GDT: 7/26/08 - DET (52-50) VS CWS (58-43) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- Round 1 of this key divisional series went to the White Sox. But the Tigers look to rally in the next round with their ace on the hill.

Detroit hopes Justin Verlander can answer the bell Saturday night in the second game of a three-game series with the first-place White Sox at Comerica Park. The Tigers now trail the White Sox by 6 1/2 games and sit three back of second-place Minnesota in the American League Central standings.

If his impressive month continues, Verlander should deliver a haymaker.

Few pitchers in the Major Leagues have shined as brightly as Verlander since early June. In fact, he hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in a start since May 31. He has posted a 6-0 record and 2.30 ERA in his past eight starts.

"I feel like I'm in a groove," Verlander said. "Everything's working."

Detroit's starting rotation has looked sturdy lately, but the Tigers need Verlander to pitch to his potential in order to catch the White Sox and reach the postseason.

It's safe to say that as Verlander goes, so do the Tigers. When the right-hander started 2-9, Detroit's record stood at 12 games under .500. However, since Verlander reverted to his dominant form, the Tigers have put together one of the best hot streaks in baseball.

Coincidence?

"It seems like it," Verlander said. "Guess I should keep winning."

His August and September numbers could use improvement. Verlander had 15 career losses prior to this season; seven of them occurred in the final two months of the schedule. August has treated him worst, seen in his 5-4 record and 5.95 ERA in the month.

First, though, Verlander can finish July undefeated by beating the White Sox. A Tigers triumph Saturday would also give them a chance for series win in this weekend's bout.



Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (8-9, 3.95 ERA)
Verlander has ascended from the depths of a 2-9 record in early June to now sit within a victory of .500. Not only has he gone 6-0 with a 2.30 ERA over his past eight starts, but he has given up two runs or fewer in each of those outings. He fell an out shy of a complete game last Sunday at Baltimore, allowing a run on three hits while throwing 105 pitches in sweltering heat. He's 1-2 against the White Sox this season and 2-6 against them in his career, but he started this run of his with a complete-game four-hitter against Chicago on June 11.

CWS: LHP John Danks (7-4, 3.03 ERA)
Danks was uncharacteristically off his game Sunday against the Royals. The left-hander lasted just four innings, surrendering four runs on nine hits and two walks. It was the first time he gave up more then four runs since allowing seven on April 9 against Minnesota. His offense bailed him out of the loss. He hasn't been handed a loss since May 24. He'll try to get back on track against Detroit, perhaps helped by the fact that the Tigers have yet to see Danks this year. He was 0-1 with a 5.71 ERA in three starts against them last year.

Tidbits

Tigers manager Jim Leyland confirmed Dontrelle Willis will make his next outing for Class A Lakeland on Saturday. The skipper added he cannot afford to worry about the left-hander's return to the Major Leagues with a tough stretch for his team on the horizon. "That's on the back burner for me, " Leyland said. "We've got a lot of work to do and things to do right now. It's not out of my mind, but I have to let that play its course. Dontrelle will tell us when he's ready to come back." ... Leyland also said he believes Magglio Ordonez has completely recovered from his oblique injury. Ordonez went 3-for-4 on Friday to increase his batting average to .319, which ranks near the top of the American League. ... Placido Polanco extended his hitting streak to nine games. ... Ryan Perry, the Tigers' first-round pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft, made his professional debut in rookie ball Thursday night. The reliever out of the University of Arizona pitched a scoreless inning, striking out the side for the Gulf Coast League Tigers.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Sun., July 27: Tigers (Zach Miner, 4-3, 3.73) vs. White Sox (Javier Vazquez, 7-8, 4.57), 1:05 p.m. ET

• Mon., July 28: Tigers (Kenny Rogers, 8-6, 4.48) at Indians (Paul Byrd, 4-10, 5.28), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Tue., July 29: Tigers (RHP Armando Galarraga (8-4, 3.27 ERA)) at Indians (LHP Aaron Laffey, (5-7, 4.23 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS

Chi White Sox AVG
O. Cabrera, SS .268
Pierzynski, C .287
Quentin, LF .279
Dye, RF .310
Thome, DH .256
Swisher, 1B .233
Ramirez, 2B .314
Wise, CF .311
Fields, 3B .333

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .294
:placido: Polanco, 2B .311
Guillen, 3B .288
Ordonez, RF .319
Cabrera, 1B .292
:sheff: Sheffield, DH .221
:thames: Thames, LF .266
:edgar: Renteria, SS .257
Inge, C .219

82 degrees at Game Time;


Partly Cloudy;


West Wind at 9mph


77 by 10pm



GO TIGERS GO

GO TIGERS!!!

Tigers and Sox will wear Negro League jerseys during tonight's game.

STAT OF THE DAY: Tigers record when facing a lefthander this year...20-7.

bobrob2004 wrote:

GO TIGERS!!!

Tigers and Sox will wear Negro League jerseys during tonight's game.

For the third year in a row Verlander will pitch for that game.

Base hit and just misses his 2nd career no-hitter

and the inning is over!!!

8 pitch first inning. Might as well have gone up there batless - that would have taken at least 9 pitches.

Look at all those high socks!!!

2 soxs on the corners

C'mon !

I like the Det Stars uniforms better than the Tigers regular ones. We should copy the with the old English D on them!

Inning finally over. No runs score

Yes! to end threat!

Oh yeah, with his first K today, has 100 on the season. He now has 102 with those last 2.

Maggs grounds out

Home run!

Sheff

Let's keep this lead

12 shy of 500!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

12 shy of 500!

I don't think he'll get it this year

50 pitches already for Verlander.

Double

sox double

:puke2:

are we doomed to lose this series?