From the FSN Daily Wire

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:37 am

July 30, 2008

--RHP Armando Galarraga was sharp for five innings Tuesday night but couldn't make it through the sixth. Galarraga lost his ability to throw first-pitch strikes in the sixth and was chased following a walk, a triple and a double after getting the first out of the inning. He showed a good breaking ball and was spotting his fastball before that. He only allowed five hits but threw 97 pitches. Cleveland ran four left-handed hitters at him, and they were a combined 3-for-10 with one walk. He retired the first nine batters he faced after getting the first 18 out in his previous start.

--1B Miguel Cabrera was named AL Player of the Week without hitting a home run last week. He ended his homerless stretch in the second inning with a solo shot to left-center that gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Cabrera also singled to right off an outside pitch.

--SS Edgar Renteria seems to be getting his doubles eye back. Renteria had a two-run double off the left field wall with two out in the fourth for his third double in five games after going from April 25 to July 9 without one (59 games and 236 plate appearances). "I've always hit doubles," Renteria said, "but they went on vacation. Now they're back to work. I've made an adjustment. (And) I'm taking more soft toss." Additional soft toss helps Renteria concentrate on a more aggressive swing. "I'm getting in a better position to hit through the ball," he said.

--C Brandon Inge caught Tuesday night in place of C Ivan Rodriguez and will work Thursday afternoon's behind the plate as well. He may also play third base Wednesday so 3B Carlos Guillen gets a day off. Rodriguez caught the first game of the series Monday night and will be behind the plate Wednesday evening, too. Inge hit a two-run home run in the eighth to expand Detroit's lead to 8-3. Inge also doubled in a run in the fourth and is hitting .333 in his last four games. Getting more rest has helped Rodriguez bat nearly .400 over the last month.

--RHP Freddy Dolsi showed some inexperience Tuesday night. He was brought in to finish the sixth inning for starter RHP Armando Galarraga and remained to begin the seventh. But he hit the first batter he faced with an inside fastball and walked the second to bring LHP Casey Fossum into the game. Dolsi was working with a three-run lead. "You can't hit a batter and walk a guy in that situation," manager Jim Leyland said. "You just can't do it."

--RHP Fernando Rodney closed Detroit's 8-5 win over Cleveland on Tuesday night but didn't do a whole lot to advance his case for being the main man at the end next year. Rodney threw just a half-dozen strikes in the ninth and allowed a run on a double, flyout and wild pitch. He was behind the hitters nearly all the time. A possible factor: Rodney threw 42 pitches Sunday afternoon and was working on one day of rest.

--RHP Joel Zumaya got five late-game outs Tuesday night, relying mostly on his premium fastball. Zumaya got the last two outs of the seventh and three in the eighth, throwing few breaking balls. Manager Jim Leyland said again before the game that throwing curveballs seems to have been the cause of the right triceps tightness which forced Zumaya out of Sunday's game. Zumaya can't get by on just his fastball however. Zumaya said team medical staff has also looked into dehydration as a possible cause of the tightness.

"I don't think there's any form of injury here at all," Leyland said. "He's been checked out. I don't see anything at all that's a worry."

"I'm fine," Zumaya said. "I wasn't even hurt. It was tightness, and they didn't want to make it worse."
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:27 am

July 31, 2008

CLEVELAND (AP) - Detroit reliever Todd Jones was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday as the Tigers waited for Kyle Farnsworth to join them.

Jones, who recently lost his closer's job, has inflammation in his right shoulder. He has been bothered by pain in the shoulder for six weeks.
The 40-year-old righty, who has 319 career saves, pitched 1 1-3 innings in Detroit's 14-12 win in 13 innings on Wednesday. In the sixth inning, he gave up a leadoff homer to Kelly Shoppach, who angered Jones by flipping his bat toward the Tigers' dugout as he ran from the batter's box.

Jones is 4-1 with 18 saves and a 5.05 ERA in 44 games.

To take Jones' roster spot, the club recalled left-hander Clay Rapada from Triple-A Toledo. He was 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 17 outings with the Mud Hens, and went 2-0 in 14 appearances for Detroit earlier this season.

Needing to help their bullpen for a playoff push, the Tigers acquired Farnsworth from the New York Yankees on Wednesday for 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Farnsworth, who will set up for new closer Fernando Rodney, will not join Detroit until Friday when it continues a 10-game trip in Tampa Bay.

Before going on the DL, Jones, who has 319 career saves, was 1-1 with an 11.23 ERA and three blown saves in seven tries in his last 13 outings.

The Tigers entered Thursday's series finale against the Indians 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox. With Jones ineffective and Joel Zumaya and Rodney still working their way back after injuries, the club needed an experienced arm for the late innings and hope Farnsworth can help.

As for Jones, he took exception to Shoppach's showboating and yelled and stared at Cleveland's catcher during his trip around the bases.

"I didn't like it," Jones told the Detroit Free Press. "I didn't think it was very professional."

Shoppach, who was not in the starting lineup on Thursday after a long night, said he got caught up in the moment.

"I got carried away," said Shoppach, who went 5-for-6 with two homers and tied the major league record with five extra-base hits. "It wasn't intentional. I was excited. It was a big spot for us."

Shoppach said he spoke with Tigers catcher Brandon Inge after the game and explained his actions.

"Every now and then I've been know to flip a bat," he said.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:16 pm

So Jones was just terrible because he was hurt.....

(Wink, Wink)

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Fri Aug 01, 2008 12:01 pm

August 1, 2008

RHP Justin Verlander felt his nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings were a little misleading; he felt he wasn't sharp. And a fifth inning his manager termed "disastrous" cost him his second straight loss following a six-game winning streak. Verlander hit the eighth hitter in the lineup, walked the ninth batter with a 3-2 curve and served up a tiebreaking three-run on the next pitch. He gave up a two-out RBI single to No. 8 hitter Sal Fasano in the next inning, too.

--RHP Todd Jones was placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Jones said he was unable to fully extend his right arm at the end of deliveries and felt a grabbing sensation in the back of the shoulder while pitching middle relief Wednesday, when he allowed a solo home run in the sixth. "We were suspicious of Jones' shoulder," manager Jim Leyland said. "I had been suspicious for two weeks. Like all gamers, and he's a gamer, you think you can get through it. He thought age was catching up with him." When asked if he feared the shoulder problem will put his season in jeopardy, Jones said, "I'm fearful that my outings put my season in jeopardy."

