GDT 9/30/09 - DET (84-73) VS MIN (82-75) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The days are shorter from here for the Tigers and Twins. The drama is not.

Eddie Bonine would probably agree, and he had a no-hitter going through five innings in his previous start.

Though the Tigers and Twins are back where they started after Tuesday's day-night doubleheader, with Detroit clutching a two-game lead and holding on for dear life, the tone of this four-game series shifts significantly for the next two nights. The Twins, having split against American League Rookie of the Year candidate Rick Porcello and AL Cy Young Award candidate Justin Verlander, now have a chance at the back end of Detroit's rotation, a group that has changed more than a few times over the last several months.

It's up to Bonine on Wednesday and Nate Robertson to give Detroit a chance to win. In Bonine's case, it's up to him to keep up with Tigers killer Carl Pavano, 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA against Detroit this year.

If they can win both, the Tigers will clinch the AL Central title. If the Twins take both games, they'll leave town tied atop the division with three scheduled games to go and the possibility of a one-game playoff next week at the Metrodome. If the teams split, they'll go into the final weekend with Detroit still up two and needing two wins over the White Sox to seal it.

"We still have two left with them," Twins catcher Joe Mauer said. "They are probably hoping to get a couple of them and put this thing out of reach. But we're still alive and we're still going to come back tomorrow and try to get that ballgame."

It's pressure, no doubt. But as Jim Leyland said again, it's good pressure.

"Everybody keeps talking about the pressure," Leyland said. "There's pressure. There's pressure on both teams. I mean, there's supposed to be. It's something you embrace. It's good pressure. We're prepared. We know what the Twins are all about. We know how good they are, and I think they respect us. So you prepare for the game and everything, but it's good pressure."

His players feel a lot better about it after Verlander's eight innings led them to victory Tuesday night.

"That's what makes it fun," Curtis Granderson said. "Every game is big and important and exciting."

It's good pressure for Bonine, who spent the better part of the last two seasons trying to prove he can be a Major League starter. Here's another chance.

His last start saw him fluster the White Sox for five innings and keep the Tigers in a scoreless duel with Jake Peavy. Before it could sink in that Bonine was no-hitting the White Sox, Brandon Inge's error and Gordon Beckham's two-run homer changed the course of the game, and sent both Bonine and Detroit to defeat.

Bonine doesn't have a win to show for his two starts since replacing injured Armando Galarraga in the rotation, but he has given the Tigers every chance to win both times out, as well as his spot start against the White Sox in July. His ability to mix a dropping knuckleball with a 90-mph fastball and deceptive changeup created a difficult mix for Chicago hitters last Friday, and prompted one scout to compare him with Tom Candiotti if he would only throw the knuckleball more often.

For Bonine, however, the knuckleball is a pitch to put in the back of hitters' minds, to set up everything else. The way his pitches worked last week, he isn't going to mess with a good thing at this stage of the season.

"Just pitch," Bonine said. "Use all my pitches and locate. That's what it comes down to, making pitches."

In the Tigers' case, it includes hitting key pitches, something they couldn't do against Pavano last time out. They had two runs to show for their 11 hits off him a week and a half ago, and those woes allowed the Twins to battle back on Verlander.

"I'm not sure exactly what it is," said Granderson, who homered in both games of Tuesday's doubleheader. "He's pitched well. He throws strikes. When he gets himself into jams, he gets himself out of it."

A win Wednesday would make Pavano just the third player since 1954 to earn five wins against the Tigers as a starter, according to research on baseball-reference.com. The last one, fittingly, was also a Twin: Michigan native Joe Mays.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Eddie Bonine (0-1, 4.60 ERA)
Bonine's final scheduled start of 2009 will be the biggest of his career, giving him a chance to swing the Tigers' AL Central showdown with Minnesota in his club's favor. Bonine's simple goal -- give the Tigers a chance to win. His 6 2/3 innings against the White Sox certainly did that, as he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of a scoreless game before Beckham homered for the game's only runs in a 2-0 loss. If he can mix his knuckleball and changeup again while commanding his 90-mph fastball, he could well put up another stingy performance.


MIN: RHP Carl Pavano (13-11, 4.86 ERA)
Pavano continues to show why the Twins were right to add a veteran starter to their staff. The right-hander picked up his second win in his past four starts, holding the Royals to four runs on eight hits over six innings. While it wasn't the prettiest of starts for Pavano, he only was hurt in two at-bats -- both resulting in home runs by Billy Butler. While the Twins needed Pavano against the Royals, they'll really need him to continue his season-long success against the Tigers. Pavano is 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in five starts vs. Detroit this season, and he's 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in the three starts that have come at Comerica Park.

