GDT: 7/17/09 - DET (48-39) at NYY (51-37) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The second half of the regular season will start with a bang for the Tigers, who will have to face one of the hotter teams in the Majors, at least before this past weekend, on the road for a three-game series starting Friday.

Detroit will travel to the Bronx for its first series in the new Yankee Stadium, the site of what was a venerable launching pad of home run activity during the first half of the season. Yankees players hit 79 homers at the new home ballpark this year through 42 games compared to 47 homers on the road through 45 contests.

Between a 4-0 loss to Atlanta on June 23 and the start of last weekend's series in Anaheim against the Angels, the Yankees went 13-2 while outscoring their opponents by a combined 37 runs. That also included eight straight road victories before New York was swept by Los Angeles this past weekend.

Justin Verlander will pitch in New York on either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the work he and Edwin Jackson do or don't receive for the American League All-Star team in St. Louis, and he said he doesn't expect to approach the offensive-friendly ballpark any different than any other stadium.

"You just can't let it get into your head," Verlander said. "If you do give up a cheap home run, you have to put it behind you. Those guys have some great hitters."

Teammate Luke French agrees that his strategy pitching in a perceived hitter's park will remain the same as for any game. He will pitch the opener Friday.

"I'm just hoping to get ground balls, which is what I try to do anyway," French said. "It's going to be exciting and I'll just go at it and take my normal approach."

Detroit manager Jim Leyland is looking forward to seeing the new Yankee Stadium and said that the high number of home run totals there is difficult to ignore.

"There's some truth to [the home run numbers]. Apparently there is a jet stream there," Leyland said. "I'm anxious to see it because it's supposed to be a palace."

However, as the Tigers skipper said, whether home runs are hit depends on who is pitching and the ingame matchups.

"We don't have a lot of left-handed [home run] power, although we do have [Clete] Thomas and [Curtis] Granderson," Leyland said. "We're mostly a right-handed-hitting team."

French said he will prepare for his Friday start by remaining in Detroit and doing some work at Comerica Park over the All-Star break. He believes the key in facing the Yankees is not getting caught up in the mystique.

"I try to approach every outing the same way and this will be no different," he said.

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

Pitching matchup

LHP Luke French (1-0, 1.93 ERA)
French picked up is first Major League victory against Kansas City, going 6 1/3 innings while giving up just one run. It was his second start, and fourth appearance overall this year in two stints with Detroit. He also went 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA in 13 starts at Triple-A Toledo this season. French, though, will have his hands full with a Yankees lineup that can punish left-handed pitchers.

NYY: RHP A.J. Burnett (8-4, 3.77 ERA)
Burnett's wildness returned against the Twins in the form of four walks and three wild pitches over 6 1/3 innings. But Burnett managed to limit the damage enough to hold Minnesota to two runs, Burnett is flipping ahead of CC Sabathia in the rotation, leading the Yankees out of the All-Star break so that Sabathia can enjoy an extra day of rest. Despite posting a 5.73 ERA against the Tigers last season, Burnett won both of his starts against them -- but has an 8.03 ERA against them for his career.

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

Tidbits

... Edwin Jackson lowered his ERA to 2.52 with his win on Friday. That is he lowest ERA for any Tigers starter prior to the All-Star break since Mark Fydrich compiled a 1.78 ERA in 1976, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
... The Tigers posted a 26-13 record the first 39 home games of 2009. That marks the best 39-game start in Comerica Park history and the best by a Detroit team at home since the 1984 Tigers went 27-12.
... The Class A West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League clinched a playoff berth during the season's first half with a 43-27 record. Second baseman Brandon Douglas (.345) and shortstop Gustavo Nunez (.328) finished the first half second and fifth respectively in the Midwest League and batting.

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

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)

• Saturday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, RHP (10-4, 3.38 ERA) ) at Yankees (C.C Sabathia, 8-6, 3.86 ERA) 1:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, RHP (7-4, 2.52 ERA) ) at Yankees (Joba Chamberlain, 4.2, 4.25 ERA), 2:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Off-day

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .254
:placido: Polanco, 2B .256
Cabrera, M, 1B .321
:thames: Thames, DH .272
Thomas, C, RF .268
Inge, 3B .268
:anderson: Anderson, J, LF .250
Laird, C .241
Everett, SS .262

NY Yankees AVG
Jeter, SS .321
Damon, LF .276
Teixeira, 1B .275
Rodriguez, A, 3B .256
Matsui, H, DH .265
Posada, C .285
Cano, 2B .308
Swisher, RF .237
Cabrera, Me, CF .285

Inning 1
Top Half

B:2 S:0 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson doubles (10) on a line drive to right fielder Nick Swisher.

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Placido Polanco grounds out, second baseman Robinson Cano to first baseman Mark Teixeira. Curtis Granderson to 3rd.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera grounds out, shortstop Derek Jeter to first baseman Mark Teixeira. Curtis Granderson scores.

DET 1, NYY 0

1-0 Tigers

First Inning

2 outs

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Marcus Thames singles on a line drive to left fielder Johnny Damon.

Empty Seats in the background


Must be nice to afford those

B:4 S:0 O:2 -
Clete Thomas walks. Marcus Thames to 2nd.

gs78 wrote:

Empty Seats in the background


Must be nice to afford those

BIG BUCKS FOR THOSE SEATS!

Warm, Muggy Night in NY

Leyland wearing a just his uniform; no sleeves, no jacket




Only 71 in Detroit right now


72 for a high on Saturday; Cloudy



too bad they on the road

Gets hot next too

Figures

Nice Catch!

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Brandon Inge lines out sharply to second baseman Robinson Cano.

DET 1, NYY 0

Bottom Half

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Derek Jeter flies out to left fielder Josh Anderson.

B:4 S:1 O:1 -
Johnny Damon walks.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Mark Teixeira singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Johnny Damon to 2nd.

Come on Luke, get em out!

Nice Play Curtis

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Alex Rodriguez flies out softly to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

GO TIGERS!

1-1 game

Runners on second and third.

B:1 S:2 O:2 - Hideki Matsui singles on a line drive to
right fielder Clete Thomas. Johnny Damon scores. Hideki Matsui to 2nd.
Mark Teixeira advances to 3rd, on throwing error by right fielder Clete
Thomas.

DET 1, NYY 1

Laird should have caught that!

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

DET 1, NYY 1 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:4 S:0 O:0 -
Josh Anderson walks.

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
With Gerald Laird batting, Josh Anderson steals (13) 2nd base.

GO TIGERS!

B:2 S:2 O:0 -
With Gerald Laird batting, throwing error by A. J. Burnett on the pickoff attempt, Josh Anderson to 3rd.

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Gerald Laird grounds out, third baseman Alex Rodriguez to first baseman Mark Teixeira.

B:0 S:2 O:2 -
Adam Everett flies out to right fielder Nick Swisher.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson hit by pitch.