DET. TIGERS 2008 REG SEASON SCHEDULE & SCORES

:joyce: My #2!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!

Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tigers 9, Mariners 2
Tigers earn another sweep, but will strong play last?
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Sorry about this, tempering the joy of an impressive sweep and all, but the Tigers have been here, done this.

A couple of times.

They swept the Texas Rangers, remember? They swept the Yankees in New York -- three straight each time. Yet they still found a way to begin the series they just dominated against the Seattle Mariners with a miserable 17-27 record.

In other words, as they welcome the Minnesota Twins on the heels of a 9-2 triumph over the Mariners, the Tigers have been fully capable of looking, at times, like they've gotten their act together, only to prove they haven't.

Heck, they also took two in a row at Comerica Park from Minnesota last month and won 11-1 on their first night in Cleveland after that, creating the initial illusion of looking like the team we thought they'd be.

Each time, though, they've scampered back to their hole like a skunk in a spotlight. The way they've played has had skunk-like characteristics as well.

"Whatever the reason," said manager Jim Leyland, "we've not been able to sustain anything."

For instance, the last time the Tigers won three in a row, they lost five in a row. And before going 16-for-32 with runners in scoring position against the Mariners, they were 5-for-46 with runners in scoring position in their previous seven games.

It's difficult to be THAT bad.

"We were playing terrible baseball coming into this series," said Thursday's winning pitcher, Jeremy Bonderman.

Such feeble numbers mean that, across the board, all hitters included, the Tigers were atrocious. But along came a gut check, either because of that USA Today story Tuesday that made them angry, or simply their embarrassing record.

Now three days later, after pummeling a team ripe to have sand kicked in its face, maybe this is the turn that won't stop. Maybe this is where the Tigers have finally said "enough" and can follow through.

"There's been a lot of negative exposure lately," Brandon Inge said. "When you have that, every loss gets magnified. But we were giving games away, so it's good to be reassured we're a good ballclub that just needs to relax, have fun and let it happen.

"I think we played with a little attitude in this series, though. We attacked pitches, like our at-bats were angry."

If nothing else, some of the frowns are gone.

"We just have to keep it going," said Leyland. "Are we capable? Yes. Will we do it? I don't know. We've gotten excited a couple of times before, then went back to things that were surprising to me.

"We put ourselves in the position we're in. Now we have to get ourselves out of the position we're in."

Meanwhile, previously moribund bats continue to twitch, as if coming to life. Gary Sheffield, for instance, had three hits in this game, and while his .202 batting average might not seem like much, at least it seems on the rise.

Four other Tigers had two hits each, including rookie Matt Joyce, who hit his fifth home run and made the game's best defensive play with a diving catch in left -- far better than the catch Jeremy Reed's detached glove nearly made of Inge's three-run home run in the second.

As Reed reached over the left-field wall, his glove, with the ball in it, fell off his hand. The ball bounced out for a home run, the kind of break a team occasionally gets when its worm has turned.

This victory wasn't just about hitting, though. Winless (0-8) at home in his last 11 starts, going back to July 1, Bonderman (3-4) made sure the Mariners didn't creep as close as they did in the last two games.

"He was in trouble a couple of times," Leyland said, "so it was important that we were able to add on runs."

None of this, however, means that all's well in Tigerland again. Parades aren't held for last-place teams, but a bounce off rock bottom could prove interesting.

You can reach Tom Gage at tom.gage@detnews.com.

05/23/2008 10:55 PM ET

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Tigers drop series opener against Twins
Galarraga loses second game of the season to Minnesota
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Once again, the Tigers were unable to build on a series sweep. They lost to the Twins, 9-4, on Friday night in front of 40,732 fans at Comerica Park in the first game of a three-game series.

The last time the Tigers swept an opponent, they took three from the Yankees at Yankee Stadium three weeks ago. But then they traveled to Minnesota and were swept. They went on to lose 12 of their next 15 games before this week's sweep of the Mariners.

