GDT: 8/5/08 - DET (55-56) AT CWS (61-49) - 8:11 p.m. ET

ST. PETERSBURG -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland thought about giving Brandon Inge a break on Sunday, as Detroit headed into the afternoon contest on the heels of two long, draining losses to the Rays.

A few years ago, Inge would have gladly taken off the catching gear. But these days, the newly christened starting backstop loves every minute of being behind the plate.

In the wake of Ivan Rodriguez's trade to the Yankees on Wednesday, the 31-year-old Inge -- who was the Tigers' primary catcher from 2001-03 -- has seemingly come full circle.

When he was called up as an injury replacement for catcher Mitch Meluskey in 2001, Inge struggled to separate his defense from his offense, and often felt he shouldered the blame of the Tigers' struggles.

"It was never anything physical, it was all mental," he said of his inconsistency at the plate.

Still, Detroit shopped for help elsewhere and signed Rodriguez as the starting backstop, delegating Inge to third base for the previous three seasons.

"Out of catcher, I matured as a player," Inge said. "It slowed the game down a lot and I was able to approach [catching this time around] as more of a veteran."

Even now, Inge admits the first half-dozen times he was behind the plate, he started to let those bad memories creep in. It is only recently that he realized that catching this season is "not in any way, shape or form" reminiscent of the past.

In fact, Inge's progression behind the plate is part of the reason the Tigers were able to part with Rodriguez -- a future Hall of Famer -- in the middle of the season. The club fully expects the longest-tenured Tiger to assume the catching duties this season and beyond.

"It was one of those things, you had to give it time," Inge said. "Just wait and let it play out."

Now that his time has come, Inge has little patience for being on the bench.

Leyland gave the backstop the start for Sunday's matinee, and said he would continue to get Inge behind the plate "as much as possible."

"He's just like Pudge in that respect," Leyland said. "He told me [after the game Saturday] night, 'I want to play.'"



Pitching matchup

DET: LHP Nate Robertson (6-8, 6.06 ERA)
The spectacled lefty lasted just three innings on Wednesday in Cleveland, the second time in his previous three starts where he hasn't made it past the third. Robertson was tattooed for eight runs on nine hits in a losing effort against the Tribe. Both home runs he allowed -- a solo shot from Ben Francisco and a three-run homer by Grady Sizemore -- came with two outs. When Curtis Granderson muffed a Kelly Shoppach double in the third, Robertson was unable to minimize the damage, allowing two more runs on two doubles. Robertson has made three starts against the White Sox this season, going 1-0 with a 5.71 ERA. Lifetime, he has made 19 starts against Chicago, splitting with a 6-6 record and a 5.00 ERA.

CWS: RHP Gavin Floyd (11-6, 3.43 ERA)
After going winless in three straight starts, two of which were losses, Floyd righted the ship personally and for his team during an 8-1 shellacking of the Twins on Wednesday at the Metrodome. Floyd allowed one run on four hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking one, while throwing 68 of his 101 pitches for strikes. The right-hander's performance helped put an end to the White Sox three-game losing streak and kept the team in first place. Floyd has a 2-0 record with a 2.79 ERA over three starts against Detroit this season. The right-hander also has a 7-2 mark with a 2.49 ERA in 11 starts at U.S. Cellular Field. He has a 3-0 lifetime record against the Tigers.

Tidbits
When asked about Chicago's acquisition of Kenny Griffey Jr., Leyland was all for the superstar joining the American League. "I think it's great, this is what it's all about you know?," he said. "It's a very interesting game and it's really almost hard to believe if you look at the last two to three days [before the Trade Deadline]. That's three Hall of Famer's who got traded." One of those three, of course, is Rodriguez. ... Kyle Farnsworth made his debut with Detroit on Saturday night, tossing a 1-2-3 eighth inning with a strikeout. The right-hander was acquired for Rodriguez in a straight-up trade with the Yankees on Wednesday. ... With a solo homer to open the ninth inning, Granderson extended his current hit streak to 13 games on Sunday.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSND

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Mon., Aug 4: Off-day

• Tues., Aug 5: Tigers (LHP Nate Robertson (6-8, 6.06 ERA)) at White Sox (RHP Gavin Floyd (11-6, 3.43 ERA)), 8:11 p.m. ET

• Wed., Aug 6: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (8-11, 4.49 ERA)) at White Sox (LHP John Danks (8-4, 3.31 ERA)), 8:11 p.m. ET

• Thurs., Aug 7: Tigers (RHP Zach Miner (5-4, 3.77 ERA)) at White Sox (RHP Javier Vazquez (8-9, 4.66 ERA)), 8:11 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

DETROIT TIGERS:
:curtis: Curtis Granderson, CF
:placido: Placido Polanco, 2B
Carlos Guillen, 3B
Magglio Ordoñez, RF
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
:sheff: Gary Sheffield, DH
:ryan: Ryan Raburn, LF
Brandon Inge, C
:edgar: Edgar Renteria, SS


Chi White Sox
Cabrera, SS
Pierzynski, C
Quentin, LF
Dye, RF
Thome, DH
Konerko, 1B
Griffey Jr., CF
Ramirez, 2B
Uribe, 3B

LIVE BLOG IF USED

GO TIGERS


SWEEP THE SOX

Go Tigers!

