GDT: 6/30/09 - DET (42-34) at OAK (32-43) - 10:05 p.m. ET

OAKLAND -- Ask Jim Leyland about how well his players seem to get along and he can't help but smile.

Leyland throws his feet up on his desk, takes a smoke from his cigarette and answers with a matter-of-fact tone.

"This is the closest team we've had since I've been here," said Leyland, whose Tigers face the Oakland A's Tuesday in the second game of a three-game set. "This is a team with guys that pull for each other."

What makes this team so close? Is it the way they play together on the field? How they spend their time off of it?

"It's all-around," Leyland said. "We have a lot of characters. ...It's a really fun group."

A fun group that doesn't mind being made fun of.

Leyland referenced a recent clubhouse moment in Houston involving Gerald Laird.

The catcher left Saturday's contest against the Astros in the first inning with lower back spasms. Felipe Paulino allowed one run on three hits and struck out nine in seven innings to lead Houston to an 8-1 win.

Laird was back in the lineup the next day.

"I called it Paulino-itis. It was a miraculous comeback. He got rid of it in about 12 hours," Leyland joked. "We had fun with him, and he handled it like a champ."

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Armando Galarraga (4-7, 5.65 ERA)
Galarraga broke a 10-game winless streak last Thursday with six innings against the Cubs, limiting them to four runs on six hits despite a three-run first. He had lost seven consecutive decisions since his previous victory, on April 26. Galarraga still has some improvement to do, but he said after his most recent start that he felt like he made a big step and had a better plan with which to attack hitters. In Galarraga's last outing against Oakland, on May 17 at Comerica Park, the A's knocked him out in the first inning with five earned runs on four hits and three walks.

OAK: LHP Gio Gonzalez (0-1, 8.03 ERA)
Gonzalez got off to a solid start against the Giants Wednesday, retiring five of the first seven batters he faced with four strikeouts. Then San Francisco shook him. Gonzalez surrendered three runs in both the second and fourth frames and was chased after just 3 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 10 hits and walked two, losing his first Major League start of the season to Randy Johnson.

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Tidbits

... Recalled from Triple-A Toledo Sunday night, left-hander Lucas French landed at San Francisco International Airport Monday and went straight to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The flight came on the heels of a road trip with the Mud Hens through Indianapolis. "I need some sleep," joked French, who's scheduled to start Friday at Minnesota.
... Recent callup Fu-Te Ni is apparently all the rage back in his native Taiwan. "[My friends] are telling me I'm the front-page guy in the paper back home," Ni said through an interpreter.
... The Tigers had homered in 12 consecutive games until Monday. It's the longest streak since the 1999 club pulled the same trick.
... Fernando Rodney is streaking, too. He's converted 17 saves in as many chances -- the longest streak by a Detroit closer since Todd Jones had 19 straight in 2006.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Wednesday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 8-3, 3.40 ERA) at Athletics (Dallas Braden, 5-7, 3.26 ERA), 3:35 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Tigers (Lucas French, LHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA)) at Twins (Kevin Slowey, RHP (10-3, 4.41 ERA)), 8:10 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .258
:placido: Polanco, 2B .256
Cabrera, M, 1B .331
:thames: Thames, DH .259
Raburn, LF .239
Inge, 3B .276
Ordonez, RF .265
:dusty: Ryan, D, C .222
Everett, SS .267

Oakland AVG
Kennedy, A, 3B .291
Cabrera, O, SS .247
Holliday, LF .277
Giambi, 1B .200
Suzuki, K, C .284
Sweeney, R, CF .270
Garciaparra, DH .250
Cust, RF .222
Ellis, M, 2B .214

Too bad this game weren't in Detroit

It is 67 degrees right now

But it can't be cool at Comerica when the Tigers are in town


I am too bummed out to do weather threads.

Phooey on them


It always hot when the Tigers are home; and cooler when they on the road

SO WHY BOTHER?

Current Conditions

Oakland Coliseum

Fair 65 F

Humidity: 69 %

Wind: from the NW at 16 mph

Barometer: 29.80 in

last updated: 6/30/09 5:45 PM PDT

Just saw a sample list of roid users from the Astros web site. Magglio is on it

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspxtsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ml-astros&tid=80285

Inning 1
Top Half

B:4 S:0 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson walks.

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Placido Polanco homers (5) on a fly ball to left field. Curtis Granderson scores.
DET 2, OAK 0



B:3 S:3 O:1 -
Miguel Cabrera strikes out swinging.

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Marcus Thames singles on a ground ball to left fielder Matt Holliday.

let's go boyz *sigh*

B:0 S:1 O:2 - Ryan Raburn doubles (5) on a fly ball to
center fielder Ryan Sweeney. Marcus Thames to 3rd. Ryan Raburn out at
3rd on the throw, center fielder Ryan Sweeney to second baseman Mark
Ellis to third baseman Adam Kennedy to catcher Kurt Suzuki.

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Brandon Inge swinging.

DET 2, OAK 0

Bottom Half

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Adam Kennedy walks.

B:0 S:3 O:1 -
Orlando Cabrera on foul tip.

B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Matt Holliday reaches on fielding error by shortstop Adam Everett. Adam Kennedy to 2nd.

B:4 S:0 O:1 -
Jason Giambi walks. Adam Kennedy to 3rd. Matt Holliday to 2nd.

get it together AG!

B:1 S:1 O:3 - Kurt Suzuki grounds into double play,
third baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Placido Polanco to first
baseman Miguel Cabrera. Jason Giambi out at 2nd.

DET 2, OAK 0 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:3 S:1 O:0 -
Magglio Ordonez singles on a fly ball to right fielder Jack Cust.

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Dusty Ryan walks. Magglio Ordonez to 2nd.

B:1 S:0 O:1 - Adam Everett out on a sacrifice bunt,
pitcher Gio Gonzalez to second baseman Mark Ellis. Magglio Ordonez to
3rd. Dusty Ryan to 2nd.

B:3 S:1 O:2 - Curtis Granderson reaches on a fielder's
choice out, third baseman Adam Kennedy to catcher Kurt Suzuki. Magglio
Ordonez out at 3rd. Dusty Ryan to 3rd. Curtis Granderson to 2nd.

Maggs just froze....

B:2 S:3 O:3 -
Placido Polanco swinging.

DET 2, OAK 0 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Dropped foul pop error by left fielder Ryan Raburn.

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Ryan Sweeney swinging.

B:1 S:0 O:2 -
Nomar Garciaparra flies out to left fielder Ryan Raburn.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Jack Cust walks.

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Mark Ellis grounds out, pitcher Armando Galarraga to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

DET 2, OAK 0 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Miguel Cabrera doubles (15) on a fly ball to right fielder Jack Cust.


B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Marcus Thames pops out to catcher Kurt Suzuki.

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Ryan Raburn singles on a ground ball to center fielder Ryan Sweeney. Miguel Cabrera scores.
DET 3, OAK 0

B:2 S:2 O:3 - Brandon Inge grounds into double play,
shortstop Orlando Cabrera to second baseman Mark Ellis to first baseman
Jason Giambi. Ryan Raburn out at 2nd.

DET 3, OAK 0 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Adam Kennedy flies out to left fielder Ryan Raburn.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Orlando Cabrera grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:2 S:1 O:3 -
Matt Holliday grounds out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

DET 3, OAK 0 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:3 S:1 O:1 -
Magglio Ordonez lines out to right fielder Jack Cust.

B:0 S:3 O:2 -
Dusty Ryan called out on .

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Adam Everett swinging.

DET 3, OAK 0 after 3.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Jason Giambi swinging.

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