Santiago gets rare opportunities at plate, field

DETROIT -- Infielder Ramon Santiago, a switch-hitter, was only 1-for-12 against left-handed pitchers before Tigers manager Jim Leyland put him in the lineup against a lefty on Friday.

Santiago responded with a double and a walk, which led to the Tigers' 2-1 win over the Phillies.

"[Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon] said that pretty much all along that he was swinging the bat a little better from the right side," Leyland said. "Obviously when Omar is here, he is going to play because Omar is a right-handed hitter."

While his numbers haven't shown success, Santiago agrees with Leyland that he's improving as a right-handed hitter, which he hopes will make him a more versatile player.

"I really did better last year," Santiago said. "I played winter ball and right-handed I was raking in the Dominican. I don't play much against lefties here, but like the skipper says, me and [McClendon] have been working hard in the cage. It's been a hard year offensively, but at the same time, I keep my mind positive and will keep working."

Santiago also played third base on Friday, a position he's only played 16 times in the past two seasons over a span of 130 games.

"I had a couple hard hit balls over there," Santiago said. "I said, 'Man! Miggy is doing an unbelievable job catching all those balls.' It's not easy."