GDT: 8/23/08 - DET (63-65) AT KC (55-73) - 7:10 p.m. ET

KANSAS CITY -- The last time Zach Miner had to rebound from a bad start, he panicked enough to pitch his way out of the Tigers' rotation. That was two years ago, when Miner's strong, early summer stint faded by late summer.

Don't expect a recurrence this time. After allowing more Orioles to score (five) than he retired (four) last Sunday, Miner isn't going to make a big overhaul to his game in his return start here Saturday against the Royals.

"You can't go and say, 'OK, I have to start doing everything different,'" Miner said Friday. "You do what you do, and hopefully, more times than not, you're going to be good. You're going to have a few games like that."

That message was reinforced to Miner by veteran pitcher Kenny Rogers, who told him that he would have five games like that a season, where no matter how good he felt, the results are terrible. Ten other games, everything will go right, even with bad pitches. It's the games in between that determine a season.

Everything went right for Miner the last time he pitched at Kauffman Stadium. That was his first outing back in the Tigers' rotation last month, and he ended up with six scoreless innings in a 19-4 rout. That started him on a roll that lasted until his last start.

He'll now try to rebound, but he's taking a more level-headed approach to it, having learned from two years ago.

"I just remember thinking I was doing different stuff," Miner recalled. "I was going to struggle, that happens. It was just complicated by [the fact that] I knew Mike [Maroth] was coming back. I was trying so hard to pitch myself into keeping my job. You just put a lot of pressure on yourself as a rookie -- it's counterproductive. When you try too hard, that will sometimes put you in a slump."

Miner ended up overthrowing, which flattened out his sinker, and then struggled to throw strikes. He ended up out of the Tigers' rotation by the end of August, replaced by Wil Ledezma, not Maroth.

One big difference in Sunday's case was that even some of his best pitches ended up as hits, including a sinker out of the zone that Nick Markakis reached for and lined for a double.

"I probably didn't make as good of pitches as I had in my other outings," Miner said. "But I also made some good pitches."

If Miner needs another example of how strange the game can be for pitchers, he need look no further than his splits against the Royals. Miner has tossed 11 1/3 scoreless innings at Kauffman Stadium over his career, compared with 13 runs allowed over 8 2/3 innings against the Royals at Comerica Park.




Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Zach Miner (6-4, 3.94 ERA)
Miner had thrown four quality starts in five outings since joining the Tigers rotation, of all them with two runs or fewer allowed, so a setback was to be expected last time out. Still, Sunday's struggles against the Orioles were a shock. The first five O's batters to face him all reached safely, sending him on his way to five runs on six hits allowed over 1 1/3 innings. Whether it was an anomaly in an otherwise solid second half or a sign that hitters are adjusting to him isn't known, but a rematch with the Royals should be a strong sign. Miner tossed six scoreless innings on three hits in his first start July 21 at Kauffman Stadium.

KC: RHP Kyle Davies (5-4, 4.71 ERA)
To no great surprise, Davies returns from Triple-A Omaha for this start. He was optioned a day after lasting five innings in a start in Chicago on Aug. 14. Davies gave up just three runs and struck out seven, but his command was off. In those five innings, he threw 100 pitches (63 for strikes) and gave up nine hits and two walks. With an open date looming, he wasn't needed for the next turn of the rotation and was sent to Omaha. Davies faced the Tigers on July 22 and lasted just four innings in a 7-1 loss.


Tidbits

Miguel Cabrera's next RBI will be his 100th of the season, which would mark his fifth straight 100-RBI season in five full big league campaigns. Only Alex Rodriguez (10), Albert Pujols (seven), Bobby Abreu (five) and David Ortiz (five) have longer active streaks. Cabrera is 5-for-12 with one home run and two RBIs off Davies. ... Carlos Guillen is 4-for-6 with two doubles and a solo homer off Davies. ... Edgar Renteria is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday after getting Friday's game off.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

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

• Mon., Aug 25: Tigers (RHP Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17 ERA)) vs Indians (LHP Zach Jackson (0-0, 5.17 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Tue., Aug 26: Tigers (TBA) vs Indians (LHP Cliff Lee (18-2, 2.43 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit
Granderson, CF
Polanco, 2B
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, 1B
Guillen, 3B
Sheffield, DH
Joyce, LF
Renteria, SS
Inge, C

Kansas City
Aviles, M, SS
Callaspo, 2B
DeJesus, LF
Guillen, RF
Butler, DH
Gload, 1B
Buck, C
Teahen, 3B
Gathright, CF

82 degrees at Game Time Saturday Night


30 percent chance of showers


SE Wind 5-15 mph

never give up!! never surrender!

2-0 after 4 innings

tries to bunt and is out at 1st.

:curtis: walks for the 3rd time

:placido: singles - runners on the corners

rbi sac fli

3-0

dp

Gload out

Buck -

Teahen - flies out

homers - 434 feet!

4-0

:sheff: flies out deep

C'mon Joyce!

:joyce: hit by pitch

hi cdurb

:edgar: shattered bat ground out

4-0

Gathright - 1 pitch ground out

Hope Matt's foot is okay.

Aviles - grounds out (62 pitches!)

laprimamirala wrote:

Hope Matt's foot is okay.

probably is just bruised.

Callaspo - walks

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

Hope Matt's foot is okay.

probably is just bruised.

hope so. He was grimacing a lot, which is unusual for him.

DeJesus - grounds out

laprimamirala wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

Hope Matt's foot is okay.

probably is just bruised.

hope so. He was grimacing a lot, which is unusual for him.

that is true

Peralta pitching now

flies out (0-3 tonight)

:curtis: