GDT: 8/29/08 - DET (64-69) VS KC (56-77) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The Kansas City Royals haven't been to town since they went to town on the Tigers to open the season. In this case, revenge would be hollow, but returning the favor in the return visit would at least give Detroit some momentum.

It almost seems like ages ago -- which, at just about five months back, would explain it -- but that sense of shock Tigers fans had watching the then-overachieving Royals pull out three games at Comerica Park lingered for much of April and into May. The sense of hope that emerged from a summer roll has since faded, but for a team trying to at least regain third place and get closer to the right side of .500, every game is important. Winnable games, of course, are crucial.

In this case, the Tigers welcome a Royals club that has lost 13 of its last 15 and 17 of its last 20. A win over Detroit last Sunday at Kauffman Stadium accounted for one of those victories before the Rangers swept the Royals in three straight this week by holding them to seven runs total for the series.

Upon returning to Comerica Park, the Royals will face a starting pitcher who has beaten them twice in the last five weeks with 13 combined scoreless innings. Zach Miner gave up two runs in two innings to Kansas City here back in the second game of the season, but with a 4-0 shutout, the game was already arguably in hand.

Another scoreless performance from Miner would be a huge help for the Tigers after they were swept by Indians this week. Three games into a 10-game homestand, Detroit is still looking for a victory, and they're just two games over .500 at home for the season.

"You have the disappointment of the fans, obviously," manager Jim Leyland said after Wednesday's 9-7 loss. "Does it bother me? Yes. But it would bother me more if the effort wasn't there and we were just going through the motions. And we're not doing that. We're trying right up until the end. ...

"I'm disappointed. And I feel bad about that. But at the same time, I don't feel as bad as I would if the effort wasn't there. Guys are busting their tails. We're just not doing very well right now."


Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Zach Miner (7-4, 3.61 ERA)
After a rough outing against the Orioles saw Miner charged with more runs (five) than batters retired (four), he rebounded with seven scoreless innings at Kansas City last Sunday, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out three. He has five quality starts in seven outings since joining the Tigers rotation just over a month ago, including 13 scoreless innings against the Royals, and he's making a strong case to put himself into the starting picture for next season amid the uncertain situations of Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman.

KC: RHP Kyle Davies (5-5, 4.81 ERA)
Davies made his first start since being called up from Omaha and saw his record drop to 5-5 in the process. Detroit touched him for single runs in the second, third and fifth innings before Miguel Cabrera topped things off with a booming solo homer in the sixth. Davies gave up only four hits. He struck out four, walked four, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch in his six innings and 89 pitches of work. Davies has a tendency toward high pitch counts. He has only made it through the seventh inning in two of his 15 starts this season.


Tidbits

Leyland will spend Thursday night at Triple-A Toledo to watch Freddy Garcia start for the Mud Hens. Garcia, signed earlier this month to a Minor League contract, is expected to go four innings. "Everybody's looking for pitching," Leyland said. "He signed with us. He had other opportunities. When a guy has other opportunities and he signs with our club, I think it's disrespectful [not to go watch him given the opportunity]. ...

The Tigers are still finalizing plans for their September callups, but Leyland expressed his disappointment with several prospects who have struggled at Triple-A Toledo since being sent down from the Tigers earlier this summer. He called the idea of a letdown factor after being sent down a copout. "You don't graduate to the big leagues," Leyland said Wednesday. "That's just the way it is." ...

Friday will be the Tigers' first game under Major League Baseball's new replay system for disputed home runs.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Thurs., Aug 28: Off-day

• Sat., Aug 30: Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers (9-11, 5.09 ERA)) vs. Royals (LHP Brandon Duckworth (1-0, 5.40 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Sun., Aug 31: Tigers (Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.20 ERA)) vs. Royals (Gil Meche (10-10, 4.13 ERA)), 1:05 p.m. ET

• Mon., Sept 1: Tigers (Justin Verlander (10-14, 4.53 ERA)) vs. Yankees (*Andy Pettitte (13-10, 4.37 ERA) OR (RHP Sidney Ponson (7-5, 4.80 ERA)), 1:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Kansas City
Aviles, M, SS
Callaspo, 2B
DeJesus, LF
Guillen, RF
Teahen, 3B
Butler, DH
Gload, 1B
Buck, C
Gathright, CF

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

LIVE BLOG IF USED

80 degrees; Partly Cloudy at Game Time


Winds 5-15 out of the NNW

Come on , lets start a winning streak with this game! You are all a bunch of great ballplayers, but it seems you have lost your hunger for excellence! The time is now, not next year! Your fans have lined up to see a "Detroit Tiger" team that follows in the footsteps of the greats of 1968!

Let's start showing that you are qualified to put on that !

So far you qualify for the uniform!


But no longer... lets get it done!

And bring pride back to a city falling apart, and make all us fans glad to say "We love our !

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Come on , lets start a winning streak with this game! You are all a bunch of great ballplayers, but it seems you have lost your hunger for excellence! The time is now, not next year! Your fans have lined up to see a "Detroit Tiger" team that follows in the footsteps of the greats of 1968!

Let's start showing that you are qualified to put on that !

So far you qualify for the uniform!


But no longer... lets get it done!

And bring pride back to a city falling apart, and make all us fans glad to say "We love our !

Might be an insult to the Mudhens the way the Tigers have been playing lately

Let's sweep KC


Otherwise we may end up finishing last when this season is finally over

I hope Bondo comes back healthy. we need him.

gdennis59 wrote:

I hope Bondo comes back healthy. we need him.

I hope so!

We need Bondo!

No Updates?

bottom of the 5th

2 on - 1 out

:curtis: 2 rbi triple

2-1

:placido: rbi single

3-1

singles

swinging

Polly advances to 3rd
Maggs steals 2nd

2 rbi single

5-1

Magglio stealing?
Not in this life lol

:sheff: batting

wild pitch moves Larrish to 2nd

:sheff: rbi single

6-1

Pitching change Kip Wells replaces Davies

Wow. What an inning...

So how was your day gogetem?

gdennis59 wrote:

So how was your day gogetem?

good, how was school today?

School was amazing. I love my high school. Practice was totally different though. My knee seriously might be messed up. I just hope I can run Tuesday and get a Varsity spot.

:thames: pops out foul

end of 5 innings

6-1

gdennis59 wrote:

School was amazing. I love my high school. Practice was totally different though. My knee seriously might be messed up. I just hope I can run Tuesday and get a Varsity spot.

Ice your knee and you may need a knee brace.

I know. Im trying to get in to my Orthopedics to see what he wants me to do. Ive been icing it heavily since I got home.

Larrish is playing 1st
playing 3rd
:dane: catching

Dane catching tonight?
Well he better do good lol.

gdennis59 wrote:

I know. Im trying to get in to my Orthopedics to see what he wants me to do. Ive been icing it heavily since I got home.

I ended up with shin splints during track and had to learn how to do the special taping with athletic tape to ease the pain. Years later I learned that shin splints are small fractures in the shin. I threw discus and shot put, and if I ran on dirt or grass I was better, my problem was worse on cement or the blacktop track surface.

3 outs for Miner!