--C Dane Sardinha caught a game after newly installed regular C Brandon Inge caught 13 innings. Sardinha had an RBI groundout. "He'll be as good a catcher and thrower as anybody in baseball," manager Jim Leyland said of Sardinha. "Will he hit? I doubt he'll hit a lot." Sardinha batted .167 (3-for-18) in an earlier stint for the Tigers and was 0-for-4 Thursday.

--LHP Clay Rapada made a one-day cameo appearance for Detroit. Rapada was brought up to replace RHP Todd Jones when the former closer was placed on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. He was returned to Toledo after allowing three runs (one unearned) in 1 2/3 innings because Detroit will add RHP Kyle Farnsworth to its roster Friday.

--RHP Kyle Farnsworth will join Detroit on Friday in Tampa Bay. Manager Jim Leyland said he will be used in late-game situations -- with some save possibilities -- along with RHP Fernando Rodney and RHP Joel Zumaya.

--2B Placido Polanco did not play, as manager Jim Leyland rested some of his regulars following Wednesday night's 13-inning affair. Polanco returns to the lineup Friday.

--RF Magglio Ordonez did not start after a long game the night before. Ordonez was used as a pinch hitter for RF Matt Joyce in the eighth and remained in the game. He will return to the starting lineup Friday.

BY THE NUMBERS: 5 -- One-run losses at home Detroit suffered at the hands of Minnesota and Chicago in seven games.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:59 pm

August 4, 2008

--RHP Armando Galarraga turned in another solid performance Sunday for Detroit, working six shutout innings before allowing his only run of the game and finishing the seventh. Galarraga allowed just one hit and faced one over the minimum through six innings before giving up a leadoff double in the seventh. He got the next two outs and gave up two more base hits before closing out the inning with no further damage and leaving the game with a 2-1 lead. Galarraga's slider was again dominating and mixed with a solid fastball he was able to work to spots. He didn't walk a batter and wound up with a no-decision.

--SS Edgar Renteria was not in the starting lineup Sunday as a poor hitting week found him in need of a day off. Renteria had just three hits last week in 25 at-bats after seeming to find the pop in his bat the previous two weeks. IF Ramon Santiago started at short with Renteria coming in for the bottom of the 10th after LF Marcus Thames pinch-hit for Santiago in the top of the inning.

--RHP Kyle Farnsworth stubbed his toe Sunday in his first appearance of consequence as an end-of-game pitcher for Detroit. Farnsworth inherited a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning and immediately gave up a solo home run and a two-run shot to put the Tigers down a run. He had worked a 1-2-3 eighth in his Detroit debut the night before.

--RF Magglio Ordonez has a chance to make a run at his second straight batting championship. Ordonez, after a slow first few weeks of the season, has breached the .320 mark this season by continuing to go to right field when opposing pitchers work him outside. Ordonez had two RBI Sunday -- one on a single to right and the other on a base hit to left.

--DH Gary Sheffield is struggling to regain his form but shows just enough signs to have manager Jim Leyland keep writing his name in the lineup. Sheffield drove in five runs in the Monday-Saturday period, including a solo home run Sunday that gave Detroit a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. He hasn't hit for a decent average but he keeps pushing runners across the plate.

--RHP Joel Zumaya was held out of action Saturday and Sunday after reporting he has some tenderness above the triceps area of his right arm. The Tigers hope he'll be available to pitch in Chicago on Tuesday when Detroit resumes action for a rematch of their series last weekend against the White Sox. "The doctor looked at him (Friday) and does not seem to think there is any issue," said manager Jim Leyland, adding he won't pitch Zumaya until Tuesday at the earliest. "But we're not taking any chances." Zumaya pitched 1 1/3 innings Friday night, giving up a homer to Evan Longoria, walking a batter and striking out two. "It seems like he gets to a certain point and doesn't finish the pitch," Leyland said. "Not on all pitches, but on some fastballs. I think he'll be fine. But he hasn't pitched. He's got to pitch himself back into pitching shape." Zumaya has a 2.92 ERA in his last 10 games spanning 12 1/3 innings, with 13 strikeouts and 11 walks.

--CF Curtis Granderson has been a solid hitter for Detroit after missing the first three weeks of the season with a broken finger and struggling a short while after that. Granderson has been installed as the Tigers' permanent leadoff hitter and is hitting better against left-handed pitchers this season than he has against right-handers. Sunday he went hitless his first four at-bats but in his fifth turn slammed a score-tying home run in the ninth inning that forced extra innings.

--1B Miguel Cabrera has had the kind of two-week period for Detroit that fans expected when the Tigers obtained him from the Florida Marlins this winter. Cabrera drove in 13 runs a week ago and eight more in the week of play that ended Sunday, his last coming off a leadoff solo home run in the top of the 10th that gave Detroit a 5-4 lead at Tampa Bay.

--RHP Fernando Rodney is losing his bid to be Detroit's closer with extremely erratic control of his fastball. Rodney has struggled to throw strikes and Sunday walked four batters and hit another in surrendering a 5-4 lead to absorb a 6-5 loss. Tampa Bay got just one hit in its winning rally.

BY THE NUMBERS: 23-31/32-22 -- Detroit's record in the first one-third of the season/The Tigers' record in the second third of the season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've told them a few times, we got two teams ahead of us right now and I wouldn't take either one of them (over us). Right now, they are better than us. You can either sit there as a player and say, 'It just wasn't our year' or you can say, 'We're still in this thing.' There's really two ways to look at this." -- Detroit manager Jim Leyland, irritated over his team's inability to put things together this season.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:37 am

August 5, 2008

--LHP Nate Robertson makes what -- for him -- could be a critical start Tuesday night against the White Sox in Chicago. Robertson had a bad July and could be headed for long relief duty despite being in the first season of a three-year deal. Robertson was 0-2 in July but his ERA was a gruesome 8.62 and he was giving up nearly two baserunners per inning. He's had some outings where seeing-eye hits were a problem but Robertson has also had a tough time making quality pitches when needed. Robertson was 5-4 with a 3.40 ERA through June.

--DH Gary Sheffield might be one of the Tigers on the bubble based on his season's statistics but he still has been driving in runs -- just not enough of them. Sheffield is hitting .230 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 256 at-bats but is still bothered by his surgically repaired right shoulder. He hit his 489th career home run Sunday and also had a single plus a walk. He is tied for the team lead in home runs since the All-Star break (four) and is third on the club in RBIs in that span.

