GDT: 5/08/08 - DET (15-20) VS. BOS (22-14), 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- Justin Verlander has only met Josh Beckett once. That was at last year's All-Star Game, Verlander said, and it was a brief conversation. They didn't have an opportunity to talk this week with their showdown coming in Thursday's series finale between the Tigers and Red Sox.

It's a shame, since they have plenty in common.

It's not just the storyline of young staff aces who emerged with big performances at early ages. It's the composure with which they handle themselves, both in the face of success and on the mound.

Beckett's stern, unflappable face became one of the images of the World Series, both with the 2003 Marlins and last year's Red Sox. Verlander's steady stare, meanwhile, has flown in the face of his early struggles, lending support to the idea that he can be better for the test if he can get through it.

"Good players and pitchers are confident players and pitchers," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "They know the talent's there and it's just a matter of time."

For a 25-year-old with a 1-5 record after winning 35 games over his first two full big league seasons, Verlander isn't short on confidence. Verlander has said for the last three weeks that he feels close to getting on a roll, and he believes it.

"It's not very hard," Verlander said. "You don't let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. Really, when I've talked about that before, it's always been the highs. But here we are at the other end of the spectrum right now, and as long as you stay in the middle, no matter what the stats show, you're still the same person."

On the surface, it's somewhat similar to the experience Beckett went through in his first season in Boston, though his struggles happened more down the stretch. He won 16 games in that 2006 season, but finished with a 5.01 ERA and 11 losses. Like Verlander now, Beckett was 25 years old.

He came back last year, won 20 games in the regular season and proceeded to dominate in October.

"Confident players are good players," Leyland said. "He's fearless, he's got outstanding stuff and he's aggressive. That's a good combination."

On paper, Beckett and Verlander in the same game is a potentially dominant combination, especially if Verlander can turn it around. But Verlander isn't thinking that way.

"The matchup's always secondary," he said. "I want to go out there and throw. It doesn't matter who it is. It's one of those things where I can't focus on other things. I can't focus on who's on the mound for the other guys. It doesn't really matter."

That goes especially for this matchup, given what Red Sox hitters can do to him if he struggles to locate in the middle innings again. Opponents are hitting just .193 off of Verlander the first time through the order, and just .250 the next time around. From the third time on, he's giving up a .315 average and a .974 OPS.

Red Sox hitters, in turn, entered Wednesday batting .262 against starting pitchers the first time through the lineup, .270 the second and .306 with an .843 OPS in the third.

It's matchups like that which help Leyland's argument that momentum is only as good as the next day's starting pitcher, despite a ninth-inning rally Wednesday night.

"It's Verlander against Beckett," Leyland said after Wednesday's 10-9 comeback victory, "and whoever pitches the best will win."


Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander, (1-5, 6.28 ERA)
The struggles continued into May for Verlander in his last start, but with four runs allowed over seven innings, he gave Detroit a chance at a victory had they mustered any offense against the Twins. The bright side was in his stuff, from sustained mid-90s velocity on his fastball to a tight breaking ball that dropped late. If he can take that into his outing against the Red Sox, a little Tigers offense might be enough for him to earn a victory. He tossed 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball against Boston with seven strikeouts in their lone meeting last year.


BOS: RHP Josh Beckett, (3-2, 4.19 ERA)
Beckett got a lot of help from his friends -- both offensively and defensively -- in winning his last start, over Tampa Bay. The Red Sox made several nifty defensive plays behind their ace, including Manny Ramirez throwing Carlos Pena out at the plate with a run that would have made it 5-4 in the fourth inning. Beckett settled down after that as his teammates matched their season high with 12 runs in the win. Beckett is 1-2 in three starts on the road this year, yielding nine earned runs in 19 2/3 innings away from home, striking out 24 in those three starts. He is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in his only lifetime start against Detroit, that loss coming at Fenway Park.

