GDT: 8/3/09 - DET (54-49) VS BAL (44-60) - 7:05 p.m. ET

CLEVELAND -- If the Tigers started a postseason series Monday, their upcoming pitching trio would make them a potential force in October. In August, by contrast, they've lined up Justin Verlander, Jarrod Washburn and Edwin Jackson looking for the momentum to get there.

With a skid of five losses in their past seven games, a bullpen that has pitched 14 1/3 innings over the past three days and an offense that struggled to score runs for most of the just-finished road trip to Texas and Cleveland, the Tigers return to Comerica Park with a slim lead of a game and a half atop the American League Central and a road-weary feel to them.

That's how a lot of their road trips have gone lately, considering they haven't won a series away from Comerica Park in almost two full months. Home, however, has been a remedy for them, and they have a long stretch of time there coming up.

No team in baseball has had fewer home games than the Tigers, but that's about to even out. Fourteen of the their next 17 games are at Comerica Park, starting with this four-game series against the Orioles. Add in a scheduled off-day between home series in a couple of weeks, and the homestand feels even longer.

If Detroit is going to make a late-season drive to establish command for September, now is the time to do it.

"When we go back to our place, we always seem to play better there," third baseman Brandon Inge said. "And even if we're not playing better, the other team usually gets a little intimidated by our ballpark. It definitely is to our advantage. It's just one of the things where it's working out good, everything's aligned for us to bear down and start acting like a first-place team."

That last statement was particularly pointed, unusually so. But the way Inge explained it sounded like a reference to swagger, something manager Jim Leyland has talked in past years about winning teams needing it.

"I'm just saying when you step into that ballpark, in between those lines, you need to act like you're going to beat any team that you're playing against," Inge said. "That's what teams that are good do. And right now, I think we've been analyzing a little bit too much, playing a little bit too tight. It's no one's fault. I'm not blaming anyone, and obviously, I'm saying I'm guilty, as well. Everyone's together in this whole thing.

"I know personally, if we get our mind-set right and we go out and we step on that field like we're a first-place team, we can do anything we put our mind to. We will be good."

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (12-5, 3.16 ERA)
With wins in three of his past four starts, including Wednesday at Texas, Verlander is now jostling among the Major League leaders in victories, as well as his AL lead in strikeouts. He fanned 13 Rangers over seven innings Wednesday, tying the career high he set against the Twins in May. Now he'll get another shot at an Orioles lineup he has tended to own over the past few years. His quality start May 30 at Camden Yards improved his record to 4-0 in five starts against the O's, with a 1.85 ERA.

BAL: RHP Chris Tillman (0-0, 5.79 ERA)
Tillman added his name to the ever-growing list of Orioles pitchers to make their big league debuts this season. The rookie went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. All three runs came on solo home runs, however, but Tillman was able to avoid the loss as the Orioles won, 7-3.

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Tidbits

... Monday is Autism Awareness Night at Comerica Park. About 400 children and family members affected by autism will be in attendance, and several kids will be part of a pregame ceremony thanks to the Tigers and Jack's Place for Autism.
... Placido Polanco and Verlander were voted Tigers Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively. Polanco hit .278 (27-for-97) with six doubles, two homers and 13 RBIs in 23 July games. Verlander went 4-2 with a 2.57 ERA over six starts for the month, striking out 48 batters over 42 innings.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Tuesday: Tigers (Jarrod Washburn, 8-6, 2.64 ERA) vs. Orioles (Brian Matusz, 0-0, -.-- ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 7-5, 2.64 ERA) vs. Orioles (Jeremy Guthrie, 7-10, 5.37 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Tigers (Rick Porcello, 9-7, 4.36 ERA) vs. Orioles (David Hernandez, 3-3, 3.28 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Baltimore AVG
1. Roberts, B, 2B .285
2. Reimold, N, LF .281
3. Jones, A, CF .302
4. Markakis, RF .297
5. Huff, A, 1B .253
6. Wigginton, 3B .264
7. Scott, DH .275
8. Wieters, C .275
9. Izturis, C, SS .260

Starting pitcher: Chris Tillman

Detroit
1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Clete Thomas, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Carlos Guillen, DH
6. Marcus Thames, LF
7. Brandon Inge, 3B
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Ramon Santiago, SS

Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander

83 degrees at game time ; windy; maybe an isolated shower or storm

Southwest winds at 15mph

That's all I have left!