--1B Miguel Cabrera has been named American League Player of the Month for July, the first time in his career he has won monthly honors. Cabrera batted .330 in 25 games last month with eight home runs and a major league high 31 RBIs. The 25-year-old slugged .848 and had an on-base percentage of .357. Cabrera had a nine-game hitting streak and 11 multi-hit games, including a 4-for-4 contest July 8 with two home runs and three RBIs against Cleveland. He went 5-for-6 with two doubles and a career-best-tying six RBI on July 21st at Kansas City. Cabrera is batting .298 with 20 home runs and 82 RBIs overall.

--LF Marcus Thames could see his playing time shrink after a two-week dry spell. Thames, who shares the team lead with 1B Miguel Cabrera at 20 home runs, helped key Detroit's resurgence from being 12 games under .500 but didn't have an RBI last week and has only driven in two in the last two weeks. He was 2-for-27 over the two weeks.

--RHP Freddy Dolsi is another Detroit player on the bubble for playing time as long as the team continues to struggle. Dolsi hasn't been striking out batters lately although he has been keeping teams off the scoreboard. The rookie could be sent to the minors in favor of a starter if the Tigers decide to make a change in their rotation. Dolsi has had a 7.00 ERA with two base-runners allowed per inning in his last nine outings.

--IF Ramon Santiago could steal some of SS Edgar Renteria's playing time as long as the veteran continues to underperform. Santiago is hitting .344 and the Tigers like his range and arm strength at short. Renteria looks less mobile at short and definitely is having a down year at the plate. Renteria is batting .253 with five home runs and 37 RBIs). His hitting was off last week after a two-week improvement.

--OF Matt Joyce could see increased playing time if the Tigers continue to underachieve in their manager's eyes. Jim Leyland knows Joyce will look poor at times against more experienced pitchers but he also gives Detroit power from the left side and good outfield defense. He didn't drive in a run last week but he was 6-for-20.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:30 am

August 6, 2008

--LHP Nate Robertson protected a lead Tuesday night but was not overly convincing in the process. Robertson pitched two batters into the sixth inning, but those two batters hit a double and a home run to shave a 6-2 Detroit lead down to 6-4. He nursed a 2-1 lead into the fifth but gave up one run right after the Tigers scored four. He also allowed 12 baserunners in his five-plus innings of work, which is even more than the average of just under two baserunners per inning he gave up in July. Robertson threw 101 pitches because he was in and out of trouble all the time.
August 6, 2008

--RHP Fernando Rodney had perhaps his strongest outing since being named Detroit's closer -- on the day he lost his job as the closer. Rodney, replaced as the closer by RHP Joel Zumaya, pitched three scoreless innings in a tie game Tuesday night. Most important, he only walked one batter. Bases on balls were the chief reason he lost his closer's role after being named to replace RHP Todd Jones.

--OF Ryan Raburn got a rare start in left field Tuesday night and responded with a four-hit game. Raburn performed well in a utility role last season, and manager Jim Leyland has said several times that Raburn and INF Ramon Santiago are the two players getting squeezed for playing time the most on the team. Raburn started his night with a bunt single in the second inning and also had two infield singles. His prize hit was an RBI single to right in Detroit's four-run fifth inning, on the ninth pitch of his at-bat.

--RHP Kyle Farnsworth coughed up his second straight lead in his third appearance for Detroit since being acquired from the New York Yankees for C Ivan Rodriguez. Farnsworth took over for LHP Bobby Seay to face Alexei Ramirez in a right-on-right matchup, and the Chicago second baseman put a pitch over the left field fence to create a 6-6 tie in a game the White Sox once trailed by a 6-1 margin. Farnsworth gives up a ton of home runs, and he allowed two of them Sunday, good for three runs in squandering a two-run Detroit lead.

--2B Placido Polanco has been one of the league's more consistent hitters since coming over to Detroit in 2005 and becoming a full-time player. Polanco ranks among the league hit leaders this season despite a slow start due to a bad back. He also shows some power from time to time. He can turn on an inside pitch more than he used, as he did twice Tuesday night when he ripped a two-run home run to left for the Tigers in the first inning and added another with one out in the 14th. He also tripled to center and scored a run in the fifth.

--CF Curtis Granderson produced another big home run Tuesday night, his second in two games. Granderson's power from the leadoff spot is a big plus in Detroit's lineup. He tied the score Sunday in the ninth with a solo home run, and his two-run shot in the fifth Tuesday gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead.

--RHP Aquilino Lopez gave up just one hit in 1 1/3 innings Tuesday night, but it was a costly one. He allowed a solo home run to Chicago LF Carlos Quentin in the seventh that shrank Detroit's lead down to 6-5. Another solo home run in eighth, off RHP Kyle Farnsworth, tied the score. Lopez has only allowed four home runs in 48 1/3 innings this season.

--SS Edgar Renteria is fighting for his playing future, and Tuesday night came out pretty good. Given the start even though he's been slumping, Renteria went 1-for-4 until getting singles his last two turns to bat. Both were to center field, as he tried just to hit the ball up the middle. His final hit preceded 2B Placido Polanco's 14th-inning home run. He made a costly error in the 14th, though, letting in a run and keeping the inning alive for a game-winning, three-run home run with two outs.

--RHP Joel Zumaya was named Detroit's third closer of the year Tuesday night and got his first save chance in that role. But like his predecessors, Zumaya faltered, giving up a three-run home run in the bottom of the 14th inning to cost the Tigers a game they nearly had won. Manager Jim Leyland said before the game Zumaya would now close, replacing RHP Fernando Rodney, who had replaced RHP Todd Jones. Zumaya came in to begin the 14th, and he gave up a single and a one-out double. An error let in a run, and Zumaya got a strikeout for the second out before serving up a three-run home run to Nick Swisher that ended the game and his first save chance in the role of new closer.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:10 pm

August 7, 2008

--RHP Justin Verlander gave his tattered bullpen a rest, throwing 130 pitches and working 7 2/3 innings in a defeat at Chicago. Verlander gave up a three-run home run in the first but pitched shutout ball thereafter until leaving with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth. Two runs scored on a single, both charged to Verlander. The Tigers needed a long performance from him because every pitcher in the bullpen worked in the 14-inning game Detroit played against Chicago the night before. The loss was Verlander's third in a row.

--RHP Fernando Rodney was not available to pitch in Chicago after working three scoreless innings the night before. Rodney might not be ready to pitch again until Detroit returns home Friday night to host Oakland.

--RHP Joel Zumaya won't be allowed to pitch on back-to-back days, manager Jim Leyland says, whether he thinks he can or not. Zumaya was not going to be used Wednesday after pitching Tuesday night. He's been bothered twice in the last two weeks by tightness in his right arm so the Tigers are going to keep his workload light.

--C Dane Sardinha started in place of C Brandon Inge. Inge, who caught the majority of Tuesday night's 14-inning game, replaced Sardinha behind the plate after the starter was removed for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth. Sardinha and Inge had reversed the roles Tuesday night.

--DH Gary Sheffield produced the Tigers' only run with a single to deep center in the seventh inning. It was another RBI for Sheffield, who isn't hitting a whole lot but continues to drive in runs on a regular basis.

--RHP Todd Jones feels he'll be ready to come off the disabled list when eligible on Aug. 15. Jones is supposed to be able to throw off flat ground this Friday when Detroit returns home. He feels he won't need any minor league rehab time since he'll have been out of action just his DL time. "I just hope I can help out," Jones said. Whether he'll be completely free of pain in his shoulder won't be known, but Jones hopes he'll at least be able to pitch and hopefully close again. "I just want to get an opportunity to get back in that role," he said. This is just his fourth time on the disabled list in his 15-year career.

--CF Curtis Granderson didn't start Wednesday night, although he did enter the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth. Chicago started a left-hander, John Danks, and manager Jim Leyland elected to go with an all-right-handed-hitting starting lineup. It was more a case of giving Granderson most of a night off than anything else
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:16 am

August 8, 2008

--RHP Zach Miner turned in another solid performance through five innings Thursday night, allowing the Chicago White Sox just one run. Miner is making a strong bid to remain in the rotation rather than moving to long relief even though he's topping out at about six innings per start. Miner is using his changeup more, as was suggested when he returned to starting, and mixing in his curve with his sinking fastball. He's been generally effective for somewhere between four and six innings in his starts before he tires out and needs relief. Thursday he shut Chicago out for four innings, then gave up single runs in the fifth and sixth as his pitch count got up to 101.

--RHP Joel Zumaya wasn't on the list to close Thursday night as manager Jim Leyland made him the first man in relief of starting RHP Zach Miner. Zumaya needed just 11 pitches to get through the seventh inning, and that was all he worked. He mixed in a few curveballs by request, and results were mixed as far as them being strikes.

--LHP Bobby Seay stubbed his toe a little Thursday night. Seay entered the game in the eighth inning having allowed just one earned run over his previous 17 2/3 innings with a 0.51 ERA covering 16 games. But he gave up a solo home run to LF Carlos Quentin and was unable to get the third out of the inning as he gave up a walk and a double (with Jim Thome thrown out at the plate).

--RHP Fernando Rodney came on to relieve struggling LHP Bobby Seay, getting the final out of the eighth inning Thursday night, then stuck around for the ninth to pick up his second save of the season. Rodney mixed his fastball and changeup and had better control for the second straight outing. He didn't walk a batter and struck out two. Tuesday night he worked three scoreless innings with just one walk.

--DH Gary Sheffield wasn't in the lineup Thursday night, as his manager had told him he would not be. Manager Jim Leyland wanted to get RF Magglio Ordonez out of the outfield for one game, so he put him at DH and inserted OF Matt Joyce into right field and LF Marcus Thames into left. Sheffield was expected to DH again Friday night in Detroit.

--SS Edgar Renteria was out of the starting lineup Thursday night, replaced by INF Ramon Santiago. Renteria has been sporadic offensively of late, so Santiago is getting more opportunities. Regarded as a better fielder right now, Santiago made a throwing error in the sixth inning.

--DH Magglio Ordonez has encountered a little drag in his rush to win a second batting title in a row. Ordonez went 1-for-4 Wednesday and 1-for-5 Thursday (two-run triple in the ninth) to fall back to .318. But that's still within hailing distance of the leaders as he seeks to become the first player since Nomar Garciapara (1999-2000) to win back-to-back batting titles. "It's too early," Ordonez said. "We'll see in September."

--LHP Nate Robertson will start as scheduled Sunday against Oakland at Comerica Park. Manager Jim Leyland said there is no change in his status as a rotation member. The left-hander's 6.11 ERA is the worst in the majors for regular starters, and he has not beaten an AL opponent in almost two months.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:50 pm

August 11, 2008

--LHP Nate Robertson came up big Sunday when Detroit needed a well-pitched game. Robertson never let Oakland get a lead and left after 7 2/3 innings having allowed just one run, five hits and a walk. Robertson worked on making a technical adjustment during the week after getting drubbed for nine hits and four runs in five innings of his previous start and averaging two runners per inning for a month. The adjustment put more late life on his fastball and enabled him to pitch inside more effectively.

--LF Marcus Thames was scratched from the starting lineup Sunday because of a sore right shoulder. Detroit listed Thames day-to-day. Thames only has two hits in the last two weeks.

--UT Ryan Raburn played third base two games during the weekend with regular 3B Carlos Guillen suffering from back spasms. He was slated to play third Sunday but the listed starting LF Marcus Thames came down with a sore right shoulder so Raburn was plugged into left field and the third spot in the batting order. He had an RBI double in the eighth and was 6-for-18 during the week getting more regular playing time.

--C Brandon Inge played third base Sunday for the first time since becoming Detroit's full-time catcher. Inge was manager Jim Leyland's selection to play third in the absence of 3B Carlos Guillen when LF Marcus Thames was a late lineup scratch. Inge went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks. His hitting dropped off last week (2-for-18) in his first week as the regular catcher following the trade of C Ivan Rodriguez to the New York Yankees.

--RHP Fernando Rodney got the last four outs of Detroit's 6-1 win Sunday over Oakland to earn his second save in as many chances. Rodney has been working more than one inning at a time in his last three games (3, 1 1/3, 1 1/3) because manager Jim Leyland doesn't have to save him for the following night. Rodney isn't working consecutive games at this time after missing nearly half the season with right shoulder trouble.

--3B Carlos Guillen did not play again Sunday due to back spasms that took him out of the lineup after the seventh inning Friday night. Guillen was held out as a precaution in hopes he would be able to play Monday when Detroit hosted Toronto. Manager Jim Leyland said he felt Guillen would be good to go Monday.

