GDT: 7/29/09 - DET (52-47) AT TEX (56-42) - 8:05 p.m. ET

ARLINGTON -- Jim Leyland does not have a team of baserunning threats. But he's having to make them run the bases to get offensive threats going.

With a pair of nasty young hurlers on the mound Wednesday night to complete the Tigers' visit to Texas, Leyland is left trying to get Detroit's dormant offense going any way he can.

Leyland knows the clamoring that comes from fans as they watch the Tigers struggle to put runs on the board. He knows the second-guessing as to why the Tigers don't run more often, or lay down more bunts, or try to take extra bases. But he also knows the reality of his team, that it's neither a roster of speedsters nor a lineup built for small ball.

What Leyland has done is to pick and choose his spots to be aggressive and push the tempo. The Tigers stole three bases and used the hit-and-run other times Friday against White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who has struggled mightily to throw out runners this year, in order to get a jump on starter Jose Contreras. They used a squeeze bunt from catcher Gerald Laird later in the game to push across an insurance run in the eighth inning.

It was one of the more aggressive games on the basepaths by the Tigers since they laid down multiple squeeze bunts against the Mariners back in April. But it isn't something they can do all the time. It hasn't been something they've been able to do in Texas, where starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has thrown out just shy of a quarter of would-be basestealers.

The raw numbers from Bill James Online do not paint a great picture of the Tigers on the bases. Add up their opportunities to take the extra base, the ability to avoid groundball double plays, stolen bases and baserunning outs, and the Tigers' rating of minus-8 on net bases taken is a slight improvement from 2008. They're on track to hit into fewer double plays than last year and make far fewer baserunnig outs, but they'll also end up taking fewer bases.

Likewise, Leyland admitted after Monday's loss that he has been aggressive in allowing his hitters to swing at 3-0 pitches, figuring that opposing pitchers would give them a pitch over the plate to hit. But it isn't something his team normally does.

"In the history of my career, I've never given the green light more to hitters than I have since I've come to Detroit," Leyland said. "And I can count on my hand the times that guys have swung [on] 3-0."

They'll need to get something going against Rangers starter Scott Feldman if they're going to avoid a three-game sweep and an eighth consecutive road loss. Feldman's .228 batting average allowed ranks fourth-lowest among American League starters.

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (11-5, 3.12 ERA)
Verlander has led the American League in strikeouts for much of the season and it isn't really close. He is among the AL leaders in wins, despite some of the low-scoring no-decisions and losses he has taken over the past month. The Tigers gave him an early lead in his last start, and he went the distance with it for a complete-game six hitter, having allowed a lone unearned run. But the road presents a particular test for Verlander, who owns a 4-5 record and 4.76 ERA away from Comerica Park compared with 7-0 and 1.15 at home.

TEX: RHP Scott Feldman (9-3, 3.59 ERA)
Feldman pitched eight scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over the Royals on Friday, his longest outing in 42 career Major League starts. He is now 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA in his past six starts and he has a 3.04 ERA in 17 starts this season. He is 3-2 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 games, including nine starts, at home this season. He has a 6.43 ERA in five relief appearances and one start against the Tigers in his career.

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Tidbits

... Ramon Santiago hopes to be available to play Wednesday despite leaving Tuesday's game with a bruised right shin suffered on a foul tip at the plate in the fourth inning. He tried to stay in the game Tuesday but couldn't put much pressure on the leg as he tried to run out to the infield between innings. If he plays, Santiago could give second baseman Placido Polanco or third baseman Brandon Inge a day off ahead of Thursday's off-day.
... Curtis Granderson is 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs lifetime off Feldman.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 7-5, 2.59 ERA) at Indians (Jeremy Sowers, 3-7, 5.15 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Tigers (Rick Porcello, 9-7, 4.62 ERA) at Indians (Cliff Lee, 7-9, 3.14 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .257
:placido: Polanco, 2B .260
Guillen, C, DH .227
Cabrera, M, 1B .328
Ordonez, RF .261
:thames: Thames, LF .265
Raburn, 3B .243
Laird, C .233
Everett, SS .242

Texas AVG
Vizquel, 2B .274
Young, M, 3B .321
Murphy, Dv, LF .280
Byrd, CF .279
Blalock, 1B .254
Jones, An, DH .230
Hamilton, RF .224
Teagarden, C .200
Andrus, El, SS .263

I think we should dedicate today's GDT to Tigersaint.

bobrob2004 wrote:

I think we should dedicate today's GDT to Tigersaint.

Amen to that, my friend.

I changed my avatar for today in dedication to Tigersaint. We're doing this over "there too."

Inning 1
Top Half

B:2 S:0 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson homers (21) on a fly ball to right field.
DET 1, TEX 0

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Placido Polanco grounds out, shortstop Elvis Andrus to first baseman Hank Blalock.

Curtis Granderson leads off the game with a homer!

1-0 Tigers

B:3 S:3 O:2 -
Carlos Guillen swinging.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera singles on a line drive to center fielder Marlon Byrd.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Magglio Ordonez walks. Miguel Cabrera to 2nd.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Marcus Thames walks. Miguel Cabrera to 3rd. Magglio Ordonez to 2nd.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:3 S:2 O:3 -
Ryan Raburn pops out to second baseman Omar Vizquel.

DET 1, TEX 0

Can't take advantage of the bases loaded opportunity. But at least they scored one.

Bottom Half

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Omar Vizquel grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Can't take advantage of the bases loaded opportunity. But at least they scored one.

sadly, nothing new...

B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Michael Young called out on strikes.

B:0 S:3 O:3 -
David Murphy strikes out swinging.

DET 1, TEX 0 after 1 inning

great job

Inning 2
Top Half

B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Gerald Laird flies out to right fielder Josh Hamilton.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Adam Everett singles on a ground ball to shortstop Elvis Andrus.


B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson homers (22) on a fly ball to right field. Adam Everett scores.
DET 3, TEX 0

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Placido Polanco doubles (23) on a line drive to left fielder David Murphy.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Carlos Guillen singles on a line drive to center fielder Marlon Byrd. Placido Polanco scores.
DET 4, TEX 0

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

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Miguel Cabrera singles on a sharp ground ball to pitcher Scott Feldman. Carlos Guillen to 2nd.

Was :curtis: Tigersaint's favorite player?

4-0 Tigers

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Magglio Ordonez lines into double play, pitcher Scott Feldman to shortstop Elvis Andrus. Carlos Guillen out at 2nd.

DET 4, TEX 0 after 1.5 innings

bobrob2004 wrote:

Was :curtis: Tigersaint's favorite player?

4-0 Tigers

I think so.

Bottom Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Marlon Byrd strikes out swinging.

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

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Andruw Jones homers (16) on a fly ball to left field.
DET 4, TEX 1


B:0 S:3 O:3 -
Josh Hamilton swinging.

DET 4, TEX 1 after 2 innings

Well, it is a hitters park. Shake it off, Justin!