Current Conditions

Comerica Park

Cloudy 79 F

Humidity: 50 %

Wind: from the SW at 15 mph

Barometer: 29.88 in

last updated: 8/3/09 6:25 PM EDT

laprimamirala wrote:

That's all I have left!

I agree.

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Brian Roberts homers (9) on a line drive to right center field.
BAL 1, DET 0

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

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Adam Jones singles on a ground ball to left fielder Marcus Thames. Nolan Reimold to 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Nick Markakis singles on a ground ball to left fielder Marcus Thames. Nolan Reimold to 3rd. Adam Jones to 2nd.

B:0 S:1 O:1 - Aubrey Huff grounds into a force out,
first baseman Miguel Cabrera to shortstop Ramon Santiago. Nolan Reimold
scores. Adam Jones to 3rd. Nick Markakis out at 2nd. Aubrey Huff to
1st.
BAL 2, DET 0



B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Ty Wigginton doubles (13) on a ground ball to left fielder Marcus Thames. Adam Jones scores. Aubrey Huff to 3rd.
BAL 3, DET 0

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Luke Scott doubles (13) on a ground ball to left fielder Marcus Thames. Aubrey Huff scores. Ty Wigginton scores.
BAL 5, DET 0

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

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Matt Wieters lines out to left fielder Marcus Thames.

B:0 S:0 O:3 -
Cesar Izturis grounds out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

BAL 5, DET 0

Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson triples (5) on a fly ball to center fielder Adam Jones.

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Placido Polanco doubles (25) on a line drive to right fielder Nick Markakis. Curtis Granderson scores.
BAL 5, DET 1

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Clete Thomas walks.

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
With Miguel Cabrera batting, wild pitch by Chris Tillman, Placido Polanco to 3rd. Clete Thomas to 2nd.

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Miguel Cabrera doubles (23) on a line drive to left fielder Nolan Reimold. Placido Polanco scores. Clete Thomas scores.
BAL 5, DET 3

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Carlos Guillen flies out to left fielder Nolan Reimold.

B:2 S:1 O:2 -
Marcus Thames lines out to left fielder Nolan Reimold.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Brandon Inge grounds out, shortstop Cesar Izturis to first baseman Aubrey Huff.

BAL 5, DET 3 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:2 S:2 O:0 -
Brian Roberts singles on a ground ball to right fielder Clete Thomas.

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Nolan Reimold swinging.

B:0 S:3 O:2 -
Adam Jones swinging.

B:1 S:0 O:3 -
With Nick Markakis batting, Brian Roberts caught stealing 2nd base, catcher Gerald Laird to shortstop Ramon Santiago.

BAL 5, DET 3 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:3 S:3 O:1 -
Gerald Laird called out on .


B:0 S:3 O:2 -
Ramon Santiago swinging.


B:3 S:1 O:3 -
Curtis Granderson pops out to shortstop Cesar Izturis.

BAL 5, DET 3 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:0 S:3 O:1 -
Nick Markakis called out on .

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Aubrey Huff singles on a fly ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson.


B:1 S:0 O:2 -
Ty Wigginton pops out to second baseman Placido Polanco.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Luke Scott walks. Aubrey Huff to 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Matt Wieters lines out to left fielder Marcus Thames. ( Super catch by Thames!!!)

BAL 5, DET 3 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Placido Polanco walks.


B:0 S:0 O:1 - Clete Thomas grounds into a force out,
second baseman Brian Roberts to shortstop Cesar Izturis. Placido
Polanco out at 2nd. Clete Thomas to 1st.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera grounds out, second baseman Brian Roberts to first baseman Aubrey Huff. Clete Thomas to 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Carlos Guillen flies out to right fielder Nick Markakis. (almost a homer.)

BAL 5, DET 3 after 3 innings