--RHP Joel Zumaya didn't pitch Sunday after working a little on his curveball during his one inning Saturday outing. Zumaya has thrown a scoreless inning in both appearances since allowing a game-losing home run in Chicago on Tuesday, the latest Saturday in the eighth inning. "Right now, I'm still working on my breaking ball," Zumaya said. "I want to show that I can get it over for strikes. A lot of guys are lunging and shooting for that fastball. That's why I've been giving up homers -- they're out front chasing it. Recently, I haven't been getting my breaking ball over too well. I threw some pretty decent ones (Saturday). "My fastball isn't triple digits, but I'm still in the 97-99 (mph) range, and that's pretty good. It's just a matter of working on that breaking ball and getting to my arm to 100 percent. Slowly but surely, it (his arm) is getting there." Manager Jim Leyland feels Zumaya needs to be able to alternate fastballs and curves for strikes to be successful and also get some fastballs up in the strike zone.

--RHP Todd Jones, eligible to come off the disabled list Friday, expects to throw a bullpen session prior to Detroit's game Monday against Toronto at Comerica Park. "It went well," Jones said of what trainer Kevin Rand described as "a light catch out to 60 feet" on Saturday. "It was just a starting point. It was just real light and not too many throws, but you've got to start somewhere. "I don't know if it was really that kind of day where I could even do anything to make it sore. "I've got a bullpen (session) scheduled for Monday. I hope to face some live hitters Wednesday and be activated Friday. "Things could change if it doesn't feel good on Monday." Jones is 4-1 with 18 saves and a 5.05 ERA. He lost his closer's job in late July and at the end of the month was placed on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis. Manager Jim Leyland does not want to be pinned down on what role Jones will play when he returns.

BY THE NUMBERS: 20 -- Blown saves by Detroit relief pitchers this year in 43 save situations entering play Monday.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I hope people don't think this isn't disappointing and frustrating to players, because it's probably more so than it is to the fans. I don't think it's a matter of who we're facing right now, it's just this team's inability to do what it takes to win ballgames, in every aspect." -- LHP Kenny Rogers on Detroit's inability to make any kind of run at Minnesota and Chicago in the AL Central.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:34 pm

August 12, 2008

--RHP Justin Verlander lost his fourth straight start Monday. Throwing strikes wasn't the problem; getting enough outs was. Verlander was facing Toronto for the first time in his career but the Blue Jays must have had him well scouted on his two-strike offerings because that's where they did a lot of their damage. Verlander consistently got ahead of Toronto batters but couldn't strike them out or get them out often enough and was gone in the fifth inning after throwing 78 pitches.

"This was fallout from his 130-pitch game," manager Jim Leyland said. "He had a dead arm. That's why I got him out of there early; freshen him up for his next start."

--C Brandon Inge returned behind the plate Monday night and got a couple of hits. Inge did not hit well in his first week as the Tigers' regular catcher, but, after a one-game respite at third base, he collected a home run and a double. Inge has taken to choking up on the bat with two strikes this season in an effort to reduce his strikeouts. He hit a two-strike breaking ball for his 10th home run. Inge yanked his double down the third-base line in the ninth.

--RHP Aquilino Lopez was stretched out to 3 2/3 innings in relief Monday night. Lopez was brought on to get the last two outs of the fifth in relief of RHP Justin Verlander and remained to pitch the next three innings, allowing just two hits, one a solo home run. Lopez has been a versatile reliever but especially good in long relief. He spots his fastball well and mixes in his other pitches.

--1B Miguel Cabrera smashed his 24th home run of the season, a deep booming drive to straightaway center field in the sixth inning. It wasn't enough to give the Tigers a win but it again demonstrated he's adapting to the American League.

--LHP Casey Fossum worked a scoreless ninth inning Monday against Toronto. Fossum had one strikeout, giving him 16 in his last 12 appearances. Fossum has been used as a specialist (one or two left-handed hitters) and for an inning or more. He needs to have his control, though, because he's not overpowering.

--LF Marcus Thames underwent an MRI on his sore right shoulder Monday to determine whether he would have to go on the disabled list. Results were not immediately available. Thames missed games Sunday and Monday because of the shoulder soreness.

"He felt it a little in Chicago, but thought it was getting better," manager Jim Leyland said. "It's bothering him pretty good. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's in his shoulder, and could be a dangerous one as far as time is concerned. This time of year, I can't have guys sitting around. We can't fool around too many days. This is starting to be crunch time and we have to go out there with all the ammo we have."

--RHP Todd Jones says he's coming off the disabled list Friday, ready or not. Jones threw in the bullpen Monday afternoon and reported "everything went fine. Everything felt good." Jones is scheduled to play catch Tuesday and throw another bullpen session Wednesday. "I'm coming off (the DL) Friday, no matter what -- if I feel good, or I'm not going to get any better, depending on how you look at it," Jones said. How he will be used is a matter for his manager.

--DH Gary Sheffield, not happy over his DH role with the Tigers, got a loud boo from the Comerica Park crowd Monday night after taking a third strike in his first at-bat. Sheffield went 0-for-3 and was the only Tigers player without a hit.

--3B Carlos Guillen returned to the starting lineup after missing two full games with back spasms. Manager Jim Leyland said Guillen could have played Sunday but was held out as a precaution. Guillen had a single in three at-bats.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:53 pm

August 13, 2008

--RHP Zach Miner is trying to take the decision of whether he's a starter or a reliever out of manager Jim Leyland's hands. Miner turned in six stout innings of one-run ball only to have a victory elude him when his bullpen gave up four runs in the seventh. He walked only one batter, struck out five with an excellent sinker and slider, and gave up five hits. In four previous starts he was 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA. Only once as a starter has he allowed more than two runs. "I'm still not sure, to this day, where Zach Miner fits in the best," Leyland said. "But he is definitely a big league pitcher -- and a very helpful big league pitcher on a good team, in my opinion."

--RHP Joel Zumaya won't be closing games for Detroit until he can eliminate outings like Tuesday's. Manager Jim Leyland thinks it's because there's something wrong with him. Zumaya faced five batters and all of them reached base as Toronto erased a 4-1 deficit with a four-run seventh in a 6-4 Blue Jays victory. His control was spotty (three walks, one intentional) and his fastball got hit. The two runs he allowed were the tying and go-ahead scores. "We're very suspicious," Leyland said. "He's not right. We're getting him checked out. He's not finishing his pitches. I don't know if he's hurt, but he's definitely not right."

--DH Gary Sheffield hit two home runs, crunching fastballs he typically hits hard when he's on his game. Sheffield hit a 97 mph A.J. Burnett fastball for a home run to deep left in the second inning and unloaded on a 94 mph fastball into the seats down the left-field line in the sixth. But he's still off and on and needs to be more consistent. "He was tremendous," manager Jim Leyland said. "There's not many players who could get on top of a 96 mph fastball that was up in the zone like that one. He had a tremendous game."

