GDT: 4/17/08 - Detroit (5-10) @ Cleveland ( 5-10 ) - 7:05 pm

CLEVELAND -- The last time Justin Verlander pitched in the city, his loss last September served as the exclamation point on the Indians' rise to the American League Central crown. He can't avenge that in April, but he can help the Tigers make an early-season statement.

The way his season has gone so far, he'd really like to make one himself.

Verlander is winless in his first three starts to a season, which have unfolded in similar fashion. Throughout his starts, the Tigers ace pitched well for the first half of the game before eventually falling to a rally.

On Opening Day against the Royals, it was a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh, leaving him with a no-decision before Kansas City won in extra innings. Six days later against the White Sox, it was a six-run sixth inning -- though five of the runs were unearned -- that sent him to defeat. His rematch with the White Sox saw him take a two-hitter into the eighth inning before he couldn't grip the ball on a cold, wet afternoon in Chicago, leading to a rally.

The pitches are there. It's just a matter of stretching it out over the course of the game.

That's why when asked what Verlander needs to do to change his fortunes, manager Jim Leyland simply said, "nothing."

"I thought he pitched a great game against the White Sox," Leyland said. "He ran into a buzzsaw that day. [Gavin Floyd] had a no-hitter for seven innings. Verlander's just got to be Verlander, throw the ball the way he's capable, use his pitches against a real good offense that's given him a little trouble. He just has to pitch his game."

Compared with Floyd's now-consistent performances against the Tigers, it's hard to tell what kind of support Verlander could have behind him with Fausto Carmona taking the mound for the Indians. Though Carmona dominated the Tigers last year, pounding sinkers against them and inducing groundouts galore, his biggest foe so far this season has been himself.

Carmona gave up one earned run over 13 innings in his first two starts, but walked nine batters in the process. Then came his last outing Saturday against the A's, who took their Moneyball approach and waited out Carmona for eight walks over 3 1/3 innings. He threw just 40 of his 82 pitches for strikes.

The Tigers don't have nearly the same approach, but their five walks on Wednesday night against C.C. Sabathia -- including three in a row to start off a seven-run fifth inning -- showed for the first time this season the way they can extend at-bats and benefit the hitters behind them in the order.

Leyland suggested the warmer weather this week has had an effect on his hitters. With another warm day in store for Cleveland on Thursday, they'll have another chance to show it, this time with a chance to pull out of the AL Central cellar for the first time this season.


Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (0-2, 6.52 ERA)
This was not where Verlander expected his stats to be three starts into this season, but to some extent, he has pitched better than his record. He has struggled mightily at Progressive Field, going 1-4 with an 8.89 ERA in five starts dating back to his Major League debut on July 4, 2005.

CLE: RHP Fausto Carmona (1-1, 2.20)
Carmona followed up a pair of outstanding starts with a startlingly wild loss against Oakland Saturday night. No Cleveland starter in 15 years had walked as many hitters in a game. Carmona says his arm was getting away from his body, which led to an inconsistent delivery. The team hopes the 24-year-old right-hander will be able to correct his delivery during his bullpen session between starts.

Tidbits

The only Tiger with a strong history of success against Carmona is Magglio Ordonez, 4-for-13 off of the righty with a double, home run and two RBIs. ... Curtis Granderson is scheduled to take one more day of batting practice Thursday afternoon. If he comes through it well, he's expected to be sent out on a Minor League rehab assignment Friday or Saturday. ... Ordonez needs two more RBIs to reach 1,000 for his career. He would become the second Venezuelan to ever reach the mark, joining Andres Galarraga.

On the Internet
MLB.TV
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• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
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On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Friday: Tigers (Kenny Rogers, 0-3, 6.75) at Blue Jays (A.J. Burnett, 1-0, 6.61), 7:07 p.m. ET

• Saturday: Tigers (Jeremy Bonderman, 1-1, 4.58) at Blue Jays (Dustin McGowan, 0-1, 3.71), 1:07 p.m. ET

• Sunday: Tigers (Nate Robertson, 0-1, 7.02) at Blue Jays (Shaun Marcum, 2-0, 2.61), 1:07 p.m. ET

Tigers gonna win and get out of last place!


Indians Suck!

They won't win 80 Games this year

Keep this streak going!
I was so excited when i checked the scoreboard this morning! Wow!
That's how we thought the Tigers would start all the way from the beginning of the season.
And i overslept that.

GO TIGERS GO!

TONIGHT'S STARTING LINE-UPS

Detroit AVG

Thomas, CF .308

Santiago, 2B .444

:sheff: Sheffield, DH .214

Ordonez, RF .293

Cabrera, 3B .264

Guillen, 1B .370

:edgar: Renteria, SS .300

:jjones: Jones, J, LF .194

Inge, C .310


Cleveland AVG
Sizemore, CF .281
Carroll, 2B .222
Hafner, DH .241
Martinez, C .353
Peralta, SS .241
Garko, 1B .314
Gutierrez, RF .182
Michaels, LF .091
Blake, 3B .146

Let's hope Verlander can get it going strong and keep it that way, I would HATE to have a streak over just when it started

I swear those Indians were playing like a little league team last night, those couple times that they just tagged the base/plate and not the runner when it clearly wasn't a force. But that did mean more runs for our Tigers. Maybe they will play like that again tonight!

Yeah, maybe my team can perform well tonight, but I would rather a Tiger win than my team winning.

Tigers gonna do it again tonight

They will and JV will finally get his first win!

I like how optimism, according to the polls, has steadily rose.

Optimism can be like a rolling stone....and we could sure use one of those right now!!

I like the announcers from STO last night, they were cheering on the Tigers but complained that we were hogging the field for over a half hour, when we scored all those runs! It cracked me up!

Woo hoo Go !! Sorry I haven't been around, I've been sick with some sort of stomach thing ugh, I think I'm dyin'

SoulRat wrote:

Woo hoo Go !! Sorry I haven't been around, I've been sick with some sort of stomach thing ugh, I think I'm dyin'

Some of the stomach flu does make you feel like you are dying. Sorry to hear you are feeling bad.

SoulRat wrote:

Woo hoo Go !! Sorry I haven't been around, I've been sick with some sort of stomach thing ugh, I think I'm dyin'

Poor Soul! I'll for you- stomach flus are the worst!

hope you are feeling somewhat better, Soul!

Go tigers!! I hope they win, but I can't have complete trust that we will win until we have more wins than losses.

Go Tigers!

Here we go...

Clete out. one out.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

SoulRat wrote:

Woo hoo Go !! Sorry I haven't been around, I've been sick with some sort of stomach thing ugh, I think I'm dyin'

Some of the stomach flu does make you feel like you are dying. Sorry to hear you are feeling bad.

Or makes you want to die cuz you feel so bad.

Get better soon!!!!!

Yay Ramon!!!!

Basehit for santiago.

Base hit!

There's a walk

walk for sheff.

walk!

2 down.

C'mon, Miggy!