GDT: 7/21/09 - DET (48-42) VS SEA (49-43) - 7:05 p.m. ET

NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson put it best. The first series of the second half of the season was nothing short of a disappointment. The Tigers were swept by the Yankees and had ample opportunities to win all three games. All it would have taken was a couple more clutch hits scattered about.

But as far as Granderson's concerned, it's already a distant memory. The only thing to do now is forget about it. Despite a weekend laden with what-ifs and frustration, the Tigers are still in first place in the American League Central and are returning to their favorite destination: Comerica Park.

After an off-day on Monday, the Tigers begin a seven-game homestand against the Mariners and the White Sox. Rookie right-hander Rick Porcello, who has not pitched since July 5, will start the opening game on Tuesday opposite Seattle's Garrett Olson.

"It is what it is, it's done, it's over with," Granderson said of the series at Yankee Stadium. "That's it. We move on and get ready to play at home. Nothing to make out of it. That's it."

Returning home could be exactly what the Tigers need. They have struggled of late on the road, falling to 4-13 in their past 17 games away from Detroit.

But they will have a difficult task waiting for them. Detroit took two of three from Seattle earlier in the season, but manager Jim Leyland stressed before Sunday's game that the Mariners are a different team now than the one the Tigers saw in mid-April.

"I just think they're doing things right," Leyland said. "It seems that they're all on the same page. They kind of turned the whole atmosphere around over there, and that's very impressive. That's a very talented club. I think they turned the atmosphere around, and they're playing well.

They key to this next stretch of games is improving the offense, especially with runners in scoring position. In New York, the Tigers went 1-for-26 in those situations, drawing criticism from Leyland throughout the series. Detroit scored five runs in the three losses.

Leyland said after Sunday's game that at times his players "didn't know what they were doing" with runners in scoring position and stressed that the team will take extra batting practice at home to try to smooth out the kinks. He added that he is preaching that his lineup improve its concentration and try to stay relaxed.

Leyland was pleased with his pitchers, and extolled praise upon all of his starters, especially Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson for their strong efforts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

But that doesn't take the sting out of the series against the Yankees. It certainly was not the way the Tigers wanted to come out of the All-Star break, but Leyland hopes it was nothing more than a flash in the pan.

"We had three good games, but just didn't win any of them," Leyland said. "When you hold the Yankees to nine runs in three games, with that powerful left-handed lineup, it isn't far-fetched to expect a sweep, or at least two out of three.

"We just need to move on from this series, get back home and work on some things."

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

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Rick Porcello (8-6, 4.14 ERA)
Porcello will make his first start since July 5, the result of the Tigers' effort to hold down his workload as the 20-year-old enters the second half of his rookie season. He pitched 125 innings last year in his only full pro season, and he's at 87 innings now, leaving Leyland to estimate he has about 15 starts left in him this year. If he starts every five games after this, not counting Friday's day-night doubleheader, he'd use up 14 of those in the regular season. His first of those pits him against the same Mariners squad he beat for his first Major League win with seven innings of one-run ball on April 19 at Seattle.

SEA: LHP Garrett Olson (3-3, 4.53 ERA)
Olson never got going on Thursday against the Indians, giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks before the Tribe chased him in the third inning. Olson will have the ball in the series opener against the Tigers as manager Don Wakamatsu plans to experiment with a four-man rotation until he decides who will take the fifth spot. In two starts against Detroit last season, Olson gave up 10 earned runs on 11 hits and seven walks in 7 2/3 innings.

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

Tidbits

... Leyland spent part of Sunday afternoon admiring the Yankee Stadium Old-Timers' Day festivities, and spoke extensively with Don Zimmer and Yogi Berra. Many Detroit players watched the game from the dugout. "I love stuff like this," Leyland said. I'm a baseball buff. I love the tradition, it's great." Leyland added he would like to see the Tigers create an Old-Timers' Day, too.
... Jackson lost for the first time on Sunday since June 17 in St. Louis, when he allowed just two runs in even innings.
... The Tigers finished their season series with the Yankees with a 1-5 record and have lost seven of their past eight against New York. They have also lost five straight against the Bombers, marking their longest single-season losing streak versus the Yankees since dropping six consecutive games in 1997.

