GDT: 7/19/09 - DET (48-41) at NYY (53-37) - 2:05 p.m. ET

NEW YORK -- Jim Leyland is tired of hearing about how his team works into deep counts and draws a lot of walks. What are all those runners good for if the inning ends with them standing on the basepaths? As far as the Tigers' manager is concerned, getting on base doesn't mean a thing if somebody can't eventually drive the runners in.

"Everybody else always takes the on-base percentage guys, guys who get on," Leyland said. "I'll take the guys who knock them in."

Lately, the Tigers haven't had enough players coming up with the key hits. Detroit has scored just four runs in the first two games of its series with New York, and two of those came on solo home runs. In their brief time thus far at Yankee Stadium this weekend, the Tigers have stranded 17 men on base.

They'll have another chance on Sunday, when they finish their series with the Yankees. The game will be televised nationally on TBS, with Chip Caray and Ron Darling manning the broadcast booth. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET, immediately following the Yankees' traditional Old Timers' Day ceremonies.

"You can't let those opportunities slide," Leyland said. "Somebody's got to get a big hit. That's just the way it is."

Detroit's inability to manufacture runs was especially evident on Saturday, when it consistently threatened against New York starter CC Sabathia, but was unable to push one across. The Tigers finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and ultimately fell, 2-1.

The sixth inning was especially frustrating, as the Tigers put runners on second and third with one out in a scoreless game. But Ryan Raburn flied out to shallow left and Brandon Inge popped out harmlessly to second to end the inning.

And that was one of the themes the entire afternoon.

Afterward, Leyland was frustrated with his club's inability to come through, especially considering the way starter Justin Verlander pitched. The Tigers' ace allowed just two runs in seven innings. Catcher Gerald Laird said Verlander pitched well enough to win, and it was the offense's job to give him support -- a sentiment Leyland agreed with.

"It was a lack of just a single, a lousy single," Leyland said. "I talk about those all the time -- just get a lousy single. We get a couple of those in the right places today, we probably would have won the game. We didn't get them."

That leaves the Tigers with one more chance to salvage the series with the Yankees before returning to Detroit for a six-game homestand against the Mariners and White Sox.

"It would be nice to come out tomorrow and win a game," Laird said. "I'd take it if we come out of the All-Star break winning one out of here and start building some momentum to go home, because we play well at home."

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Edwin Jackson (7-4, 2.52 ERA)
Though Jackson needed just four pitches to complete his perfect inning of work in Tuesday's All-Star Game, he'll get the extra day of rest over Verlander, who did not pitch at all. Jackson tossed six scoreless innings against the Yankees on April 28 at Comerica Park, one of many solid outings in the first half that didn't earn him a win. He ended the first half with five consecutive quality starts, but won only one of them.

NYY: RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.25 ERA)
Chamberlain hopes the second half starts a little better than the first half ended. He has struggled with efficiency and continues to pile up no-decisions, stringing together three successive ones. The righty lasted just 4 1/3 innings on July 10 against the Angels, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and not figuring in the decision of a 10-6 Yankees loss. In the 23-year-old's past three starts, he has allowed 16 runs (10 earned) and allowed opponents to bat .415 against him with a 1.119 OPS. This will be Chamberlain's first career start vs. the Tigers after having made five relief appearances against them.

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Tidbits

... The Tigers have lost the season series against the Yankees for the first time since 2006, and have now lost six of seven against New York dating back to last season.
... Bobby Seay has 21 consecutive scoreless outings, tying his own streak for the second-longest scoreless stretch by a Tigers pitcher since 1954. Todd Jones had a 22-game stretch from May 28-July 29, 2000.
... The Tigers are 4-12 in their past 16 games away from Comerica Park.

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On the Internet
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On radio

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 5-8, 5.09 ERA) vs. Mariners (Garrett Olson, 3-3, 4.53 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Tigers (Lucas French, 1-0, 1.89 ERA) vs. Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 10-3, 2.51 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .254
:placido: Polanco, 2B .258
Cabrera, M, 1B .322
:thames: Thames, DH .286
Thomas, C, RF .264
Inge, 3B .262
:anderson: Anderson, J, LF .253
Laird, C .242
Santiago, SS .269

NY Yankees AVG
Jeter, SS .325
Gardner, CF .282
Teixeira, 1B .277
Rodriguez, A, 3B .250
Matsui, H, DH .266
Posada, C .281
Cano, 2B .310
Swisher, RF .236
Cabrera, Me, LF .285

I like 2:05 starts on Sunday


Tigers used to do that

1 down

Polanco at bat

1-1

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson grounds out to first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Foul back

1-2

2-2

Tigers need to bust out the bats

GS

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

GS

Back at you


Polanco walks

Tigers need to pull out all the stops


They need this game

Miggy at bat

1-1

Base hit


Here we go

score some runs!

Runners on first and second

Thames at bat

We need a homer Marcus

1-0

1-1


What you swinging at Marcus

you gonna be able to do play by play today?

2-1

Pop up

2 down

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

you gonna be able to do play by play today?

I will try

Clete Thomas at bat

0-1

1-1

2-1

2-2 Foul back of play

3-2

Clete swings and misses


inning over

don't swing at ball 4, Clete!

Tigers leave two on base


Gotta start getting the clutch hit


Otherwise they are gonna get swept

Yankees at bat

Jeter leading off