The Tigers hoped they could sustain the momentum, but the Twins did it to them again.

An offense that scored 30 runs in the Mariners series only managed four hits against Twins starter Kevin Slowey, who earned his first win this season.

Slowey's counterpart, Tigers starter Armando Galarraga, allowed five earned runs on seven hits in six innings. Both of his losses this season have come against the Twins.

Galarraga escaped a two-on jam in the first inning with a pair of strikeouts, but would not be so lucky in the second. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Twins scored three runs on a groundout to third by Brendan Harris, a single up the middle from Carlos Gomez and a Joe Mauer infield single.

An RBI single by Michael Cuddyer in the fifth and a Mike Lamb home run in the sixth made it 5-0, before the Tigers staged a late rally. Ivan Rodriguez had a two-run triple, Marcus Thames' RBI double and Gary Sheffield's home run to left.

The Twins tacked three more runs on in the eighth.

Lefty reliever Dontrelle Willis, recently sent to the Detroit bullpen, made his first relief appearance since the 2003 postseason as a member of the Marlins. He threw one inning, gave up one run, one hit and walked two, though one was intentional.

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I'm such a proud Tiger Momma.

God Bless Them Boys

05/24/2008 11:30 PM ET

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Tigers rack up 19 in big win over Twins
Magglio leads offensive onslaught with two homers, six RBIs
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers' bats didn't stay down long. They made sure another sweep at the hands of the Twins wouldn't happen.

One night after struggling against Minnesota pitching, the Tigers tied their season high for runs in a 19-3 win over the Twins on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 41,137 fans at Comerica Park. It marked the second time this season the Tigers scored 19 runs.

Prior to this season, the Tigers scored 19 runs in a game just three times since 1956.

"That's one of those freak games. You won't see many of those," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "If you have to be part of a game like that, you want to be on the right side."
With the game tied at 2 heading into the third, the Tigers turned a close game between division rivals into a blowout thanks to four runs in the third inning, six in the fourth and seven in the fifth.

"They just whacked everything [Twins starter Boof Bonser] threw up there and we couldn't really do much about it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The bullpen had a hard time tonight, which isn't the norm, but they were swinging it. You see these guys over there, they've got a lineup that will just absolutely kill you if you don't make good pitches and we saw that tonight. We didn't make good pitches and they kept scoring and scoring and scoring."

What a difference playing at home can make. The Tigers scored 12 runs in their most recent six-game road trip to Kansas City and Arizona. They scored 13 runs combined in just the fourth and fifth innings on Saturday. In their last five games, the Tigers have now scored an incredible 53 runs.

"We didn't give up at-bats," said Ramon Santiago, who reached base five times. "I think we fought every at-bat and then we scored a lot of runs."

Leading the charge was outfielder Magglio Ordonez in his best performance of the season. Saturday night was his 23rd career two-homer game and he tied a career high with six RBIs. He opened the scoring in the first with a two-run homer, gave the Tigers the lead for good with a two-run double in the third and broke the game open with his second two-run shot in the fifth that made it 12-3.

Ordonez, last season's American League batting champ, is now hitting .330 with nine homers and 35 RBIs.

"He's an outstanding hitter, and when he's zeroed in or locked in, he led the [American League] in hitting," Leyland said. "That pretty much says it all."

Second baseman Placido Polanco had four hits to inch his average closer to .300, while also scoring four runs. Gary Sheffield added two hits and three RBIs, while Matt Joyce and Santiago each added two RBIs. Joyce's two-run single pushed the lead to 17-3 in the fifth, to the delight of a crowd that chose to watch the Tigers, even with the Detroit Red Wings playing in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

The top of the star-studded Tigers lineup did most of the damage. Their top four hitters went a combined 11-for-20 with 12 runs and 11 RBIs.

