GDT GM 2: 7/24/09 - DET VS CWS - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The good news for the Tigers is that they won't have to face Mark Buehrle this weekend. All he did Thursday was pitch a perfect game against the Rays, so his turn in the rotation won't come back around until the White Sox have left town.

The way the Tigers have been pressing at the plate lately, though, it's hard to tell if missing Buehrle matters. This weekend's series against the White Sox certainly does, even if the Tigers try to downplay it a bit.

"They're pitching pretty well. We're pitching pretty well," manager Jim Leyland said. "But we're going to have to swing the bats better no matter who we play. It doesn't matter whether it's the White Sox, the Indians, the Texas Rangers, whoever it is. We have to do better offensively."

The Tigers are a team that's pressing heading into a series that could easily be pressure-packed between the AL Central co-leaders, even with more than two months left in the season.

Leyland usually says at this time of the year that a pennant race doesn't begin until September rolls around with a team within five or so games of the lead. But that didn't stop him from watching Wednesday's White Sox-Rays game with particular attention after the Tigers had just lost.

By contrast, Leyland didn't have much of a chance to watch Buehrle send down all 27 Rays he faced Thursday. Their games wrapped up almost simultaneously, with Buehrle finishing off his gem just as Leyland was discussing his team's third 2-1 defeat in the last four days, this time to the Mariners.

The net effect of the two games is a virtual tie atop the division. Technically, Detroit leads by a mere percentage point, because Chicago has one more win and one more loss.

"They're important games," Verlander said. "All these games from the start of the season are important. You can't value one more than the other. It does decide more on the standings. It makes for interesting baseball. We've just got to win."

To do that, they've got to hit. And that has been a big problem for them.

"If you're talking about the pennant race," Lyealnd said, "it's not a critical series. But whether you're playing in April or May, the idea is that you come out and try to win as many games as you can. We've got to do a little bit better offensively, that's for sure."

Four of the Tigers' five losses since the All-Star break have been by 2-1 scores. In those, Detroit's offense has been held in check by starters CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, Felix Hernandez and Jarrod Washburn.

Their opponent in Friday's first game, Jose Contreras, held the Tigers to a lone run in their meeting June 8 at U.S. Cellular Field. If his pitches are working again, they'll have a hard time hitting.

"Everybody's pitching well against us," Leyland said Friday. "You have to sometimes hit good pitching."

By comparison, their second-game foe, Bartolo Colon, owns an 8-9 record and a 5.28 ERA for his career against Detroit, including 81 hits over 56 1/3 career innings at Comerica Park.

Right now, however, the Tigers are focused on themselves.

"I think if we play good, if we play aggressive, if we play like we can, we can beat those guys," Miguel Cabrera said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Eddie Bonine (0-0, 9.00 ERA)
Bonine will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo between games to make his first start for the Tigers since last summer. The man with the nasty knuckler opened the season in Detroit's bullpen and gave up 16 hits over eight innings before being optioned out in late April. He missed time last month because of the passing of his mom, but has slowly worked his way back with a string of effective starts for the Mud Hens.

CWS: RHP Bartolo Colon (3-6, 4.23 ERA)
Colon has been bothered by inflammation in his left knee and has not been on the mound at the big league level since June 7 against Cleveland. Colon also has a 1-5 record in his last seven starts, but the burly right-hander has an 8-9 lifetime record against the Tigers. Colon has a 4-4 mark with a 6.23 ERA at Comerica Park.

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

Tidbits

... The Tigers could have some extra help as soon as Friday, depending on what the Tigers decide to do with Carlos Guillen. Detroit sent special assistant Dick Egan to Toledo Thursday to watch Guillen in his latest Minor League rehab game for the Mud Hens. It's possible the Tigers could call him up this weekend, though the switch-hitter seemingly still is struggling to hit right-handed. He batted left-handed against a left-handed pitcher in Wednesday's game against Syracuse.
... The Tigers will have to make a roster move between games to make room for Bonine, who will then be optioned back to Triple-A Toledo Saturday. Most likely, they'll send down a reliever Friday and bring another one back the next day.

