After several games on the bench, Blake Davis gets a start tonight

Even though it's been awhile, Blake Davis still probably remembers where second base is located. After making just one start over the last 13 games, Davis is in tonight's starting lineup here against Detroit. He'll bat ninth at second base. He's been trying to stay sharp with his pregame work after getting just six at-bats since July 30. "Just staying in a routine every day," Davis said. "Taking ground balls and hitting in the cage. In between innings, I stay loose and hit some in the cage. Just prepare like you would if you were playing every game. "It's different, but I can't complain. It is what it is. I am happy to be on the team and when I get a chance, you have to be ready." Davis is batting .250 with no homers and three RBIs in 22 games and 52 at-bats. He got his first call to the majors on June 18 after batting .284 in 49 games for Triple-A Norfolk. Davis said there are some specific things he's been working on recently in batting practice. "Just staying down through the ball. I don't want to lift the ball because I can have a tendency to drag my bat a little and hit lazy fly balls to left. I am not going to hit an opposite field home run, so I need to stay on the top of the ball and hit it on the ground and line drives," he said. Whether he is playing or not, Davis is trying to pick up anything and everything he can while he is here to help his game. "Yeah. Just talking to the coaches, picking things up," he said. "Buck is always coming down the dugout and he'll say 'Hey, Blake pay attention to this or this is what we're doing here.' You need to stay in the game and pay attention." A fourth-round draft pick out of Cal-State Fullerton in 2006, Davis has put in time in over 500 minor league games. He'll take nearly two months in the majors over that anytime, whether he is getting regular at-bats or not. "This has been fun. Way better than the minor leagues. Way better. Gaining some new knowledge. Hopefully I've shown a little bit that I can play here," Davis said.