"[Curtis Granderson] and Polanco, those guys up there set the table," Leyland said. "I think Sheff's swinging better, and Magglio had a big night. That's what we like to see. But really, we go when the top of our order goes."

Lost in the offensive fireworks was a solid outing by Tigers left-hander Nate Robinson, who earned his second win of the season. He allowed three runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings and benefited psychologically from the offense's production.

"It gave him a chance to relax, obviously, and pitch a little bit," Leyland said. "I think that's a good thing, because that's the same thing you have to do in tight games. You have to be able to concentrate, but you also have to be relaxed. I think concentration and relaxation are keys to a lot of guys that have success in this game."

Tigers hitters sure had both of those on Saturday night.

"It's one of those nights where everything you hit hard falls in, and you keep sending them up there," Leyland said. "There's nothing you can do about it, no matter which team you are. It's just one of those freak nights that happens on a rare occasion, but it won't happen very much."

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

AWESOME!

Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tigers 19, Twins 3
Ordonez, Tigers tear apart Twins
Eric Lacy / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Magglio Ordonez, the man behind a six-RBI day, was nowhere to be found after a 19-3 pounding of the Twins on Saturday.

Apparently postgame fireworks traffic at Comerica Park was also something he needed to beat -- he appeared to be one of the first to leave the clubhouse.

So it was up to Tigers manager Jim Leyland to comment on a historic night for his 34-year-old right fielder. He couldn't have been more pleased.

"He led the league in hitting, so that pretty much explains it all," Leyland said in his office, between bites of fried chicken and a salad.

Ordonez produced the 23rd two-home-run game of his career and his third six-RBI game. The last time he had six RBIs was June 9, 2002, against the Expos.

Back then, he was practically bald and was a pinstripe-donning fan favorite for the White Sox.

"Magglio knows what people try to do to him," Leyland said. "He's a great hitter because he knows how to make adjustments. That's what you do in this game."

Ordonez's now shoulder-length hair flapped in the breeze in the fourth inning with a two-run homer, then Ramon Santiago responded with a two-run single in the fifth for the 19th run.

It was part of an uncanny stretch between the third and fifth innings before a sellout crowd of 41,137. They were witness to 29 batters at the plate for 17 runs.

"Everyone is trying to loosen up," said Santiago, who scored three runs and had two RBIs. "Everyone is trying to provide a spark out there."

There was more than sparks on this evening. Try lightning bolts.

Five players had two hits or more. Placido Polanco led the way with four; Ordonez had three.

Curtis Granderson, Gary Sheffield and Pudge Rodriguez each had two.

By the end of the fifth inning, the Tigers had all of their 19 runs. That was more than the Pistons scored in the first quarter (they had 17 points) of their Eastern Conference finals game against the Celtics at The Palace.

"That's what you like to see," Leyland said of the offensive outburst. "We go the way our top of the order goes."

Twins pitchers Boof Bonser, Brian Bass and Juan Rincon accounted for all of Detroit's runs, failed to get into any kind of rhythm and saw their teammates commit two errors.

Bonser (2-6) lasted three innings and was responsible for nine runs in one of the worst outings of his career. Bass, in 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowed seven runs.

Overshadowed by plenty of lumber, Nate Robertson pitched one of his strongest outings of the season, despite some early trouble in the third, when he hit the 50-pitch mark.

Robertson gave up an Alexi Casilla two-run blast and consecutive singles from Joe Mauer and Justin Moreau before he regrouped to finish at 99 pitches in 6 1/3 innings.

Robertson gave up one more run -- a Matt Macri RBI single -- and is 6-3 against the Twins in his last 11 starts. Robertson also snapped a three-game winless streak that began May 6 against the Red Sox and recorded his first win at home since August 12, 2007, against the Athletics.

Asked what the dugout is like during such a rout, Leyland described it as rather uneventful. Teams still have to hit, it's not like batters are instructed to strike out on purpose, Leyland said.

