GDT: 8/25/08 - DET (64-66) VS CLEV (61-67) - 7:05 p.m. ET

GDT: 8/25/08 - DET (64-66) VS CLEV (61-67) - 7:05 p.m. ET

GDT: 8/25/08 - DET (64-66) VS CLEV (61-67) - 7:05 p.m. ET 2399123364_332a182ed0_o

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08/24/2008 8:40 PM ET
Tigers face uphill climb for playoff berth
Detroit (64-66) vs. Cleveland (61-67), Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- That matchup of American League Central titans that had been anticipated back in Spring Training seems about as far away as Polk County, Fla., seems from Detroit these days. But that doesn't mean the Tigers and Indians head into Round 5 of their six-series rivalry with nothing to play for.

For Cleveland, it's evaluation time as they retool for next season. For Detroit, it's a little murkier for manager Jim Leyland. He isn't conceding the division, but he isn't about to play up a race.

By his definition, a playoff race begins in September with a team within five or so games from the top to start the month. The Tigers begin the final week of August with about double that deficit and two teams in front of them. The math doesn't work out, even if the morale hasn't dropped in turn.

"Obviously, at this point, we're a huge long shot," Leyland said after Sunday's 7-3 loss to the Royals. "I think you lose credibility with people if you start saying we're going to still win this thing. Are we out of it? No. But nor am I going to say, 'Don't worry about it, we're going to win 18 in a row and they're going to lose seven or eight in a row.' I'm not going to say that and lose credibility.

"That makes no difference to me. To me, it's like playing hard and hustling. That's a no-brainer. That's automatic. So to play each game and every game hard and play every game to win, it should be a no-brainer. For me, that's just the way it is."

He expects that to be an automatic for his team. If they're going to rack up some victories on the Indians and Royals this coming week, it's going to have to be.

The Indians entered Sunday's series finale at Texas having won six in a row as part of a 24-14 roll to pull within two games of the Tigers for third place in the AL Central, including a sweep of the Royals and back-to-back wins over the Rangers. They climbed to within six games of .500 for the first time since June 27.

After pitching rookie Zach Jackson in the series opener, the Indians will hit the Tigers with the back-to-back tandem of 18-2 Cliff Lee and Tigers killer Fausto Carmona.

Leyland called it a case of young players being hungry players when they get a chance to play.

"They're playing good," Leyland said. "They're playing their tails off. They'll be right back in the thick of things next year."

If the Tigers want to stay in the thick of their hunt for a winning record, let alone any pretense of hope for a late-season run in the standings, they'll have to play hungry, as well.

One player likely to be hungry is outfielder Marcus Thames, who will start the first two games of the series with left-handers Jackson and Lee on the mound. Thames' start Sunday was his first in a week. He went through early batting practice Saturday afternoon to try to get his swing back into shape.

"I still don't feel like I want to feel," Thames said, "but I'm hitting early, just trying to stay as sharp as I can. ... I just tried to stay quiet, not be too quick, relax and not try to make up for lost time. Just try to have fun, one at-bat at a time."

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17 ERA)
Now that Galarraga has dispensed his revenge on the Rangers for trading him last offseason by defeating them last Tuesday, he'll try to get back to business as usual with a chance to beat the Indians for the fourth time this season. Cleveland has batted just .159 in three starts against him this year, during which he has lasted 17 2/3 innings. Galarraga is 4-0 in his past five starts, pushing him into a battle with former Tiger and current Atlanta Brave Jair Jurrjens for the Major League rookie wins lead this season.

CLE: LHP Zach Jackson (0-0, 5.17 ERA)
Jackson scuffled a bit in his second start since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo, but he gave the Tribe innings -- something he couldn't deliver in his first outing. Acquired in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers, Jackson went seven innings and gave up five runs (four earned), which was more than enough to prevent him from picking up his first Major League win since July 17, 2006. Most of the damage came in a four-run fifth inning, when he surrendered a three-run double to Mike Aviles. Jackson has never faced the Tigers.

Tidbits

The Tigers will likely make a move after Monday's game to make room for Chris Lambert, whose contract will be purchased from Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday in order for him to start Tuesday night's game. ... Gary Sheffield's eight-game hitting streak ended Sunday. He had been hitting 12-for-33. ... Curtis Granderson has 15 walks over his last nine games, including seven during the three-game weekend series against the Royals.

On the Internet

GDT: 8/25/08 - DET (64-66) VS CLEV (61-67) - 7:05 p.m. ET Mlbtv

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On television
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Up next

• Tue., Aug 26: Tigers (RHP Chris Lambert, 0-0, -.--) vs Indians (LHP Cliff Lee (18-2, 2.43 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Wed., Aug 27: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (10-13, 4.42 ERA)) vs Indians (RHP Fausto Carmona (6-5, 4.40 ERA)), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Thurs., Aug 28: Off-day