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

Tidbits

... Look for rookie Alex Avila to catch Bonine on Wednesday, just as he did last Friday.
... Granderson's 30th home run pairs him with Miguel Cabrera as the first Tigers teammates with 30-homer seasons in the same year since Dean Palmer and Tony Clark in 1999. Granderson has homered in his last three games.
... Brandon Inge needs two RBIs to match his career high of 83, set in 2006. He had four hits combined in Tuesday's doubleheader to break out of an 0-for-15 slump.
... Zach Miner has 9 2/3 scoreless innings over his last seven appearances.

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

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)

• Thursday: Tigers (Nate Robertson, 2-2, 5.56 ERA) vs. Twins (Scott Baker, 14-9, 4.48 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 13-8, 3.36 ERA) vs. White Sox (Jake Peavy, 8-6, 3.75 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Tigers (TBD) vs. White Sox (Freddy Garcia, 2-4, 4.78 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

TWINS

1. Denard Span, CF
   
2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
   
3. Joe Mauer, C
   
4. Jason Kubel, RF
   
5. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
   
6. Delmon Young, LF
   
7. Jose Morales, DH
   
8. Matt Tolbert, 3B
   
9. Nick Punto, 2B
   

P: Carl Pavano

TIGERS

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
   
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
   
3. Clete Thomas, RF
   
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
   
5. Magglio Ordonez, DH
   
6. Carlos Guillen, LF
   
7. Brandon Inge, 3B
   
8. Alex Avila, C
   
9. Ramon Santiago, SS
   

P: Eddie Bonine

Current Conditions

Comerica Park

Sunny 56 F

Humidity: 41 %

Wind: from the NNW at 5 mph

Barometer: 30.06 in

last updated: 9/30/09 6:05 PM EDT

We btter be hittin' Pavano hard!

I'm thinking and hoping that Eddie will be able to get it done today. Since he and Avila worked together in Toledo, they have that chemistry, and it showed last game. Let's just get our 3 game lead tonight!

Span grounds out to Inge.

1 away.

Orlando Cabrera singles to left.

Fastball kinda up. Nothing anyone could do.

still one gone.

Mauer fouling off all types of pitches. 1-2

Inning 1
Top Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Denard Span grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Orlando Cabrera singles on a line drive to left fielder Carlos Guillen.

Mauer fights and singles through the hole to right.

Cabrera to third. Runners on the corners, 1 away.

Kubel batting.

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Joe Mauer singles on a ground ball to right fielder Clete Thomas. Orlando Cabrera to 3rd.

Bonine throwing strikes

Kubel base hit

Los can't move.

1-0 Twins.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Bonine throwing strikes

GREAT control. They're just waiting on the right pitching.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Jason Kubel singles on a fly ball to left fielder Carlos Guillen. Orlando Cabrera scores. Joe Mauer to 2nd.
MIN 1, DET 0

4 pitch walk

sacks packed. 1 out.

Come on!!

fucking christ Grandy.

damn it Granderson, two nights in a row!

Delwyn Young should have flied out. Grandy misjudges, ball drops.

Mauer scores, everyone else moves one base ahead.

Ni already warming up...

B:4 S:0 O:1 -
Michael Cuddyer walks. Joe Mauer to 3rd. Jason Kubel to 2nd.



B:4 S:0 O:1 -
Coaching visit to mound.



B:1 S:0 O:1 - Delmon Young singles on a fly ball to
center fielder Curtis Granderson. Joe Mauer scores. Jason Kubel to 3rd.
Michael Cuddyer to 2nd.
MIN 2, DET 0

WOW! Close strike misses. Not totally calling the corners.

DP!

Polanco bobbles, flips to Santiago, then to Cabby.

Let's get some bats now!

!

GoGetEm, how ya doin?

B:3 S:2 O:3 - Jose Morales grounds into double play,
second baseman Placido Polanco to shortstop Ramon Santiago to first
baseman Miguel Cabrera. Delmon Young out at 2nd.

MIN 2, DET 0 after .5 inning

gdennis59 wrote:

WOW! Close strike misses. Not totally calling the corners.

ump better call the balls like he did against Eddie

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

WOW! Close strike misses. Not totally calling the corners.

ump better call the balls like he did against Eddie

Truth.

Goodness, it got too cold, too quick.

Grandy flies out to CF.

1 away.

Bottom Half

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to center fielder Denard Span.

Polly pops up to second.

Get some hits off of Pavano! !!!!