"If you have to be involved in one of these, you want to be on the right end of it," Leyland said. "It was just one of those freak nights that happen on a rare occasion, but they don't happen very much."

You can reach Eric Lacy at elacy@detnews.com.

Magglio Bald?

his hair was pretty short! For example:


or

05/25/2008 3:49 PM ET

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Grand slam sinks Verlander's effort
Right-hander turns in seven strong frames, gets no-decision
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The Tigers lost their three-game weekend series with the Twins after a 6-1 loss on Sunday afternoon before a sellout crowd of 42,413 at Comerica Park.

With the game tied at 1 in the eighth, Twins designated hitter Jason Kubel hit a grand slam to right off reliever Francisco Cruceta for the winning runs. It was Kubel's fourth career grand slam and his second this season.

One night after tying a season high with 19 runs, the Tigers' roller-coaster offense managed eight hits and went 1-for-9 with runners on base.

Tigers ace Justin Verlander had a second straight strong outing, though he took a no-decision. He allowed one run on five hits and four walks over seven innings for the Tigers, who have still won four of their last six games.

Verlander rediscovered his high-90s fastball after throwing in the 92-94 mph range for most of the season. He hit 99 on the radar gun multiple times and threw a few others at 98. But he struggled with his control. It took him 44 pitches to get through the first two innings.

He ended up throwing 120 pitches, with 69 of them being strikes in his third straight quality start.

The Twins scored first off him in the second. A walk to Michael Cuddyer and a single to right by Kubel put runners on the corners with no outs. Verlander got Delmon Young to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, but Cuddyer scored from third.

Carlos Guillen tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a 411-foot home run to left-center.

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

one of these times we'll get it right!

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Twins 6, Tigers 1
Kubel's grand slam leads Twins past Tigers
Associated Press (From the Detroit News)

DETROIT -- Jason Kubel hit a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning and Glen Perkins shut down Detroit's offense to help the Minnesota Twins bounce back from an embarrassing loss with a 6-1 victory Sunday over the Tigers.

Blown out 19-3 on Saturday night, the Twins recovered to take two of three in the series from their AL Central rivals.

Carlos Guillen homered and finished with three hits for Detroit, which wasted a strong start by Justin Verlander.

Perkins (2-1) allowed a run and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings, walking two and striking out four. Matt Guerrier got the final out in the eighth and Joe Nathan worked a one-hit ninth.

Francisco Cruceta (0-2) relieved Verlander in the eighth and took the loss.

Carlos Gomez got Minnesota started in the eighth with a leadoff single against Cruceta. Alexi Casilla sacrificed and Joe Mauer was intentionally walked. Justin Morneau walked to load the bases before Michael Cuddyer struck out, and Kubel drove Cruceta's 3-1 pitch into the right-field stands for his sixth home run.

It was Kubel's fourth career slam and second this season.

With two outs in the ninth, Gomez walked, stole second and scored on Casilla's single.

Kubel's shot spoiled a gritty effort by Verlander, who allowed a run and five hits in seven innings. He walked four and struck out three while throwing 120 pitches.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the second when Delmon Young bounced into a double play with runners on first and third.

Guillen's home run with one out in the bottom half tied it. It was his fifth of the season.

Monday, May 26, 2008
Twins 6, Tigers 1
Tigers have more walks in the park
Kubel's tie-breaking grand slam makes Tigers pay for free passes; they're on pace for 697.
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- One way to avoid those quiet Tigers clubhouses, the grimly silent kind that spoke to another Tigers defeat Sunday at Comerica Park, is for the Tigers to chop down on the walks.

They are on a terrible pace in 2008. And it wasn't helped during a 6-1 loss to the Twins that deflated a sellout crowd of 42,413 and washed away the giddiness of Detroit's 19-3 romp over the Twins Saturday night.

The Tigers walked seven Twins hitters Sunday, one intentional. They project to walk 697 batters in 2008, which would be 208 more walks than they allowed in 2006 and 131 more than in 2007. They entered Sunday's game only six walks behind the worst team in the American League in allowing free passes, Texas.