Tidbits

Five of the Tigers' 15 victories have come in six Wednesday games. They're 10-20 the rest of the week, including 2-3 on Thursdays. ... Gary Sheffield is expected to have the night off after starting the last three games in left field. Matt Joyce would start in his place in left, while Marcus Thames is expected to be the designated hitter. ... Sheffield needs one more RBI to tie Al Kaline for 35th place on the Major League all-time list with 1,583. ... Placido Polanco is hitting .407 (22-for-53) with five doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over his last 12 games. ... Kevin Youkilis' two-homer night Wednesday gives him seven home runs in 13 career games at Comerica Park. His nine career homers in 23 games against the Tigers are the most he has against any opponent.

On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Fri., May 9: Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers (2-3, 6.27 ERA)) vs Yankees (RHP Darrell Rasner (1-0, 3.00 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Sat., May 10: Tigers (RHP Jeremy Bonderman (2-3, 4.17 ERA)) vs Yankees (RHP Darrell Rasner, (1-0, 3.00 ERA)), 3:40 PM ET

• Sun., May 11: Tigers (LHP Nate Robertson (1-4, 6.64 ERA)) vs Yankees (LHP Andy Pettitte (3-3, 3.77 ERA)), 1:05 p.m. ET

Tonights Starting Lineups are:

Boston
Ellsbury, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Lowell, 3B
Drew, RF
Varitek, C
Crisp, CF
Lugo, SS


Detroit
:curtis: Granderson, CF
:placido: Polanco, 2B
Guillen, 3B
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, 1B
:joyce: Joyce, LF
:thames: Thames, DH
Inge, C
Santiago, SS

Do you think I should go to the bar with friends again like I did last night to watch the game? It seemed to help the team last night. I would do it just for the team.

rickimouse wrote:

Do you think I should go to the bar with friends again like I did last night to watch the game? It seemed to help the team last night. I would do it just for the team.

Stat of the day: Josh Beckett's career ERA at Comerica Park...0.00.

Spoiler:

bobrob2004 wrote:

Stat of the day: Josh Beckett's career ERA at Comerica Park...0.00.

Spoiler:

Ya better!

LOL

Stat of the day part II: Placido Polanco's batting average the last 13 games... .386.

Go JV!!!

gdennis59 wrote:

Go JV!!!

Junior Varsity?

bobrob2004 wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

Go JV!!!

Junior Varsity?

Justin Verlander?

Stink of day maggs goes 0-5.

I'm sorry but how much do you know about Maggs anyway??

He was the AL batting champ. That is not a popularity contest! He earned it.

maggsbgone wrote:

Stink of day maggs goes 0-5.

You don't realize that when a person is fixated on someone they don't like, instead of who the do like, it tells us a lot about your problems and personality!

I would like to kindly ask you to refrain from your all out assault of one of the Tigers who is loved by the majority of the website members!

The type of ability shown by Maggs is pure ability, and not from steroid usage! If most of his hits were all home runs, (like most of the known users) that would be one thing, but Maggs is a singles and doubles hitter with a normal amount of homers for someone with his ability and years of experence.

Oh, and by the way, Maggs has a .305 batting average and went 3 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI. (no Homers either).

I'm here gang! We gotta hang on tight tonight!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

maggsbgone wrote:

Stink of day maggs goes 0-5.

You don't realize that when a person is fixated on someone they don't like, instead of who the do like, it tells us a lot about your problems and personality!

I would like to kindly ask you to refrain from your all out assault of one of the Tigers who is loved by the majority of the website members!

The type of ability shown by Maggs is pure ability, and not from steroid usage! If most of his hits were all home runs, (like most of the known users) that would be one thing, but Maggs is a singles and doubles hitter with a normal amount of homers for someone with his ability and years of experence.

Oh, and by the way, Maggs has a .305 batting average and went 3 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI. (no Homers either).

Let's go Tigers!

"Out by an eyelash." - A Marioism... that's new

K for Justin!
2 outs

Dang, hit for Ortiz

Annnnd you can stop kissing ass now, Rod.

Youkills flyout, that's 3.

Let's get some hits, boys!

Hi everyone

Hey Gogetem!

TigerLily wrote:

Annnnd you can stop kissing ass now, Rod.

Youkills flyout, that's 3.

Let's get some hits, boys!

Yea, what she said!

Polly was outstanding last night!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Polly was outstanding last night!

Yes, he was!

Grandy Ks

Go Polly!

Grandy striking out lots lately!

Ouch, Polly hit by pitch