--LHP Bobby Seay wasn't as sharp as Detroit needed him to be. Seay gave up two hits in two-thirds of an inning and both runners scored as Toronto answered a three-run Detroit sixth with a four-run seventh. Seay had pitched well for nearly a month, but his bad moments are glaringly bad.

--3B Carlos Guillen left in the top of the eighth inning because his lower back started acting up again. Guillen missed two weekend games before returning to the lineup Monday. He was replaced at third by UT Ryan Raburn.

--LF Marcus Thames and his potent home run bat could be back in the Detroit lineup in two or three games. Thames had an MRI on his ailing right shoulder Monday, which revealed only inflammation. Manager Jim Leyland said he would be available to pinch-hit Tuesday (Thames didn't bat) and wouldn't be out of the starting lineup more than three games. Thames had a cortisone shot after the diagnosis. "If they hit a ball out there to me, I couldn't throw anybody out," Thames said. "And I don't want to be out there in the field (hobbled) when we need to win every game we can. I don't like sitting. Whenever I get a chance to play, I want to play, but I had to sit down." Thames, 31, said the injury happened Thursday when he made a diving catch in the left-field corner to rob White Sox C A.J. Pierzynski of a double in Chicago. Thames' 21 home runs rank second on the team to Miguel Cabrera, but he has produced his in just 237 at-bats.

--RHP Freddy Garcia signed a minor league contract with Detroit as a free agent and will report to the Tigers' high Class A farm club in Lakeland, Fla. Garcia, who had surgery last November to repair a torn right shoulder labrum, reached just 84-86 mph with his fastball in an Aug. 5 open audition. The 33-year-old went 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA in 11 starts with Philadelphia last year. He can be a free agent at year's end, but this situation gives both sides an opportunity to see if there's a fit for 2009. Garcia has a 117-76 record in 263 games over nine major league seasons with the Mariners, White Sox and Phillies.

--LHP Dontrelle Willis was promoted to Class AAA Toledo and will pitch for the Mud Hens on Friday. He worked 7 1/3 innings Sunday for Class A Lakeland, allowing four runs, two walks and six hits. He was 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA for Lakeland, but his control got better as time went along.

"His arm strength is there, and he's throwing strikes," Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said. "They've done a lot with him and he's worked very hard. He has a great sense of focus on the mound and is more serious out there."

Willis walked only two in 13 2/3 innings during his last two starts but also gave up eight runs and 16 hits.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:23 am

August 14, 2008

--RHP Armando Galarraga probably won't be the AL Rookie of the Year, but he's certainly the Tigers' top rookie. Galarraga improved to 11-4 on a team under .500 with eight innings in which he allowed just a solo home run among the six hits he gave up. Galarraga's slider wasn't in top form but he still struck out six and did an excellent job of mixing and matching his pitches to C Dane Sardinha. His two-seam fastball had good sink on it.

--RHP Fernando Rodney didn't get a save, but then again he did. Rodney entered in the ninth Thursday with the Tigers up 5-1 on the Blue Jays. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in the non-save situation but clinched a victory that saved the Tigers from a four-game sweep at home against Toronto. Rodney has had success recently throttling his fastball down to 94-95 instead of 97-99 mph. Well-rested, he had quite a few upper-90s fastballs and most of them were out of the strike zone. But he ended up fanning two after getting a groundout in finishing the game.

--UT Brandon Inge made his second start at third base Thursday since becoming the regular catcher. The Tigers needed a starter at third with regular 3B Carlos Guillen still out with a bad back. The Tigers are 22-13 with Inge at third base. He showed no signs of rust defensively (he continues to take grounders at third on a regular basis) and made several standout defensive plays at third. His only hit (he was hit by a pitch his first time up) in three at-bats was a line single to left that scored two runs in the eighth.

--SS Edgar Renteria has made some adjustments with his stance and it seems to be paying off. Renteria has closed up a little with his front foot and is trying to drive the ball more instead of going with the pitch as he has most of the season. Renteria had two hits Thursday including a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning of a 5-1 win over Toronto. Whether the Tigers will pick up his option for next season remains in doubt.

--3B Carlos Guillen was out of action again with a pinched back nerve, an ailment that could keep him out for one or two more games. Guillen said an MRI revealed a pinched nerve in his lower back, which is causing him periodic numbness in his right leg. "I thought it was back spasms," Guillen said. "It feels weird and changes the way you walk and the way you run. If I don't get better, I have to see a specialist."

--C Dane Sardinha got a start as Brandon Inge was needed at third base. Sardinha was solid behind the plate as usual but didn't hit. He was 0-for-4 as his batting average dipped to .097.

--LF Marcus Thames was available to pinch-hit and is a day or two away from being ready to return to left field. "He's feeling much better," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "Throwing still bothers him a bit, but he could pinch-hit." Thames said he is pain-free swinging a bat but can't throw without feeling the inflammation-caused pain in his right shoulder. He received a cortisone shot Monday after an MRI showed no structural damage. He injured the shoulder making a sliding catch last week in Chicago.

--RHP Todd Jones expects to come off the disabled list Friday, the first day he is eligible to be restored to the active roster. He could get an opportunity to save some games with RHP Joel Zumaya now out of action at least two weeks with a sore right shoulder. Jones threw 20 to 25 pitches to hitters in simulated game action Wednesday. "I threw the ball well and everything feels good," Jones said. "I had good movement on the ball, meaning I had good arm extension."

--RHP Freddy Dolsi was optioned to Class AAA Toledo after Thursday's game in anticipation of the Tigers activating RHP Todd Jones from the disabled list on Friday. The rookie appeared in 33 games in relief with a 1-4 record and 3.96 ERA. His inexperience shows at times but his fastball has good life on it and he shows a nice demeanor on the mound. He will work on his off-speed and breaking pitches at Toledo. The move allows the Tigers to retain RHP Francis Beltran, purchased earlier in the week when RHP Joel Zumaya was placed on the disabled list.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:35 pm

August 18, 2008

--RHP Zach Miner didn't have a good consistent sinker Sunday and that, plus some hot Baltimore bats, contributed to his getting only four outs in the first bad start he had since joining the Detroit rotation. Miner gave up five straight hits to start the game and ended up allowing six and walking four in his 1 1/3 inning stint. "I felt good before the game, and then before I could blink they had five hits," Miner said. "I was just shocked. They weren't all good pitches, but they weren't all bad, either."