"Some guys have walked guys their whole career," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland, referring not to starter Justin Verlander, but perhaps to reliever Francisco Cruceta, whose brilliant fastball and split-finger are being betrayed by his failure to throw either pitch over the plate.

It was Cruceta whose two walks in the eighth (one intentional following a leadoff single, and a sacrifice) helped engineer Jason Kubel's grand slam home run that broke up a 1-1 game and ruined an otherwise premier day of throwing by Verlander.

Verlander had his old, 99-mph fastball back and all the pitches to go with it during a seven-inning, five-hit, one-run outing that should have earned him his third victory of the year.

But the Tigers' control problems Sunday were an all-day affair. Verlander's pitches were so active that they were hard to harness in the early innings when he allowed three walks in the first four innings but was helped by a pair of double-play grounders from Delmon Young.

Cruceta might have placed himself on the endangered species list as the Tigers prepare to welcome back three relievers from the disabled list: Denny Bautista, Fernando Rodney, and probably sometime in June, Joel Zumaya.

Cruceta has walked eight batters in 10 2/3 innings. Zach Miner has walked 13 batters in 26 innings, Todd Jones nine in 17, one of which led to a run off him in Sunday's ninth inning. Among the starters, Jeremy Bonderman has allowed an incredible 35 walks in 57 innings.

Asked if he had any explanation for why Detroit's pitchers, with essentially the same cast, have given up so many more walks in 2008, Leyland said, "Not really," which is what everyone in the clubhouse has said all spring about a staff's sudden estrangement from the strike zone.

The Tigers' control issues were matched Sunday by their on-again, off-again relationship with the scoreboard. Although the Tigers crushed bad pitching during a home stand in which they went 4-2, they did nothing Sunday against young left-hander Glenn Perkins, just as they were toothless Friday night against a pitcher they had no business bowing to, Kevin Slowey.

Leyland thought Sunday's credit belonged to Perkins, who pitched with more authority than a team as skilled as the Tigers would have expected from a 25-year-old.

"He was really good, I was impressed," Leyland said. "You could see after (Saturday) night, that they (Twins coaches) had told him he better pound some balls inside.

"I still think we're swinging the bats OK, and we were ready to play and to swing the bats today. But he pitched well."

Perkins allowed seven of Detroit's eight hits, only one of which did any damage: Carlos Guillen's long home run to left-center field that tied the game, 1-1, in the second. Guillen had three hits, including a double. Miguel Cabrera, who came to the plate in the eighth with runners at second and third and two outs and struck out, was 0-for-4.

"I watched them during batting practice," Perkins said of the Tigers, "and a lot of their guys try to hit balls to right field. They just keep going to right field. So I just knew I had to go inside on them early, and it opened up the outer half of the plate."

That might be something for the Tigers hitters to keep in mind as scouting reports continue to offer opposing pitchers pretty much the same advice.

As for Detroit's pitchers, throwing more strikes is their directive, which is about as obvious as it gets in the game of baseball.

You can reach Lynn Henning at lynn.henning@detnews.com.

Lynn Henning / The Detroit News wrote:

Cruceta might have placed himself on the endangered species list as the Tigers prepare to welcome back three relievers from the disabled list: Denny Bautista, Fernando Rodney, and probably sometime in June, Joel Zumaya.

Ya think! That is a no brainer!

Lynn Henning / The Detroit News wrote:

"I watched them during batting practice," Perkins said of the Tigers, "and a lot of their guys try to hit balls to right field. They just keep going to right field. So I just knew I had to go inside on them early, and it opened up the outer half of the plate."

Something our pitchers need to learn from! Perkins is a smart player who really wants to win, Learn from it Detroit!!!

Lynn Henning / The Detroit News wrote:

That might be something for the Tigers hitters to keep in mind as scouting reports continue to offer opposing pitchers pretty much the same advice.