Maybe I'll get to see the game....

80 degrees at Game Time


Partly Cloudy

NW Winds at 10


Dry

Hopefully can get the win on Thursday to avoid the sweep

catbox_9 wrote:

Hopefully can get the win on Thursday to avoid the sweep

Will you stop!


Tigers gonna win all three games


I guarantee it

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Hopefully can get the win on Thursday to avoid the sweep

Will you stop!
Tigers gonna win all three games
I guarantee it

Robertson is pitching today = loss (unless we have another 7 run comeback in us)

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Hopefully can get the win on Thursday to avoid the sweep

Will you stop!
Tigers gonna win all three games
I guarantee it

Robertson is pitching today = loss (unless we have another 7 run comeback in us)

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Robertson will shut the White Sox down

Verlander will shut em out

where are the changes?

Yea, I've been watching everywhere for those changes!

laprimamirala wrote:

where are the changes?

I guess there aren't any



Damn



I thought Rodney was a goner

catbox_9 wrote:

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Well there is a first for everything...

laprimamirala wrote:

where are the changes?

I think Sheffield has to sit on an aisle seat on the plane while Joyce now gets a window seat.

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Well there is a first for everything...

That's a lot more likely than Nate pitching well :haha: That'll be the day

He doesn't have the worst ERA in all of baseball for no reason.

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Well there is a first for everything...

That's a lot more likely than Nate pitching well :haha: That'll be the day

He doesn't have the worst ERA in all of baseball for no reason.

Hope you Hungry Catbox


You gonna be eating those words when Nate is lights out tonight


GO NATE GO

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Well there is a first for everything...

That's a lot more likely than Nate pitching well :haha: That'll be the day

He doesn't have the worst ERA in all of baseball for no reason.

Hope you Hungry Catbox


You gonna be eating those words when Nate is lights out tonight


GO NATE GO

Well regardless he does have the worst ERA in baseball. No denying that (so long as we agree that the higher the ERA the worse and therefore the highest ERA is the worst).

catbox_9 wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

where are the changes?

I think Sheffield has to sit on an aisle seat on the plane while Joyce now gets a window seat.

Well thats cool. I heard Matt was getting mad he never get the window. At least Leyland is taking action...

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Well there is a first for everything...

That's a lot more likely than Nate pitching well :haha: That'll be the day

He doesn't have the worst ERA in all of baseball for no reason.

Hope you Hungry Catbox


You gonna be eating those words when Nate is lights out tonight


GO NATE GO

Well regardless he does have the worst ERA in baseball. No denying that (so long as we agree that the higher the ERA the worse and therefore the highest ERA is the worst).

Nate's ERA going down; starting tonight

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

Verlander has never won at Chicago.

Well there is a first for everything...

That's a lot more likely than Nate pitching well :haha: That'll be the day

He doesn't have the worst ERA in all of baseball for no reason.

And the game I went to was no exception when he started...too many pitches.

GO TIGERS GO

STAT(S) OF THE DAY:

Robertson's ERA in the 2nd half this year...14.29.
Robertson's ERA in his last 4 starts...11.29.
Robertson's ERA in July this year...8.62.
Robertson's ERA on the road this year...7.62.
Robertson's ERA at night this year...7.10.
Robertson's ERA against the White Sox this year...5.71.

Robertson is on the hot seat! Either pitch well or he goes to the pen, or Toledo!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Robinson is on the hot seat! Either pitch well or he goes to the pen, or Toledo!

Robinson?


Who's Robinson?

gs78 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Robinson is on the hot seat! Either pitch well or he goes to the pen, or Toledo!

Robinson?


Who's Robinson?

Sorry ROBERTSON

TIGER LINEUP IS POSTED ABOVE

sheff? rent? does leyland have a death wish????

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

gs78 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Robinson is on the hot seat! Either pitch well or he goes to the pen, or Toledo!

Robinson?


Who's Robinson?

Sorry ROBERTSON

laprimamirala wrote:

sheff? rent? does leyland have a death wish????

He loves his has one time heroes! I would guess his little talk ended up with them mad at him, and you can't have that!