--LHP Casey Fossum entered Sunday's game in the second inning with the bases loaded and one out. He got a strikeout and a comebacker to escape without a run scoring and ended up retiring six in a row before the roof fell in. A home run by 3B Melvin Mora (who went 10-for-13 in the series) seemed to unnerve Fossum because he walked two straight batters and gave up a three-run home run to take the Tigers out of the game. Fossum couldn't get his breaking ball over after giving up the home run and then his fastball got pounded.

--2B Placido Polanco now grips his bat down on the end instead of choking up and is hitting the ball with more power as a result. Polanco said he made the change in Tampa Bay a few weeks ago because he wasn't following through in his swing as well as he liked. After making the change he went to Chicago and hit two home runs plus a triple. He hit a home run Friday night against Baltimore, too. "I feel good," Polanco said. "I feel comfortable."

--C Brandon Inge played third base Sunday with manager Jim Leyland giving 3B Carlos Guillen a game off. Inge has reverted to the more upright batting stance he used hitting 27 home runs in 2006. His lone hit Sunday was a two-run triple in the ninth inning. He had modified his stance during the winter, getting into more of a crouch and shortening his stroke, at the request of management in an effort to curb his high strikeout rate. Inge was 6-for-27 with a home run and six RBI last week.

--RHP Todd Jones was placed on the disabled list again Sunday, two days after giving up five unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning in his first game after coming off the DL. Detroit embarks on a six-game road trip but Jones will return home to Alabama and visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL -- not to get his sore shoulder checked out but to work out instead. "I was concerned about my arm hurting when I was pitching," Jones said. "When I did my mechanics properly, it didn't hurt. When you're throwing on the side, you can control all that. But when you're competing against big league hitters, you can't worry about your mechanics. And when my mechanics got bad, that's when it got bad in my arm. I just can't make pitches. I've talked the whole time I've been here about making pitches. When I don't make pitches, I get pounded. I physically can't make them." He threw hard enough, Jones said, but couldn't put the ball where it was supposed to go. "When I got back," Jones said, "I realized when I was pitching that I could throw, but I can't pitch." "He's a true trouper," manager Jim Leyland said. "He wanted to earn his keep. I wasn't real confident that everything would be all right just yet, but he wanted to give it a shot."

--RHP Gary Glover was purchased by Detroit from its Class AAA Toledo farm club Sunday to replace disabled RHP Todd Jones on the roster. Glover, 31, signed with Toledo as a minor league free agent Aug. 9 and threw four scoreless innings and fanned four in three games with the Mud Hens. Glover has appeared in 245 games at the major league level with five teams during his career. In his career, the 31-year-old is 28-25 with three saves and a 5.06 ERA. Glover appeared in 29 games with Tampa Bay this season, pitching 34 innings with a 1-2 record and 5.82 ERA. He allowed 42 hits with 18 walks and 22 strikeouts. He was released after coming off the disabled list. "He's always had a good arm," Manager Jim Leyland said. "He's a top-notch individual, so we'll find out. This is kind of a trial-and-error thing for him and us. We're glad to have him. He's blessed with a good arm, and we'll see if we pushed the right button."

--DH Gary Sheffield enters Monday one away from tying Fred McGriff for the most home runs by a Tampa native. He had 492. Sheffield observed his 20th year of serve in the Major Leagues on Sunday. The 39-year-old is the only active position player in baseball with two decades of service.

--RF Magglio Ordonez got a game off Sunday, just to get a rest, Manager Jim Leyland said. Ordonez goes back to his usual right field spot Monday night in Texas.

--3B Carlos Guillen didn't play Sunday. Manager Jim Leyland didn't want him to play a day game following a night contest because of his bad back. Leyland said he didn't want to risk having Guillen hurt himself and have to sit out two weeks by playing Sunday. Guillen just returned to the lineup Saturday.

BY THE NUMBERS: 6 -- Victories following Detroit losses by rookie Armando Galarraga for Detroit this season through August 17. Galarraga took an 11-4 record into his Tuesday night start in Texas.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Unless we go out and get Bob Feller, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, I think you'd have to say that as of right now, he's earned a spot in the rotation. Funny things happen. There could be trades. There could be free agents. I don't know how all that will play out. But as of now, I'd have to say he's earned a spot." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on rookie Armando Galarraga's chances of being in Detroit's starting rotation in 2009
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:24 pm

August 19, 2008

--LHP Kenny Rogers teased Texas with his soft stuff for a couple innings but the Rangers developed some patience and started getting to the veteran in the fourth. C Gerald Laird, who hits Rogers well, and SS Michael Young both went up the middle or the other way with the Detroit pitcher's offerings. Laird hit an RBI double to left center and Young doubled to center to score a run. Rogers walked four and gave up eight hits with 106 pitches in six innings of work. Detroit threw a runner out at the plate in the third for Rogers, who also got a double play and helped himself with seven strikeouts.

--DH Gary Sheffield smacked his 493rd home run to tie Fred McGriff and Lou Gehrig for 25th on the all-time list, one of three hits he had Monday night. Sheffield's two-run home run started a four-run Detroit seventh that gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Sheffield has been slowly coming on since the All-Star break and the way manager Jim Leyland is talking, he figures in the Tigers' plans for the last year of his contract. He tucked his home run just inside the foul pole in left field, yanking an inside fastball.

--RHP Gary Glover made his Detroit debut and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Glover showed the good fastball he's known for and threw it to good spots in his 14-pitch 1-2-3 inning.

--C Brandon Inge has perked up at the plate since adopting his more upright batting stance. Inge saw RHP Frank Francisco throwing all fastballs when he came on in relief in the seventh, but the first breaking ball he saw he grounded sharply into left for an RBI single in a 2-for-2 game. He had an RBI triple Sunday.

--CF Curtis Granderson tripled in consecutive at-bats in the seventh and eighth innings to drive in four runs Monday night. Both hits went to center and the second, with the bases loaded, gave Detroit an 8-3 cushion that it ultimately needed all of to hold on to win. Granderson now has nine triples this season compared to 23 last season.

--RHP Kyle Farnsworth has had some nasty innings since coming to Detroit in a trade with the New York Yankees and Monday night was one of them. Farnsworth, not available Sunday because of a sore back, inherited an 8-3 lead in the eighth inning and had to be relieved with two outs and was charged with four runs. He gave up two infield hits, was victimized by an error and a bloop double but also gave up a solid two-run double.