05/27/2008 1:16 AM ET

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Tigers fall to Angels in 12 innings
Young righty Dolsi suffers loss in third inning of work
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- It's not about the sum total of the runs the Tigers have put up this season. It's about those games where the Tigers need to manufacture that run or two. The last two games, they couldn't get it.

It was a moot point after a grand slam on Sunday, but it was a recurring theme with each inning Monday night. In the end, it wasn't a walkoff hit at all, but a game-ending walk to Garret Anderson that brought in Maicer Izturis with the winning run in the 12th inning, sending the Tigers to a 1-0 loss to the Angels.

Izturis singled leading off the bottom of the 12th against Freddy Dolsi in his third inning of work. Vladimir Guerrero's one-out bouncer through the middle sent Izturis to third, forcing an intentional walk to Torii Hunter to load the bases and set up a potential inning-ending double play.

Bobby Seay entered to face Anderson, but never found the strike zone, walking him on four pitches. It was the Tigers' first extra-inning shutout since Sept. 6, 2003, when Roy Halladay blanked Detroit for 10 innings in a 1-0 loss at Toronto.

Tigers starter Kenny Rogers and his Angels counterpart, Jon Garland, traded scoreless innings into the cool holiday evening in Southern California, working their way out of scoring situations along the way.

Rogers stranded five runners in scoring position over his seven innings of five-hit ball, including runners at second and third in the second inning with help from a stellar catch at the fence from center fielder Curtis Granderson. Rogers kept Casey Kotchman at second base after a leadoff double in the fifth, then overcame Carlos Guillen's second error of the night to strand two runners in the seventh.

It was by far Rogers' best performance of the season and his best sign yet that he can still control a game at age 43. Yet for the pitcher who led American League runners in run support entering the night, all it netted him was a no-decision.

The Tigers, who went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base Sunday, took their struggles with them to the West Coast, going 0-for-12 and stranding nine in the same categories Monday. They had runners on first and third with nobody out in the third before Garland retired the side in order to escape, striking out Guillen and inducing a shallow fly from Matt Joyce to deny the sacrifice fly. A runner on third with one out in the seventh netted nothing when Michigan native Scot Shields struck out Ryan Raburn and induced an Ordonez groundout.

The Angels actually topped that by going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 until that decisive 12th.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

We gonna win the next two games against Anaheim

ANGELS DID NOT WIN IT THEMSELVES, WE GAVE THEM THE WIN BY SEAY WALKING HOME THE WINNING RUN!

What a way to treat Rogers who pitched a great game, but received 0 run support from his team-mates!

Hang your heads low --tiger batters!

Our offense is AWOL

Considering the Angels are in 1st place, and it took us winning it for them, we should be able to win he next two. Hit the ball boys, don't give the game away!

We will!


Goodnight GoGetEmTigers

So was our 3rd base defense! 2 errors in one game for Carlos is too much to stomach! He makes Cabrera look good at third, and that ain't saying much!

Hopefully Sheffs injury is bad enough to put him on the DL so we can make Carlos the DH and either put Inge at 3rd ot hopefully call up Hessman from Toledo!!!!

Sheff needs to let that shoulder heal and then work out in Toledo!!!

Night GS!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Hopefully Sheffs injury is bad enough to put him on the DL so we can make Carlos the DH and either put Inge at 3rd ot hopefully call up Hessman from Toledo!!!!Sheff needs to let that shoulder heal and then work out in Toledo!!!

that was my thought as well!

laprimamirala wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Hopefully Sheffs injury is bad enough to put him on the DL so we can make Carlos the DH and either put Inge at 3rd ot hopefully call up Hessman from Toledo!!!!Sheff needs to let that shoulder heal and then work out in Toledo!!!

that was my thought as well!

I completely agree! This change is so obvious. I hope even Leyland sees that.

we should macromanage!