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

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: Off-day
• Tuesday: Tigers (Rick Porcello (8-6, 4.14 ERA) vs. Mariners (Garrett Olson (3-3, 4.53 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 5-8, 5.09 ERA) vs. Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 10-3, 2.51 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Tigers (Lucas French, 1-0, 1.89 ERA) vs. Mariners (Jarrod Washburn, 7-6, 2.87 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 10-5, 3.34 ERA) vs. White Sox (TBD), 1:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Seattle:
1. Suzuki, I, RF
2. Branyan, 1B
3. Lopez, J, 2B
4. Griffey Jr., DH
5. Gutierrez, F, CF
6. Langerhans, LF
7. Johjima, C
8. Hannahan, 3B
9. Cedeno, SS

Detroit:
1. :curtis: Curtis Granderson, CF
2. :placido: Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
4. :thames: Marcus Thames, DH
5. Magglio Ordonez, RF
6. Ryan Raburn, LF
7. Brandon Inge, 3B
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Adam Everett, SS

78 degrees at Game Time

Mix of Clouds and sun

Chance of a shower

ESE winds around 10mph

I don't have Rick on my fantasy teams, so I say high scoring game!

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Ichiro Suzuki doubles (20) on a fly ball to left fielder Ryan Raburn.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Russell Branyan pops out to shortstop Adam Everett.

B:3 S:0 O:1 -
With Jose Lopez batting, Ichiro Suzuki steals (21) 3rd base.

B:3 S:1 O:1 -
Jose Lopez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Ichiro Suzuki scores.
SEA 1, DET 0

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Ken GriffeyJr. flies out to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

B:0 S:1 O:3 -
Franklin Gutierrez grounds out, pitcher Rick Porcello to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

SEA 1, DET 0

Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Gutierrez.

Let's go Tigers!!

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Placido Polanco doubles (22) on a line drive to center fielder Franklin Gutierrez. Curtis Granderson scores.
SEA 1, DET 1

B:4 S:0 O:0 -
Miguel Cabrera walks.

It looks like there was a little bit of field damage in CF from the Kid Rock concert

Whoo! We're hitting ok so far, just keep it up!

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

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Marcus Thames walks. Placido Polanco to 3rd. Miguel Cabrera to 2nd.

Maggs is back... grand slam!

B:2 S:2 O:0 - Magglio Ordonez hits a grand slam (5) to
left field. Placido Polanco scores. Miguel Cabrera scores. Marcus
Thames scores.
DET 5, SEA 1

Why can't they hit like this on the road...

Whooooo Magglio!

Could he have it turned around?

B:3 S:2 O:0 -
On-field Delay.

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Ryan Raburn grounds out, third baseman Jack Hannahan to first baseman Russell Branyan.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Brandon Inge singles on a line drive to left fielder Ryan Langerhans.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Gerald Laird pops out to second baseman Jose Lopez.

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Adam Everett flies out to center fielder Franklin Gutierrez.

DET 5, SEA 1 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Ryan Langerhans swinging.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Kenji Johjima singles on a ground ball to left fielder Ryan Raburn.

B:0 S:1 O:2 - Jack Hannahan grounds into a force out,
second baseman Placido Polanco to shortstop Adam Everett. Kenji Johjima
out at 2nd. Jack Hannahan to 1st.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Ronny Cedeno singles on a ground ball to third baseman Brandon Inge. Jack Hannahan to 2nd.

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Ichiro Suzuki grounds out, pitcher Rick Porcello to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

DET 5, SEA 1 after 1.5 inning

Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to center fielder Franklin Gutierrez.

B:2 S:0 O:1 -
Placido Polanco homers (7) on a line drive to left center field.
DET 6, SEA 1

B:4 S:2 O:1 -
Miguel Cabrera walks.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Pitcher Change: Chris Jakubauskas replaces Garrett Olson.