GDT: 5/31/08 - DET (23-31) AT Seattle (20-35), 3:55 p.m. ET

SEATTLE -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland has plenty of concerns on his mind on this road trip. Justin Verlander is not one of them.

"I would like to think that Verlander's the least of our issues," Leyland said. "Verlander will be fine."

The fact that he can say that now is an accomplishment, considering where Verlander stood a few weeks ago.

He can say that because of Verlander's performance in his last two starts. It wasn't simply the numbers, though two runs allowed over 13 innings in his last two outings certainly made a statement. It was the way his pitches looked. After all the talk about why Verlander wasn't throwing hard anymore, he hit 99 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun last time out and stayed in the upper 90s throughout most of the game. He didn't get a decision in his result, but the stuff was a victory.

It was good enough that Leyland felt like it was his best outing of the year. It wasn't good enough to Leyland to say that his young ace is all the way back, but he's close. Now, Leyland wants Verlander to trust that stuff and challenge hitters.

The way Leyland sees it, Verlander has been reacting to hitters, feeling like he has to change some things in reaction to hitters who have seen him a few times over the last couple years.

"When you've got that kind of talent, you don't do that," Leyland said. "You do that when you're older and you lose your stuff and now you've got to try to figure out how to pitch more. I think the biggest thing was he never struggled before in his life and all of a sudden, he was searching for a lot of answers.

"There was a certain amount of adjustments you've got to make, but Verlander's a stuff guy. And if he goes out there with his three good pitches, which are all above average Major League pitches, that's the way he pitches. ... But he's the least of our problems."

Instead, Verlander is the biggest of the Mariners' problems going into a Saturday afternoon regional broadcast on FOX. Trying to hit Felix Hernandez is the Tigers' problem, making this is a potentially nasty pitching duel.

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 Justin Verlander (2-7, 5.16 ERA)
How feast or famine is the Tigers offense? While Kenny Rogers is averaging an AL-best 7.18 runs of support per nine innings as the pitcher of record, and Armando Galarraga is averaging 6.75, Verlander is stuck near the bottom at 3.44. He had only one run of support in his last outing Sunday against the Twins, spoiling his second straight strong outing. Not only did he throw seven innings of one-run ball, he hit 99 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun. That's the strongest sign yet that Verlander is getting his usual stuff back. If so, that's further bad news for the Mariners, whom he held to one run over six innings with seven strikeouts last Tuesday in Detroit for a victory. He has won all five of his outings against Seattle over his career, including two at Safeco Field.


SEA: RHP Felix Hernandez (2-5, 3.60 ERA)
Hernandez had terrific stuff for seven innings Monday against Boston. Even manager John McLaren said it was the best he'd seen him pitch all season. He allowed just two hits and one run through seven, then gave up four runs on five hits in the eighth in a 5-3 loss. For the most part, Hernandez can't seem to put an entire game together. Either he stays too long with his fastball or his late-game sequencing is off. He is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in four career starts against Detroit. He beat the Tigers twice last season.


Tidbits

Not only is Curtis Granderson 8-for-12 in his career against Hernandez, he's coming off his first three-hit game of the season Friday night. ... Ivan Rodriguez will be back behind the plate on Saturday after Brandon Inge started in his place Friday night. ... This will be the Tigers' fourth appearance on FOX Saturday baseball so far this season, but their first such contest on the road.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FOX

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Sun., June 1: Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers, (4-4, 5.88 ERA)) at Mariners (RHP Miguel Batista (3-6, 5.98 ERA)), 4:10 p.m. ET

• Mon., June 2: Tigers (Jeremy Bonderman, 3-4, 4.34) at Athletics (Rich Harden, 3-0, 2.60), 10:05 p.m. ET

• Tue., June 3: Tigers (Dontrelle Willis, 0-0, 7.50) at Athletics (Dana Eveland, 4-4, 3.66), 10:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .262
:placido: Polanco, 2B .291
Guillen, 3B .293
Ordonez, RF .325
:thames: Thames, LF .260
Cabrera, 1B .279
Larish, DH .200
:edgar: Renteria, SS .282
:pudge: Rodriguez, C .260

Seattle AVG
Suzuki, CF .289
Lopez, 2B .292
Vidro, DH .227
Ibanez, LF .260
Beltre, 3B .245
Johjima, C .222
Reed, RF .200
Cairo, 1B .196
Betancourt, SS .287

Why Willis to start on the third????

Stat of the day: Justin Verlander's ERA in the month of May this year...3.66.

gdennis59 wrote:

Why Willis to start on the third????

give him more time to warm up? maybe that's just the way the rotation turned out.............

laprimamirala wrote:

gdennis59 wrote:

Why Willis to start on the third????

give him more time to warm up? maybe that's just the way the rotation turned out.............

I think he's more mad about the guy who he'll be replacing, Galarraga. If Leyland wants to give Willis some starts, fine, go ahead. But don't take out the only consistant starter we have!

funny the consistent starter isn't making half as much as his counterpart!

Leyland has to take Galarraga out.


He is too much of a CG threat.


Jimbo wants to go the entire seaon without one


And without Galarraga, we probably will

Leyland Sucks

I second that!!!

Cloudy and 56 in Seattle right now

64 this afternoon there

I can actually watch!!!

Bad part: I cant be on this at the same time.

Why Not?

Well my internet and cable run on the same cable, and Im just gonna leave the internet on downstairs, and watch upstairs, and occasionally check in...

Oh!

Yeah, it really sucks.

Enjoy the Game.


Post after the Game!



Tigers gonna win


Jones gonna get a save

Im hoping!!!

Did i read that right... they are taking Gallaraga out of the rotation???? Wtf! That is the worst idea ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but it still sucks. I don't see him taking Verlander out, he hasn't been consistant at all (i love verlander though)! LEYLAND SUCKS!!!!

The FOX annoucers make me want to gouge out my ears...

Grandy Ks

FOX sucks, I pay for mlb.tv but can't see the game because FOX bought the national rights -- but they are showing the cinnc game here! I called mlb and complained and they just told me to complain to my local fox station. Well FOX should not have national rights if they don't show the game nationally! It should be regionally blocked. If you show Det then block mlb.tv det game, but if you show Cinnc, then don't block Det!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

FOX sucks, I pay for mlb.tv but can't see the game because FOX bought the national rights -- but they are showing the cinnc game here! I called mlb and complained and they just told me to complain to my local fox station. Well FOX should not have national rights if they don't show the game nationally! It should be regionally blocked. If you show Det then block mlb.tv det game, but if you show Cinnc, then don't block Det!

for you :haha:

These announcers = BORING.

Guillen singles.

2 on

Maggs strikes outs...

SHUT UP DON"T TALK BAD ABOUT MAGGS STUPID ANNOUNCERS... sorry.

Nice and cool in Seattle