05/27/2008 2:53 AM ET

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Frustrated Tigers fall in 12 innings
Detroit shut out, 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- It was the Tigers' eighth time being shut out in 50 games this season. And yet, it was so much more than that.

The last Tigers team to be blanked in an extra-inning game was the 2003 squad, which says plenty about the frustrations this year's team is going through offensively. Monday's 1-0, 12-inning loss to the Angels was the pinnacle of this perplexing run.

Technically, the Tigers lost on Bobby Seay's bases-loaded, four-pitch walk to Garret Anderson. Essentially, however, the Tigers lost this one by not getting a deciding play of their own.

It's not about the sum total of the runs the Tigers have put up this season. It's about those games where the Tigers have needed to manufacture that run or two. The last two games, they couldn't do it. It's a two-day microcosm that explains what is now a 1-27 record for the Tigers when they score less than five runs in a game.

"We didn't take advantage of a couple opportunities," manager Jim Leyland said, "and we didn't put the ball in play when we needed to."

The Tigers, who went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Twins, took their struggles with them to the West Coast, going 0-for-12 and stranding nine in the same categories Monday.

An Edgar Renteria ground ball to third couldn't get Carlos Guillen home with one out in the second, as he had to wait to see whether the pitcher might get to the ball. Detroit had runners on first and third with nobody out in the fourth before Angels starter Jon Garland retired the next three in order to escape, striking out Guillen and inducing a shallow pop fly from Matt Joyce to deny the sacrifice fly. A runner on third with one out in the eighth stayed there when Michigan native Scot Shields struck out Ryan Raburn and induced Magglio Ordonez to chase an outside fastball for an inning-ending groundout.

"What's frustrating for me tonight," Leyland said, "is we had a chance two or three times and we didn't actually need a hit to score. All we needed was a fly ball, maybe."

On a chilly Southern California evening when the ball couldn't carry, the offense couldn't produce, a testament to how much this team relies on the extra-base hit for runs. The best scoring chance in extra innings might well have been Ordonez's drive to deep center field leading off the 11th. It sent Gary Matthews Jr. to the edge of the track, much to Ordonez's amazement.

"I thought I hit it out," Ordonez said. "The ball died. I crushed the ball."

The Angels' offensive struggles, in turn, back up that argument, but starter Kenny Rogers and three relievers had their part in that one. Rogers stranded five runners in scoring position over his seven innings of five-hit ball, including runners at second and third in the second inning with help from a stellar catch at the fence from center fielder Curtis Granderson. Rogers kept Casey Kotchman at second base after a leadoff double in the fifth, then overcame Guillen's second error of the night to strand two runners in the seventh.

It was by far Rogers' best performance of the season and his best sign yet that he can still control a game at age 43. Yet for the pitcher who led American League in run support entering the night, all it netted him was a no-decision.

"I thought he had good location," Leyland said. "I thought his ball sunk good. He kept the ball on the ground. He was very much more aggressive. He pitched tremendous."

That set the tone for the night. A pair of walks from Zach Miner loaded the bases in the eighth before he recovered for a Kotchman flyout. Ordonez made a solid catch at the right-field fence in the ninth to help Miner retire the side in order.

Freddy Dolsi retired Matthews and struck out Vladimir Guerrero on an offspeed pitch before a two-out single, an odd steal of second when Dolsi didn't call a timeout to gather himself, and a wild pitch on an intentional walk to Anderson set up another chance. Dolsi responded by retiring Mike Napoli, then sending down the Angels in order in the 11th.

"One thing I like about him," Leyland said, "is he's not afraid."

For all the Tigers' frustrations, the Angels matched them, also going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Maicer Izturis singled leading off the bottom of the 12th against Dolsi in his third inning of work. Guerrero's one-out bouncer through the middle sent Izturis to third, forcing an intentional walk to Torii Hunter to load the bases and set up a potential inning-ending double play.

