GDT: 5/22/08 - DET (19-27) VS SEA (18-29), 1:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- Tigers right-handed starter Jeremy Bonderman has admitted that he's having trouble putting the bad stuff behind him this season. To be successful, he says, he has to focus on the next pitch.

"You got to look forward, not back," Bonderman said on Wednesday after the Tigers' 9-4 win over the Mariners. "You can't worry about what happened in the past."

Bonderman looked good in his last regular-season start at Yankee Stadium on April 30, but he has not looked quite as sharp since. In his three latest starts, Bonderman has gone 0-2 with a no-decision and has given up 12 earned runs on 16 hits and 10 walks in 16 innings.

But as he looks forward, he sees a chance to help the Tigers earn their third three-game series sweep this season, as they attempt to finish off the Mariners on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Bonderman has his sights set on making the sweep a reality.

"I need to attack the (strike) zone," he said, "just be aggressive and try to find a way to get into a rhythm. If I can do that, I think I'll be all right."

On top of that, it wouldn't hurt if the Tigers' bats continue to clobber Seattle pitching. In the first two games of this series, Detroit has 21 runs and 31 hits. This comes after the Tigers scored just 12 runs on their recent six-game road trip. But more importantly, the Tigers have finally found hits with runners in scoring position, something that has evaded them most of the season.

Entering Wednesday's game, the Tigers had a .241 average with runners in scoring position.

Which didn't hold for long.

The Tigers went 7-for-10 on Wednesday in such situations, making them 12-for-22 (.550) in their current series. They've found gaps and have smashed five home runs, looking more like the team that had the Majors' highest average with runners in scoring position last season.

"I told guys, 'Be patient with runners on. Look for your pitch and put the ball in play, and everything else will take care of itself,'" said outfielder Marcus Thames, who hit his fifth career grand slam on Wednesday. "That's what we're doing."

2008 Interleague Schedule
• May 16-18: at Diamondbacks
• June 13-15: vs. Dodgers
• June 16-18: at Giants
• June 20-22: at Padres
• June 24-26: vs. Cardinals
• June 27-29: vs. Rockies


Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Jeremy Bonderman (2-4, 4.76 ERA)
Bonderman enjoyed one of his stronger outings of the season, but an Arizona seventh-inning comeback left it for naught. He allowed a lone run over his first six innings before back-to-back walks leading off the seventh set up an Arizona comeback and left him with a no-decision. Nonetheless, it was just his second quality start in nine outings this season. He had all sorts of trouble against the Mariners last season, allowing 14 runs over 14 1/3 innings to bump his career ERA versus Seattle to 5.01.


SEA: RHP Miguel Batista (3-5, 6.11 ERA)
Bautista surrendered five runs in the first three innings, including three in the first inning, in a loss to the Padres in his last outing. He has walked 15 batters in his last 20 innings, which has kept him in trouble and hikes his pitch count. Batista has pitched in the seventh inning twice in his eight starts.


Tidbits

The Tigers improved to 6-2 against American League West teams. They have hit .320 against them and scored 69 runs in those eight games. ... Gary Sheffield snapped an 0-for-17 slump on Wednesday with a single to left field. ... Placido Polanco is batting .380 in his last 23 games -- the Majors' best average in that span. ... Miguel Cabrera has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Fri., May 23: Tigers (RHP Armando Galarraga (3-1, 3.06 ERA)) VS Twins (RHP Kevin Slowey, (0-4, 5.49 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Sat., May 24: Tigers (LHP Nate Robertson (1-5, 6.08 ERA)) VS Twins (RHP Boof Bonser (2-5, 5.25)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Sun., May 25: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (2-7, 5.61 ERA)) VS Twins (LHP Glen Perkins (1-1, 3.44)), 1:05 p.m. ET

I can see why they need an off-season! this is intense!

STARTING LINEUPS:

Seattle AVG
Suzuki, CF .290
Beltre, 3B .250
Lopez, 2B .293
Ibanez, DH .292
Sexson, 1B .204
Reed, LF .500
Johjima, C .222
Balentien, RF .217
Betancourt, SS .261


Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .239
:placido: Polanco, 2B .289
:sheff: Sheffield, DH .183
Ordonez, RF .310
Cabrera, 1B .281
Guillen, 3B .289
:joyce: Joyce, LF .242
:edgar: Renteria, SS .287
Inge, C .232

Quote :

"I told guys, 'Be patient
with runners on. Look for your pitch and put the ball in play, and
everything else will take care of itself,'" said outfielder Marcus Thames, who hit his fifth career grand slam on Wednesday. "That's what we're doing."

Isn't this normally the coaches job to teach? Looks like the team is now coaching themselves!

they might have to coach themselves for awhile!
Seriously, I wonder if Jim is not getting health issues with this job (besides the obvious one of him being a smokestack.)....

Yea, at his rate of smoking, Leyland will die of cancer before he ever quits.

Go Bondo! A sweep would be awefully sweeeeeeeeeet!

And keep those bats hot!

Sheff -> DL
Los -> DH
Inge -> 3B
.....Thank you sir.

GO TIGERS!! You can do it!

Maggs -> right over here!

laprimamirala wrote:

Maggs -> right over here!

Please Keep the bats hot boys!

And Bondo, I wanna see

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Quote :

"I told guys, 'Be patient
with runners on. Look for your pitch and put the ball in play, and
everything else will take care of itself,'" said outfielder Marcus Thames, who hit his fifth career grand slam on Wednesday. "That's what we're doing."

Isn't this normally the coaches job to teach? Looks like the team is now coaching themselves!

Well, nobody else is doing the greatest of jobs...

The players may make better coaches than our coaching staff. Either that or it is finaly sinking through their thick skulls what their coaches have been telling them!

I dont know, and I dont care as long as we are winning.

Stat of the day: Tigers record in day games played on Thursdays this year...0-3.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Stat of the day: Tigers record in day games played on Thursdays this year...0-3.

:puke2:

Top of 1st

Suzuki single

bad pickoff -error on bondo - runner on 3rd

Beltre - out

Lopez - line out to 3rd

Ibanez - flies out to lf

Lets go batters!

:curtis: grounds out

:placido: grounds out

:sheff: single

rbi double

1-0

grounds out

end of 1st

1-0

Sexson - single (hits off bondo)