GDT: 9/2/09 - DET (70-61) VS CLE (58-73) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- Don't suggest to Tigers manager Jim Leyland that the White Sox raised the white flag in the American League Central race with their trades of Jim Thome and Jose Contreras. He isn't buying it.

For that matter, don't tell Leyland that the rebuilding Indians are nothing to fear while they play out the final month of their disappointing season. It's their rebuilding process, in large part, that scares him.

When the Indians dealt Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez in the same week leading up to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, Leyland proclaimed that Cleveland would be a nightmare for teams down the stretch. Then the Tribe took two out of three from the Tigers that weekend at Progressive Field, part of Detroit's streak of road series losses that went from early June until last week.

Leyland called the Indians dangerous again before Tuesday's series opener, and the Tigers' 8-5 win only strengthened his feeling.

"They were very aggressive," he said. "They're very dangerous, and I told you they would be."

That doesn't change for the middle game of this three-game set.

To suggest this series is a chance for the Tigers to build momentum while the Twins and White Sox beat up on each other overlooks what the Indians have meant to the race already. That series win over the Tigers in Cleveland sent the Indians on their way to a 15-12 record in August, including taking two of three at both Chicago and Minnesota at just the right time to help Detroit.

While The Tigers took two of three from the Twins at Comerica Park, Aug. 7-9, the Tribe beat up on the White Sox, helping boost the Tigers' tenuous division lead from two games to three. A week later, as Detroit took two of three from Kansas City, the Indians upset the Twins, putting more distance between Detroit and Minnesota.

Even after Tuesday's loss, Cleveland's 26-29 record against division foes is better than the 26-30 mark of the White Sox. The Indians' 30-38 road record beats the road marks of any of the three teams ahead of them.

"They're a very dangerous team," Leyland said on Tuesday.

What Leyland said in July still holds. To him, it's the fact the Indians have a lot of young, hungry players wanting to prove themselves and win jobs for next year that makes them so much trouble for more veteran squads. Michael Brantley's two hits in his Major League debut on Tuesday at the bottom of the Cleveland lineup illustrated that.

There's little chance, Leyland expects, of getting separation in this division.

"It'll go right down to the wire," the veteran manager said. "I've said it all year. We have to win enough games."

As for the White Sox, Leyland said, "When you've got [Paul] Konerko and [Jermaine] Dye and [Alexei] Ramirez and [A.J.] Pierzynski and [Gavin] Floyd and [John] Danks, don't get fooled by the White Sox. The White Sox will be playing their tails off, and they'll get hot again and they'll be right in it. I'm not falling for that. But I'm worried about the Tigers."
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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Rick Porcello (11-8, 4.27 ERA)
Not since Dave Rozema's 15-win rookie season in 1977 has a Tigers pitcher won this many games before his 21st birthday. Rozema won 11 before turning 21 in August of that season. Porcello won't turn 21 until after this season ends. His latest win came from 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Rays on Friday night at Comerica Park, where he showed off a power fastball to throw hitters off his sinkerball that was so successful in the season's first half. He's 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Indians, who have managed just two runs on nine hits in 13 innings against him.


CLE: LHP Aaron Laffey (7-3, 3.40 ERA)
Laffey turned in another strong performance in Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Orioles, even though he didn't get the win. He gave up three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings and left trailing, 3-2. But the Indians rallied to win on a late Andy Marte two-run homer. Laffey was solid in August, going 3-0 with two no-decisions and continuing to develop into a strong pitcher. He's made 13 starts and pitched in 19 games overall this season.

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Tidbits

... Look for Aubrey Huff on the bench Wednesday against the left-hander Laffey, despite Huff's two hits and three RBIs on Tuesday night. Leyland would like to get him back in there, but he also wants to get his right-handed hitters into the lineup, including Marcus Thames and Ryan Raburn.
... Brandon Inge's next home run will tie his career high of 27, set in 2006.
... Reacting to the trade that sent Thome to the Dodgers, Leyland said, "I paid for his flight out." Thome is a .291 career hitter against Detroit with 60 home runs in 625 career at-bats.
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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Thursday: Tigers (Nate Robertson, 1-1, 6.84 ERA) vs. Indians (Fausto Carmona, 3-9, 6.20 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 15-7, 3.38 ERA) at Rays (Jeff Niemann, 12-5, 3.80 ERA), 7:38 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Tigers (Jarrod Washburn, 9-8, 3.55 ERA) at Rays (James Shields, 9-10, 3.86 ERA), 7:08 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

INDIANS

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
   
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
   
3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
   
4. Jhonny Peralta, 3B
   
5. Travis Hafner, DH
   
6. Luis Valuena, 2B
   
7. Andy Marte, 1B
   
8. Michael Brantley, LF
   
9. Wyatt Toregas, C
   

P: Aaron Laffey

TIGERS

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

P: Rick Porcello

TAKE GAME 2!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

STARTING LINEUPS:
(TO BE POSTED WHEN AVAILABLE)

Where do you find the starting line up???