Seay entered to face Anderson, but couldn't find the strike zone. His 1-0 slider was ruled outside, much to his chagrin, and an appeal to third-base umpire Jeff Nelson didn't draw a call against Anderson.

"That was a big pitch," Seay said. "We didn't get the call."

The next two pitches had the same result, though not as close.

"If he throws something over the plate, I'm ready to hit," Anderson said. "The 2-0 pitch was probably a pitch I could have swung at, but I wasn't going to give him a strike."

Said Leyland: "You've got to throw strikes. But I have no problem with that. That's not what cost us the game."

Not since Roy Halladay tossed a 10-inning shutout against the Tigers on Sept. 6, 2003, had the Tigers been blanked in an extra-inning game. That was the day after Mike Maroth took his 20th loss, and it was loss No. 104 en route to 119.

Monday was merely the 30th loss for this Tigers squad, but 23 of them have come with the Tigers scoring three runs or fewer. Their offensive inconsistency has been a consistent obstacle for them.

"We had our chances," Ordonez said, "but we didn't take advantage."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

BAD CALL BY UNP AUDIO

05/28/2008 12:45 AM ET

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Tigers fall to Angels on another walk-off
Bonderman has nothing to show for strong outing
By Jason Beck / MLB.com


ANAHEIM -- The Tigers' scoreless streak ended. Their frustration only increased.

For seven-plus innings, Jeremy Bonderman fired away at the strike zone against Angels hitters, allowing Miguel Cabrera's two-run homer to hold as the difference. Just as the Tigers' first shutout of the year seemed within reach, however, a run-scoring wild pitch by Francisco Cruceta and a Garret Anderson RBI single tied it in the eighth ahead of Gary Matthews Jr.'s game-winning single in the ninth for a 3-2 Tigers loss.

It was a reminder of the promise Bonderman still has as a pitcher in his sixth Major League season at age 25, yet it became another exhibit in the way a season of teamwide promise hasn't gone as hoped. After winning four out of five at one point last week, the Tigers have fallen back to 10 games under .500, the same place they stood when they left Arizona a week and a half ago.

Bonderman not only sent down the first 12 batters he faced in order before Anderson's leadoff single in the fifth, he retired the Angels efficiently and aggressively through his first seven innings. Working hitters inside and out with fastballs the first time through the order before setting them up for sliders, Bonderman hit his spots consistently. He didn't reach a three-ball count until Casey Kotchman's one-out single in the fifth.

That hit gave the Angels their first real scoring opportunity off Bonderman all evening, putting runners at first and second before Ivan Rodriguez threw out Anderson trying to take third base. Third baseman Brandon Inge, playing the field in place of Carlos Guillen, dug Rodriguez's throw out of the dirt to make the tag, then quickly reacted to snare a hard line drive to third from Jeff Mathis for the final out.

Santana, meanwhile, gave up just two hits through the first five innings -- Magglio Ordonez's single leading off the second inning, then Cabrera's eighth home run of the season three pitches later. Santana retired the 23 of the 24 batters he faced from there, keeping his team close enough to rally late.

Back-to-back singles from pinch-hitter Reggie Willits and Sean Rodriguez set up the game-tying rally in the eighth. Maicer Izturis sacrificed the runners to second and third, then manager Jim Leyland pulled Bonderman for Cruceta. He struck out Matthews on nasty sliders for the second out, but lost Guerrero to a two-out walk ahead of Anderson's line drive into right field.

After Santana (7-2) retired the Tigers in order in the top of the ninth, Aquilino Lopez (2-1) was within an out of doing the same in the bottom half. However, his full-count pitch to Rodriguez missed for the first of back-to-back walks, putting Rodriguez in scoring position for Matthews' line drive to right-center.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

he almost did not surrender the ball to Jimbo!

Poor Bondo! I would love to see that: Jimbo comes to the mound but the pitcher refuses to give him the ball.

hopefully Jimbo does not have to pass by Bondo's locker for the rest of the series!