GDT: 8/22/08 - DET (62-64) AT KC (55-71) - 8:10 p.m. ET

ARLINGTON -- With the Tigers' deficit in the American League Central now up to 11 1/2 games following Wednesday's loss, it's becoming almost a lost cause for the Tigers to look in the standings and find any hope. Yet, if they need a push along the season's final 5 1/2 weeks, it's not necessarily the top of the division standings where they have to look.

While Detroit put its hopes over the last several weeks into a playoff chase that finds the Tigers mired in third place, the bottom half of the division has started to gain ground -- to the point where third place is no longer a guarantee. The Tigers took two out of three at Texas, even with Wednesday's 9-1 loss, but the fourth-place Indians still managed to gain ground by winning three in a row, including the first two of their series against the Royals. Cleveland entered Thursday just three games behind the Tigers, who have struggled to try to get back to the .500 mark ever since being swept by the Rays in St. Petersburg three weeks ago.

Those same Royals will limp back home for a three-game series against Detroit this weekend, presenting an opportunity for the Tigers to at least try to get back some momentum. The last two seasons have shown that Kansas City is anything but a predictable opponent on the Tigers' schedule, however.

After all, it was a three-game sweep by the Royals at Comerica Park to open the season that started the Tigers on their 0-7 start, and longer-term, on their disappointing '08 campaign. It was another series sweep at Kansas City in May that sent the Tigers on their way to being 10 games under .500 by Memorial Day.

By contrast, three straight wins at Kauffman Stadium by a combined 33-6 margin in late July pushed the Tigers to a season-high three games over .500 and brought a brief glimmer of hope that Detroit could join the chase in the AL Central down the home stretch.

"It's hard to put a finger on it," catcher Brandon Inge said, "but they always seem to clutch up on us, especially when it comes to hitting. When they have guys on, they always seem to get that one little hit that pushes us over the edge. And that pitching, over the years they've always had one or two guys that I think are average pitchers, but then they always have two or three guys that have the potential to have bad games or shut you out."

One such pitcher comes up Friday's series opener, when Brian Bannister takes the mound. Though his 5.96 ERA rivals Nate Robertson among the highest in the league -- much of that damage coming in his last start against the Yankees, when he allowed 10 runs over one-plus innings -- he blanked the Tigers for seven innings in their lone meeting this year, back in the season's opening week.

A hitting barrage on Bannister could start the Tigers on a solid weekend to close back towards .500 again. A loss and another rough series, and Detroit could have a race on its hand for the middle of the division rather than the top.



Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (9-13, 4.60 ERA)
Thanks to Thursday's off-day, Verlander will get a well-deserved extra day of rest between starts after outings of 130 and 110 pitches so far this month. He ended a personal four-game losing streak with his win over Baltimore last Saturday at Comerica Park, and he'll have a chance to build upon his solid outing by facing a Royals team he has generally met with success so far in his career.

KC: RHP Brian Bannister (7-12, 5.96 ERA)
Bannister's last outing was a disaster at Yankee Stadium. He lasted just one inning plus six batters, giving up 10 hits, three walks and 10 runs. He yielded three homers, including a grand slam to Jason Giambi. All that came after a seven-inning stint, albeit a loss, in Chicago which left Bannister encouraged. Bannister hasn't won in his last nine starts, with his last victory coming June 23, against Colorado. Maybe seeing the Tigers will revive him. Bannister beat them, 4-0, on April 2, the second game of the season.


Tidbits

Placido Polanco is probable to return to the Tigers' lineup on Friday after missing the last two games in Texas with patella tendinitis in his right knee. Polanco said Wednesday afternoon that his knee was still sore, but feeling better. ... Curtis Granderson is 6-for-10 with a double, a triple and an RBI lifetime against Bannister. His triple on Wednesday moved him into a tie with Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford for the AL lead. ... Left-hander Dontrelle Willis gave up five runs, three earned, on eight hits over five innings in his latest start for Triple-A Toledo Wednesday at Norfolk. Willis walked five batters while striking out four, and threw 55 of his 98 pitches for strikes. His next turn in the Mud Hens' rotation would come up next Monday at home against Richmond.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSND

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Thurs., Aug 21: Off-day

• Fri., Aug 22: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (9-13, 4.60 ERA) at Royals (RHP Brian Bannister (7-12, 5.96 ERA), 8:10 p.m. ET

• Sat., Aug 23: Tigers (RHP Zach Miner (6-4, 3.94 ERA)) at Royals (TBD), 7:10 p.m. ET

• Sun., Aug 24: Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers (9-10, 4.94 ERA)) at Royals (TBD), 2:10 p.m. ET

• Mon., Aug 25: Tigers (RHP Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17 ERA)) vs Indians (TBD), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUP:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .301
:placido: Polanco, 2B .310
Ordonez, RF .313
Cabrera, 1B .291
Guillen, 3B .284
:sheff: Sheffield, DH .234
:joyce: Joyce, LF .271
Inge, C .217
Santiago, SS .333

Kansas City AVG
Aviles, M, SS .328
German, 2B .234
DeJesus, LF .294
Guillen, RF .251
Teahen, 3B .247
Butler, DH .261
Gload, 1B .269
Buck, C .222
Gathright, CF .251

Tigers are 62-65;

86 and sunny right now in KC


83 degrees at Game Time

Still 86 degrees and Sunny

South Wind at 11mph



Gonna be a warm one tonight

Well, gang, we didn't hafta wait long. Nate is out of the rotation. I posted it on the breaking news section.

0-0 END OF 1

HOME RUN (26th of the year)

1-0

double

:sheff: batting - wild pitch moves Los to 3rd

:sheff:

:joyce: grounds out, scores

2-0

grounds out

3 outs

2-0

KC has 8 men on the DL

Teahen -

Butler - grounds out

Another interesting tidbit:

Bobby Seay was on the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics baseball team that won gold! He keeps his gold medal in the bank and sees it probably once or twice a year....

laprimamirala wrote:

KC has 8 men on the DL

wow

Gload - singles

laprimamirala wrote:

Another interesting tidbit:

Bobby Seay was on the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics baseball team that won gold! He keeps his gold medal in the bank and sees it probably once or twice a year....

better than this year, best USA will do is bronze

Buck (4 for his last 48) - flies out

end of 2 innings

2-0

Yet another interesting item:

Curtis Granderson has his own Fathead now!

grounds out

Tomorrow is Christian family night at KC!

:curtis: walks

:placido: rbi double

3-0

lines out

grounds out

Gathright - walk

Aviles - singles

German - grounds out - runners advance