"It's a matter of staying focused," he said of his third-inning implosion. "I was upset. I wanted to win the game. I just flubbed it. I was a little too tight."
It was hard to watch him answer the difficult questions, just as it was hard to watch him pitch against the Red Sox.
Willis is 27 years old, a former Rookie of the Year and two-time All Star. He went 22-10 with the Marlins in 2005. Now he can't throw the ball over the plate and he just got back from a minor league rehab assignment because of anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorder. That's not speculation. It's not a guess. It's the official club statement. This nice man with all this amazing talent (and a three-year contract worth $29 million) who can't throw strikes. And it's all in his head.
"I have to do a better job staying focused," Willis kept saying, as he rocked back and forth, hands locked behind his back. "It was totally on me today. I was jumping on myself. I got flustered at the umpire's calls. I'll work on that."
Hard to watch.
This was Willis's fifth start of the season. He got the Sox out easily in the first two innings, facing the minimum six batters.
Then came the fateful third. Willis started the inning by hitting Jacoby Ellsbury with an 0-2 pitch. That was it. He unraveled in less time than it takes to Google Steve Blass.
After hitting Ellsbury, Willis walked Julio Lugo. He didn't like some of the calls by home plate umpire Jeff Nelson.
It looked like he might get out of the inning when he fanned George Kottaras (looking), but Willis never got another batter out. As his frustration mounted, his pitches strayed higher and wider. He walked Dustin Pedroia to load the bases. He walked J.D. Drew to force home a run. Then he walked the Greek God of Walks (Kevin Youkilis) to force home another run. That was it. Willis hadn't given up a hit, but he was done.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland came out to get his pitcher while fans booed with gusto. Willis gave the ball to his manager, then sprinted off the field like Usain Bolt.
