GDT: 6/28/09 - DET (41-33) at HOU (35-37) - 2:05 p.m. ET

HOUSTON -- Edwin Jackson's game revolves around his rhythm on the mound. If he has it, he can roll through outs with impressive efficiency. If he doesn't, he has been able to find it in due time on his own rather than needing all sorts of help to get it.

Relievers, on the other hand, can have a tougher time. Their outings usually don't last long enough for them to find their way as they work on the mound.

If Jackson can provide another solid performance in Sunday afternoon's series finale against the Astros, he could send Detroit onto the next leg of its three-city, nine-game road trip with some pretty good rhythm, as well. But the Tigers could still end up needing Joel Zumaya to shore up the victory, and they need Zumaya throwing strikes more consistently to do that.

Zumaya's 65 percent strike rate is still the highest of his career, but it has taken a drop lately. His past 10 games have featured 13 walks over eight innings. He has thrown 57 percent of his pitches for strikes over that stretch, including three games in which he threw less than half his pitches for strikes.

Friday's loss, in which his three consecutive walks in the eighth inning led to Houston's game-tying and go-ahead runs, was not one of those games. He threw 17 of his 30 pitches for strikes, and all three walks went to full counts. Still, what worries manager Jim Leyland is that he couldn't throw a strike when he needed to.

"He throws so hard," Leyland said, "so he thinks sometimes that's a reason that it's OK to not throw strikes. That's not the case. If you need to back off for a little bit, whatever it may be, [so be it]. If you throw 100, 101 [mph], that's exciting to the guy in section 129, seat 6, but that isn't worth squat.

"If he can throw a strike at 103, fine. But if you can't, you need to figure out an area where you can."

Zumaya was spotting his breaking ball for strikes better than his fastball Friday, Leyland said. The manager did not mean that in a good way. Without fastball command, every other pitch becomes less effective, though Zumaya has thrown almost exclusively fastballs and curveballs since giving up a go-ahead home run to Cubs slugger Micah Hoffpauir in the eighth inning Tuesday night at Comerica Park.

How Zumaya adjusts could have an impact on Detroit's late-inning mix. Although Zumaya will remain the primary option at setup, in no small part because he has the best stuff, Brandon Lyon has worked his way into more seventh- and eighth-inning situations with his recent strong performances.

Lyon has allowed four runs on 10 hits in 21 1/3 innings over his last 16 outings to go with a .143 batting average. In addition, Zach Miner has found his way into more situational work by using his sinker to induce timely double plays.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Edwin Jackson (6-4, 2.40 ERA)
The signs of Jackson's maturity as a pitcher are best seen when he doesn't have his best stuff, and Tuesday was one of times. With a biting slider that was moving almost too much to command, Jackson had the bases loaded with Cubs three batters into the game and escaped that jam with a lone run allowed. He then allowed one more run over his next six innings for a no-decision in his duel with Carlos Zambrano. His ratio of hits per nine innings is down to 7.016, best among American League starters, and his 2.39 ERA stands second in the league to the Royals' Zack Greinke.

HOU: RHP Russ Ortiz (3-3, 3.47 ERA)
Ortiz's 17 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings was broken up against the Rangers, and Ortiz looked to get another streak started against the Royals his last time out. Ortiz gave up runs in the second and third innings but held the Astros in the game, allowing just the two runs on five hits over seven innings, his longest outing of the season. The right-hander is 7-6 in 27 career Interleague games (23 starts) and has no record and a 6.14 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Tigers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tidbits

... Dusty Ryan is expected to catch Sunday after Gerald Laird left Saturday's game with lower back spasms. He's considered day-to-day.
... Left fielder Carlos Guillen is expected to begin hitting off a tee Monday as he continues his rehab back from his right shoulder injury at a facility in Miami. Guillen, on the disabled list since May 5, began playing catch from 45 feet two days ago. Head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said he could resume workouts with the club when the Tigers return home a week from Monday.
... Placido Polanco is 6-for-22 for his career against Ortiz with two home runs, four walks and three RBIs. Miguel Cabrera is 5-for-21 lifetime off Ortiz with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs.
... Lance Berkman is 1-for-7 lifetime off Jackson with a double, a walk and a strikeout.
... Ivan Rodriguez has two doubles off Jackson in four career plate appearances.
... Miner has a better than 2-to-1 ratio of ground balls (76) to fly balls (37) this season.
... Detroit is 9-2 on Sundays.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/

On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
•

On radio

•
• XM Channel Schedule
• Extra Innings Schedule


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Monday: Tigers (Rick Porcello, 8-4, 3.55 ERA) at Athletics (Vin Mazzaro, 2-2, 2.56 ERA), 10:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 4-7, 5.65 ERA) at Athletics (Gio Gonzalez, 0-1, 8.03 ERA), 10:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 8-3, 3.40 ERA) at Athletics (Dallas Braden, 5-7, 3.26 ERA), 3:35 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