Pudgerocks wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

STARTING LINEUPS:
(TO BE POSTED WHEN AVAILABLE)

Where do you find the starting line up???

1. http://beck.mlblogs.com/

OR
2. THE BOX SCORE FROM www.MLB.COM (posted about 1 hr before the game)

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Grady Sizemore grounds out, pitcher Rick Porcello to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Asdrubal Cabrera grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Shin-Soo Choo singles on a ground ball to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
With Jhonny Peralta batting, wild pitch by Rick Porcello, Shin-Soo Choo to 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:3 - Jhonny Peralta singles on a ground ball
to left fielder Wilkin Ramirez. Shin-Soo Choo scores. Jhonny Peralta
out at 2nd, left fielder Wilkin Ramirez to catcher Gerald Laird to
second baseman Placido Polanco.
CLE 1, DET 0 after .5 inning

Bottom Half

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

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Placido Polanco singles on a ground ball to left fielder Michael Brantley.

B:1 S:1 O:1 - Magglio Ordonez singles on a ground ball
to second baseman Luis Valbuena. Placido Polanco advances to 3rd, on
throwing error by second baseman Luis Valbuena.


B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. Placido Polanco scores. CLE 1, DET 1

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Marcus Thames flies out to right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.

CLE 1, DET 1 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Travis Hafner grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Luis Valbuena grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:1 O:3 -
Andy Marte grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

CLE 1, DET 1 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Brandon Inge flies out to center fielder Grady Sizemore.

B:4 S:0 O:1 -
Wilkin Ramirez walks.

B:1 S:1 O:3 - Gerald Laird grounds into double play,
shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to second baseman Luis Valbuena to first
baseman Andy Marte. Wilkin Ramirez out at 2nd.

CLE 1, DET 1 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Michael Brantley lines out to pitcher Rick Porcello.

B:2 S:2 O:2 -
Wyatt Toregas flies out to center fielder Ryan Raburn.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Grady Sizemore singles on a ground ball to second baseman Placido Polanco.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
With Asdrubal Cabrera batting, Rick Porcello picks off Grady Sizemore at 1st on throw to Miguel Cabrera.

CLE 1, DET 1 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Adam Everett swinging.

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Ryan Raburn singles on a ground ball to third baseman Jhonny Peralta.

B:0 S:2 O:2 -
Placido Polanco lines out to third baseman Jhonny Peralta.

B:0 S:0 O:3 -
Magglio Ordonez flies out to left fielder Michael Brantley.

CLE 1, DET 1 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Asdrubal Cabrera singles on a ground ball to third baseman Brandon Inge.

B:2 S:0 O:2 - Shin-Soo Choo grounds into double play,
shortstop Adam Everett to second baseman Placido Polanco to first
baseman Miguel Cabrera. Asdrubal Cabrera out at 2nd.

B:3 S:2 O:3 -
Jhonny Peralta grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

CLE 1, DET 1 after 3.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Miguel Cabrera walks.

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Marcus Thames singles on a ground ball to left fielder Michael Brantley. Miguel Cabrera to 2nd.

B:3 S:2 O:0 - Brandon Inge reaches on fielding error
by third baseman Jhonny Peralta.Miguel Cabrera scores. Marcus Thames
to 3rd. Throwing error by third baseman Jhonny Peralta.
DET 2, CLE 1


B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Wilkin Ramirez out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Grady Sizemore. Marcus Thames scores.
DET 3, CLE 1



B:1 S:1 O:3 - Gerald Laird grounds into double play,
pitcher Aaron Laffey to second baseman Luis Valbuena to first baseman
Andy Marte. Brandon Inge out at 2nd.

DET 3, CLE 1 after 4 innings

Inning 5
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Travis Hafner flies out to left fielder Wilkin Ramirez.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Luis Valbuena grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Andy Marte flies out to left fielder Wilkin Ramirez.

DET 3, CLE 1 after 4.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Adam Everett walks.

B:2 S:2 O:2 - Ryan Raburn grounds into double play,
shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to second baseman Luis Valbuena to first
baseman Andy Marte. Adam Everett out at 2nd.


B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Placido Polanco reaches on fielding error by third baseman Jhonny Peralta. (Peralta sucks!)


B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Magglio Ordonez singles on a line drive to center fielder Grady Sizemore. Placido Polanco to 2nd.

B:4 S:1 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera walks. Placido Polanco to 3rd. Magglio Ordonez to 2nd.

B:4 S:1 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:3 O:3 -
Marcus Thames swinging.

DET 3, CLE 1 after 5 innings

Please take Thames out!