--RHP Fernando Rodney got the last four outs of Monday night's game for his fifth save. Rodney struck out CF Josh Hamilton with the tying run at second base to close the eighth and left the tying run at second in the ninth. He hit a batter with one out and wild-pitched him to second but escaped with a high fastball for a strikeout and a pop fly to center.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:40 pm

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:48 pm

really! finally somebody that can PITCH
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:17 pm

marcus should KEEP resting and Matt Joyce should be playing LF everyday!!

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:25 pm

August 20, 2008

--2B Placido Polanco was a late scratch from the lineup Tuesday night due to a sore right knee. He was replaced by IF Ramon Santiago. Polanco may not play Wednesday, either, because with the club off Thursday, that would give him three days to heal.

--LF Matt Joyce got Detroit started with a solo home run in the fifth, breaking a scoreless tie, and he highlighted a nine-run seventh with a three-run shot that gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead. Joyce, currently starting against right-handed pitching, jerked a low inside fastball for his 11th home run of the season and ripped a flat breaking ball for his 12th. He'd been going through a rough patch the past few weeks, struggling against off-speed pitching and breaking balls, but every once in a while he shows he's hanging in against his weakness and beginning to learn. He may have a chance to challenge for a starting job in the spring.

--RHP Armando Galarraga kept his emotions in check Tuesday night in a start against a Texas team that traded him to Detroit during spring training. Galarraga shut out the Rangers through five innings and made one glaring mistake in the sixth, which 1B Chris Davis went the other way into the left field seats for a three-run home run that gave Texas a 3-1 lead. Galarraga seemed to lose his control a bit in the sixth, walking a batter and falling behind others, before giving up his home run on a 1-2 pitch. "I read his comments the other day about how he can't wait to face them and that they made a mistake," Manager Jim Leyland said before the game. "I didn't think they were good (remarks), to be honest with you. That's silly stuff. That's high school, in my opinion. These hitters Texas has, they'll be here. What you say is 'Hey, they made a decision. This is a business. I'm somewhere else now, doing pretty well, and I'm happy.'" Galarraga threw 121 pitches in his previous start, which was a factor in his leaving after six innings.

--SS Edgar Renteria continued his resurgence Tuesday night with a solo home run right after LF Matt Joyce's three-run shot fueled a nine-run seventh inning. Renteria is possibly looking at two months of play that will make as much as an $8 million difference in his 2009 wages. He can be bought out of his $11 million contract for $3 million at the end of the season. His hitting has picked up markedly since he made an adjustment in his stance earlier in the month.

--INF Ramon Santiago has been very effective as a spot player for the Tigers. Asked to fill in for 2B Placido Polanco at the last moment Tuesday, Santiago came through with a pair of singles. His second came in the seventh, during a nine-run rally by the Tigers that overcame a 3-1 deficit.

--RHP Gary Glover made a second effective relief appearance for Detroit in as many games Tuesday night. Glover, who worked a hitless seventh inning Monday, got four outs Tuesday night without allowing a baserunner. He entered in the seventh with runners on second and third and two out and got RF Marlon Byrd to pop out to pitcher to end the threat. He remained in the game and worked a perfect eighth.

--LHP Casey Fossum closed out Tuesday night's 11-3 Detroit win at Texas. Fossum got the last three outs with no problems. He's been used against both left-handers and right-handers this season and become increasingly effective.

--DH Gary Sheffield is heating up. Sheffield hit an infield single that just eluded SS Michael Young's glove and trickled into short center, sending CF Curtis Granderson to third and setting LF Matt Joyce up for a three-run home run. Sheffield came up in the ninth and stroked an RBI single that scored Detroit's final run in an 11-3 victory. He's been on a tear for more than a week.

BY THE NUMBERS: 6 -- Victories following Detroit losses by rookie Armando Galarraga for Detroit this season through Aug. 17.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Unless we go out and get Bob Feller, Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, I think you'd have to say that as of right now, he's earned a spot in the rotation. Funny things happen. There could be trades. There could be free agents. I don't know how all that will play out. But as of now, I'd have to say he's earned a spot." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on rookie Armando Galarraga's chances of being in Detroit's starting rotation in 2009.
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:29 pm

Feller, Drysdale, and Koufax???

Are those guys still even ALIVE??

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:00 pm

August 21, 2008

--LHP Nate Robertson gave up five home runs in another poor outing. Robertson gave up a two-run shot in the second off what appeared to be a good pitch, but the next four were either fastballs up in the strike zone and out over the plate or sliders that had little or no bite. Robertson wasn't able to get anything inside for a strike either. "Nate had a tough outing," manager Jim Leyland said. "We had a popup that dropped (for an error by Edgar Renteria) and he just couldn't pitch over it. After that, he just made bad pitches."

--CF Curtis Granderson tripled for the third time in three games and is now tied for the league lead at 10. There was some thought at the start of the season that Granderson's triple total would be down from his 23 of last season because of the broken finger he suffered that kept him out of early April games. He did hit some early home runs before tapering off.

--RHP Aquilino Lopez pitched a solid 2 2/3 innings of relief, allowing just a solo home run. Lopez continues to be an effective long-relief man for Detroit.

--LHP Dontrelle Willis started for Class AAA Toledo but turned in a shaky performance. Willis walked five in five innings and displayed the control problems that have plagued him for much of the season. He will continue to start for the Mud Hens. Willis gave up eight hits and five runs (three earned) in his five innings. Only 55 of his 98 pitches went for strikes.

--2B Placido Polanco remained out of the lineup, bothered by a sore right knee. Manager Jim Leyland hopes that three days of not being in the lineup (including Thursday's day off) will give him enough recovery time to let him be able to start Friday night in Kansas City.

--RHP Kyle Farnsworth needs to work on pitching inside more effectively, according to manager Jim Leyland. "He needs to throw with the same velocity inside and outside," Leyland said. "He throws 96-97 (mph) outside and 92 inside." Since Detroit acquired Farnsworth from New York three weeks ago, his ERA with the Tigers is 7.36. He's struck out seven and walked just one batter but has given up 13 hits in 7 1/3 innings. Leyland said the hard inside pitch is a necessity, especially on batters who crowd the plate with two strikes.

--RHP Jeremy Bonderman, out since early June following surgery to remove a rib and take care of a blood clot, is visiting with his teammates for their trip to Texas. "It's great to see the guys," said Bonderman, in the area to get a checkup with the Dallas doctor who performed the surgery. "I'm just trying to get all my range of motion back right now. When that happens, I'll start playing catch, but there's no timetable for that right now.

"I'm pleased with everything so far. My hand isn't swollen anymore, and the feeling has returned to my fingers."
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: From the FSN Daily Wire Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:25 pm

I made this a sticky for you Lap.