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

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
• Direct TV Extra Innings Schedule


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

Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Saturday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 7-5, 2.52 ERA) vs. White Sox (Gavin Floyd, 8-6, 4.40 ERA), 4:05 p.m. ET Fox
• Sunday: Tigers (Rick Porcello, 9-6, 4.40 ERA) vs. White Sox (Clayton Richard, 3-3, 5.00 ERA), 8:05 p.m. ET ESPN
• Monday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 5-8, 4.82 ERA) at Rangers (Tommy Hunter, 2-1, 2.17 ERA), 8:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Chi White Sox AVG
Podsednik, LF .305
Ramirez, A, SS .279
Dye, RF .291
Thome, DH .252
Konerko, 1B .292
Getz, 2B .263
Beckham, 3B .285
Wise, CF .196
Castro, R, C .225


Detroit AVG
Granderson, CF .257
Polanco, 2B .268
Ordonez, RF .257
Cabrera, M, 1B .326
Guillen, C, DH .202
Thames, LF .265
Inge, 3B .258
Santiago, SS .254
Ryan, D, C .125

79 degrees at Game Time

Southwest winds at 6mph

Partly to Mostly Cloudy

Rain showers after midnight

Let's take both of these games from the White Sox

Inning 1
Top Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Scott Podsednik lines out to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Alexei Ramirez singles on a line drive to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:0 S:1 O:3 - Jermaine Dye grounds into double play,
third baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Placido Polanco to first
baseman Miguel Cabrera. Alexei Ramirez out at 2nd.

0-0

Bottom Half

B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to center fielder Dewayne Wise.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Placido Polanco hit by pitch.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
With Magglio Ordonez batting, Bartolo Colon picks off Placido Polanco at 1st on throw to Paul Konerko.

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Magglio Ordonez grounds out, shortstop Alexei Ramirez to first baseman Paul Konerko.

0-0 AFTER 1 INNING

Inning 2
Top Half

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Jim Thome homers (17) on a fly ball to left center field. CWS 1, DET 0



B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Paul Konerko grounds out, shortstop Ramon Santiago to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Chris Getz singles on a soft ground ball to second baseman Placido Polanco.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Gordon Beckham singles on a ground ball to right fielder Magglio Ordonez. Chris Getz to 3rd.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
With Dewayne Wise batting, Gordon Beckham caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Dusty Ryan to shortstop Ramon Santiago.


B:2 S:3 O:3 -
Dewayne Wise strikes out swinging.



CWS 1, DET 0 AFTER 1.5 INNINGS

Bottom Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Miguel Cabrera flies out to right fielder Jermaine Dye.

B:3 S:1 O:1 -
Carlos Guillen homers (1) on a fly ball to right field.
CWS 1, DET 1


B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Marcus Thames pops out to first baseman Paul Konerko.

B:0 S:1 O:3 -
Brandon Inge flies out to left fielder Scott Podsednik.

CWS 1, DET 1 AFTER 2 INNINGS

Hell yeah Carlos!

Inning 3
Top Half

B:2 S:0 O:0 -
Ramon Castro singles on a line drive to left fielder Marcus Thames.

B:0 S:0 O:1 - Scott Podsednik grounds into a force
out, shortstop Ramon Santiago to second baseman Placido Polanco. Ramon
Castro out at 2nd. Scott Podsednik to 1st.

gdennis59 wrote:

Hell yeah Carlos!

GLAD TO HAVE HIM BACK!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

Hell yeah Carlos!

GLAD TO HAVE HIM BACK!

Fer sure!

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Alexei Ramirez grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Scott Podsednik to 2nd.

Had a complete game win today!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Had a complete game win today!

Just posted on it.

Big ups to Justin! Whoo!

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Jermaine Dye homers (22) on a fly ball to left field. Scott Podsednik scores.
CWS 3, DET 1

B:2 S:3 O:3 -
Jim Thome called out on strikes.

CWS 3, DET 1 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Ramon Santiago bunt grounds out, pitcher Bartolo Colon to first baseman Paul Konerko.

I wouldn't have called up Bonine.

Since it's just a spot start I think I would have rather Figaro pitched.

B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Dusty Ryan swinging.

gdennis59 wrote:

I wouldn't have called up Bonine.

Since it's just a spot start I think I would have rather Figaro pitched.

Figaro deserves a start!

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Curtis Granderson grounds out to first baseman Paul Konerko.

CWS 3, DET 1 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Paul Konerko walks.

B:0 S:2 O:1 - Chris Getz grounds into a force out,
second baseman Placido Polanco to shortstop Ramon Santiago. Paul
Konerko out at 2nd. Chris Getz to 1st.

THROW STRIKES!!!