GDT: 8/9/08 - DET (56-59) VS OAK (54-61) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland doesn't buy into the law of averages. Not in baseball, anyway.

Some Major League managers fear struggling teams, ones like Oakland, which has lost 10 of its past 11 games, because sooner or later, they will start to win as easily as they've lost. And those managers don't want to lead the team that helps the limping teams turn around their fortunes.

Leyland, however, believes in simply playing better than an opponent on a given night. He leaves laws and averages out of it.

"If we play better than them, we'll win. If we don't, we'll lose," he said.

The Tigers cannot afford many more losses. They have to win.

Those who preached, "It's too early in the season to worry," for months and months have fell silent. It's not early. The Tigers head into Saturday's second game of a three-game series against the Athletics at Comerica Park with 115 games crossed off the schedule -- almost three quarters of the season gone. The sand in the hourglass is running out.

Leyland has tried for a while to keep things in perspective. He has stated numerous times that if his team trails in the American League Central standings by 4 1/2 games or fewer on Sept. 1, the Tigers have a shot at the postseason.

If not, it will take "a miracle," Leyland said, to reach the playoffs for the second time in three years.

But Leyland doesn't get caught up in that. Cliché as it sounds, he takes it day by day. When he strolls in his office every morning, Leyland said, his focus rests on that day's game, not the previous day's.

"I come here each day and try to win that game," Leyland said. "Obviously, you've got to win games. You can't win the next one until you win the first one. We've got to win games."

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Armando Galarraga (9-4, 3.23 ERA)
The questions of whether Galarraga's hot start was for real are gone now that he has carried his success into August. At this point, he's the best starter the Tigers have going, delivering consistently efficient, stingy innings and leaving with his team ahead in his past three outings. He gave up three runs in as many innings against the A's on June 3, the day of his long-lost piggyback start with Dontrelle Willis.

OAK: RHP Sean Gallagher (4-5, 4.39 ERA)
With right-hander Sean Gallagher battling irritation in his throwing shoulder, the A's decided to push his start to sometime in their upcoming home series against the Rays. In place of Gallagher, Oakland will start Meyer, who was called up to the A's on Aug. 3. Facing the Blue Jays in his last appearance, Meyer provided four solid innings of relief, allowing no runs on four hits.

Tidbits

All-Star third baseman Carlos Guillen left Friday's game with lower back spasms. He is day-to-day. ...

Placido Polanco, last year's American League Gold Glove winner at second base, committed his seventh error of the season. He didn't have any errors last year. ...

Kenny Rogers is 10-2 with a 3.48 ERA in 20 starts against Oakland since 2002. ...

Magglio Ordonez is hitting .356 in 20 games since the All-Star break.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Sun., Aug 10: Tigers (LHP Nate Robertson (6-8, 6.11 ERA)) vs. Athletics (LHP Greg Smith (5-10, 3.99 ERA)), 1:05 p.m. ET

• Mon., Aug 11: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (8-12, 4.56 ERA)) vs. Blue Jays (TBD), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Tue., Aug 12: Tigers (RHP Zach Miner (6-4, 3.57 ERA)) vs. Blue Jays (RHP A.J. Burnett (14-9, 4.62 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS

Oakland
Sweeney, R, RF
Ellis, 2B
Thomas, DH
Gonzalez, C, CF
Cust, LF
Crosby, SS
Suzuki, C
Barton, 1B
Hannahan, 3B

Detroit
:curtis: Granderson, CF
:placido: Polanco, 2B
:thames: Thames, LF
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, 1B
:sheff: Sheffield, DH
:ryan: Raburn, 3B
:edgar: Renteria, SS
Inge, C

SORRY FOLKS -- AND HIS CREW NEED TO GO (Except for Andy Van Syke)!

HE IS NOT A MOTIVATIONAL WINNING MANAGER! Oh I long for managers like Mayo Smith, Sparky Anderson, Billy Martin, and even Allen Trammell and his staff! Leyland inherited the Trammell built team that went to the World Series in 2006!

I want Tramm and Gibby back!

75 degrees at Game Time

NW Winds at 10 mph

Partly Cloudy

My friend is going to be there tonight. Behind tigers dugout. I'm mad at him.....

That's good and bad. Yes, you get to see them every time they run in and out but only that! Too bad they don't have mirrors so you could see down in there.....

Haha. Yah. I had seats right behind the dugout once... but I didn't stay there. I ran down to the railing next to the dugout and was there a lot of the time.

I was the Artful Dodger....I had to move a lot because the ushers said I couldn't be that close to the dugout!
Dang it, give an old lady a little joy, cantcha?

haha. Some of them yelled at me, but they didn't too much.

wow...what harm could I do? maybe LEAP on one of 'em!

haha.... that wouldn't do any harm at all....

fending off females...how bad can that be?

:haha:

It's Raining!

Yup....threatening to down here as well.

Darn! Hopefully it doesn't last too long.

GOO TIGERS!!

Wish I could be there! The bands must be GREAT!!

Coming back from rain delay, I just walked in the door so I didn't miss anything

No Matt again today

1 out.

DAMN! THAT SUCKS! Homerun. 1 - 0 A's

2 outs. 1 - 0 A's.
----
Gonzalez out. 3 outs.

Grandy out.

Polly flies out....

Thames

Top of the 2nd.

Jack Cust at bat....
----
Single.

Tigers are losing

They have plenty of time to come back...

Out at 2nd. One on. One out.

Out at 2nd, safe at 1st. 1 out.