GDT: 6/21/09 - DET (37-31) vs MIL (37-31) - 1:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The last time Justin Verlander pitched against the Brewers, he made history. As far as he's concerned, that's all it is now.

The way he's been pitching for most of the past couple of months, his no-hitter only seems fresher in people's minds.

"It dregs up some memories," Verlander said, "but it's two years ago -- totally different team. There's four or five guys [still there], I think. The stars have to align just right. I could've faced the exact same team with the exact same stuff the next day and, who knows, gotten my brains beat in. You never know. It's just fate, I guess."

Technically, he gets a shot at the same Milwaukee team in Sunday's series finale, but Verlander's point was correct. Five players remain in Milwaukee from the Brewers' starting lineup -- Craig Counsell, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Bill Hall. And Hall hasn't been an everyday player.

Still, for many who were around that night on June 12, 2007, the memories are still pretty fresh. Hart, whose sinking line drive required a sliding catch from right fielder Magglio Ordonez, also remembers the 100-mph fastball he saw from Verlander in the ninth inning.

"He just had unbelievable stuff that day," Hart said. "Honestly, we didn't have any opportunities to get things going. The few hard-hit balls we had, they made the plays. They still weren't incredibly hard plays to make."

Verlander's damage that night consisted of four walks, three of them to Hall. He struck out 12 Brewers and induced 19 swings and misses, the same number of pitches that Brewers hitters took for strikes. They grounded out 10 times compared with six outs in the air.

That gem was part of a dominant summer for Verlander, who went 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA in a seven-start stretch from the beginning of June into mid-July. After falling off the pace a bit through mid-August, Verlander bounced back and dominated for most of that season's final five weeks. Six of his last seven outings that year lasted at least six innings, with no more than two runs allowed.

This is by far the best Verlander has thrown since then. To many, it's better, even if he doesn't have the no-hitter to show for it. That's why it would be hard to argue that the Brewers are looking for revenge.

"Any time someone shoves it to you, you want to get a second chance," Hart said. "But I don't know if you're super excited, just in case he's on again. He has the kind of stuff where, if he's on, it's going to be tough to get a hit."

There's a long jump from that to pitching a no-hitter. The last couple of years have reinforced that to Verlander.

"If anything, [I have] probably a little bit more appreciation," Verlander said, "especially after last year."

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (7-3, 3.39 ERA)
Verlander was bothered by the St. Louis heat during his last start, when he gave up four earned runs in the first and lasted only four innings. The stadium radar gun had him at 89-90 mph, but he said the readings were faulty and he had his normal velocity. He said he learned from the experience of being drained after the first inning because of the high humidity and would prepare better with more fluids the next time he made a start with similar hot conditions.


MIL: RHP Yovani Gallardo (7-3, 2.93 ERA)
The Brewers were in Detroit when they decided to promote then-prospect Gallardo to the Majors in June 2007. Two years later, he'll actually get to pitch there. Before his starts on this trip in Cleveland and Detroit, Gallardo had made only one start against an American League Central foe, and that was to the Royals on June 24, 2007.

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Tidbits

...For what it's worth, four Tigers remain from Detroit's starting lineup for Verlander's no-hitter -- Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Ordonez and Brandon Inge. Neifi Perez was the shortstop that night and contributed a sliding stop to begin a key double play.
... Ordonez is expected to remain out of the lineup on Sunday. Manager Jim Leyland said he could start again Tuesday for Detroit's Interleague series opener against the Cubs, though that wasn't certain.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 6-4, 2.39 ERA) vs. Cubs (Carlos Zambrano, 4-2, 3.44 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Tigers (Rick Porcello, 8-4, 3.54 ERA) vs. Cubs (Rich Harden, 4-3, 5.27 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:
BREWERS

1. Craig Counsell, 2B
   
2. Casey McGehee, DH
   
3. Ryan Braun, LF
   
4. Prince Fielder, DH
   
5. Frank Catalanotto, RF
   
6. Mike Cameron, LF
   
7. Mat Gamel, 3B
   
8. J.J. Hardy, SS
   
9. Jason Kendall, C
   

P: Yovani Gallardo

TIGERS

1. Granderson, CF
   
2. Santiago, 2B
   
3. Cabrera, 1B
   
4. Thames, DH
   
5. Kelly, LF
   
6. Inge, 3B
   
7. Anderson, RF
   
8. Laird, C
   
9. Everett, SS
   

P: Verlander

Stinkin' hot, folks!

Inning 1
Top Half

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Craig Counsell grounds out softly, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Casey McGehee homers (2) on a line drive to right field.
MIL 1, DET 0



B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Ryan Braun grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Prince Fielder strikes out swinging, catcher Gerald Laird to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

MIL 1, DET 0

Bottom Half

B:2 S:0 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson grounds out, second baseman Craig Counsell to first baseman Prince Fielder.

bye no-hitter, but that's ok

B:1 S:3 O:2 -
Ramon Santiago swinging.

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Miguel Cabrera grounds out softly, shortstop J. Hardy to first baseman Prince Fielder.

MIL 1, DET 0 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:3 S:3 O:1 -
Frank Catalanotto swinging.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Mike Cameron singles on a ground ball to right fielder Josh Anderson.

B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Mat Gamel called out on .

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
With J. Hardy batting, wild pitch by Justin Verlander, Mike Cameron to 2nd.

B:2 S:3 O:3 -
J. Hardy swinging.

4

MIL 1, DET 0 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Marcus Thames swinging.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Don Kelly grounds out, second baseman Craig Counsell to first baseman Prince Fielder.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Brandon Inge walks.

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Josh Anderson grounds out, second baseman Craig Counsell to first baseman Prince Fielder.

MIL 1, DET 0 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Jason Kendall walks.

Don Kelly has kids?!?!?

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Craig Counsell pops out to third baseman Brandon Inge.

laprimamirala wrote:

Don Kelly has kids?!?!?

Kelly is not as young as he looks

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Casey McGehee singles on a line drive to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Jason Kendall to 3rd.

B:0 S:2 O:2 -
Ryan Braun grounds out softly, catcher Gerald Laird to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Casey McGehee to 2nd.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

Don Kelly has kids?!?!?

Kelly is not as young as he looks

they had shots of Tigers with their kids before the game
Jerry Laird has a cute daughter!

Run support?

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Prince Fielder grounds out sharply, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

MIL 1, DET 0 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Gerald Laird flies out to right fielder Frank Catalanotto.

B:1 S:3 O:2 -
Adam Everett called out on .

*sigh*

Why can't we hit like we did last year now that our pitching has come around.

B:4 S:1 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson walks.