TIGERS

1. Granderson, CF
   
2. Polanco, 2B
   
3. Cabrera, 1B
   
4. Thames, LF
   
5. Inge, 3B
   
6. Ordonez, RF
   
7. Laird, C
   
8. Everett, SS
   
9. Jackson, P
   

ASTROS

1. Michael Bourn, CF
   
2. Jeff Keppinger, SS
   
3. Lance Berkman, 1B
   
4. Carlos Lee, LF
   
5. Geoff Blum, 3B
   
6. Hunter Pence, RF
   
7. Ivan Rodriguez, C
   
8. Kazuo Matsui, 2B
   
9. Russ Ortiz, P
   

Zoom does need his control back, and Ed needs to help us not get swept by a team that is under .500!!!

Zumaya needs to do SOMETHING...maybe he is freakin' out because his son is to be born soon

He needs to take a little speed off of his fastball. I would rather have a consistent 97-98 MPH heater than a 101-103 MPH one that doesn't find the zone at all.

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a line drive to center fielder Michael Bourn.

Whooo! Base hits to start it off are good!

B:0 S:2 O:1 - With Placido Polanco batting, Curtis
Granderson caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Ivan Rodriguez to second
baseman Kazuo Matsui.

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Placido Polanco singles on a line drive to center fielder Michael Bourn.

B:1 S:1 O:3 - Miguel Cabrera grounds into double play,
third baseman Geoff Blum to second baseman Kazuo Matsui to first
baseman Lance Berkman. Placido Polanco out at 2nd.

0-0

Damnit Pudge!

Bottom Half

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Michael Bourn grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

gdennis59 wrote:

Damnit Pudge!

comes back to bite us.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

Damnit Pudge!

comes back to bite us.

Sure does.

Robertson to DL; Ni in Houston
BECK'S BLOG

The Tigers placed Nate Robertson on the 15-day DL this morning with a mass in the medial portion of his left elbow. The move is retroactive to Saturday. To take his place, they purchased the contract of Fu-Te Ni from Triple-A Toledo. He flew to Houston this morning and should be available for the game today.

UPDATE: Robertson is flying back to Detroit to have his elbow checked out team doctor Stephen Lemos. Head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said the tissue mass in his elbow is like a cyst, and it has been aggravating his nerves, causing numbness and tingling in his ring and pinky fingers. They expect he'll have to undergo minor surgery to have the mass excised, but they hope to do that along the same area where he had Tommy John surgery years ago. The timetable on any return depends on how that procedure goes.

As for Ni, he arrived in the clubhouse a little bit ago, as did his translator, Fox.

Posted on June 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Jeff Keppinger singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:3 S:1 O:3 -
Lance Berkman grounds into double play, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Jeff Keppinger out at 2nd.

0-0 AFTER 1 INNING

NOW WE KNOW WHY NATE HAS PITCHED SO BADLY.

Inning 2
Top Half

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

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Brandon Inge pops out to first baseman Lance Berkman.

Hopefully Ni can do us some good out of the pen.

Has he done good in AAA?

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Magglio Ordonez flies out to right fielder Hunter Pence.

0-0 AFTER 1.5 INNINGS

Our bats need to start rolling.

Bottom Half

B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Carlos Lee pops out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera in foul territory.

gdennis59 wrote:

Hopefully Ni can do us some good out of the pen.

Has he done good in AAA?

I'M LOOKING UP HIS STATS

B:2 S:0 O:2 -
Geoff Blum grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to pitcher Edwin Jackson.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Hunter Pence flies out to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

0-0 AFTER 2 INNINGS

grabbing lunch, brb in 10 min.

I just sent an email to DD asking him about the possibility of acquiring Doug Davis from Arizona. He could be a great addition to the rotation.

we don't deserve to win when we keep hitting into those DPs!!!

Inning 3
Top Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Gerald Laird bunt grounds out, pitcher Russ Ortiz to first baseman Lance Berkman.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Adam Everett pops out to second baseman Kazuo Matsui.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Edwin Jackson swinging.

Bottom Half

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Ivan Rodriguez pops out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera in foul territory.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Kazuo Matsui lines out to third baseman Brandon Inge.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Russ Ortiz called out on .

0-0 AFTER 3 INNINGS

Inning 4
Top Half

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a ground ball to shortstop Jeff Keppinger.

B:1 S:1 O:2 - Placido Polanco grounds into double
play, third baseman Geoff Blum to second baseman Kazuo Matsui to first
baseman Lance Berkman. Curtis Granderson out at 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Miguel Cabrera flies out to right fielder Hunter Pence.

0-0 AFTER 3.5 INNINGS