GDT: 9/3/08 - DET (66-72) VS LAA (84-53) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers' final bobblehead promotion of the season will see the first 10,000 fans through the gates on Wednesday night receive a Miguel Cabrera figurine. The Tigers have to be thankful that they have the real thing these days.

Short-term, Cabrera has home runs in his last three games to go with nine RBIs in that same span. He drove in three of Detroit's four runs on Tuesday in a three-hit performance that saw him fall a triple short of the cycle. His eighth-inning homer off Detroit-area native Scot Shields broke a streak of 29 1/3 scoreless innings from the Angels bullpen.

Longer-term, Cabrera's 17th home run at Comerica Park tied the single-season mark, with 12 home games left to top it. He's also batting .308 with 23 homers, 18 doubles and 73 RBIs over his last 74 games.

"He's hitting them out like they're nothing," manager Jim Leyland said after Tuesday's loss.

Win or lose down the stretch, Cabrera has become a big part of the show for the Tigers, who will try to even up their three-game set with the Angels in Wednesday's middle game. At a .291 average for the season, he has a realistic shot at a .300 average to go with 120 RBIs. It won't top Magglio Ordonez's statistics from his MVP runner-up season last year, except for a power standpoint, and it won't match some of the lofty standards he set for himself over five seasons in Florida. But for the young slugger's first season in the American League, it isn't too shabby.

Cabrera has been remarkably consistent over his career between early- and late-season hitting. Just three points separate his lifetime first-half batting average (.310) from the second half (.307), and just 13 points in OPS -- .926 before the All-Star break, .913 after.

Wednesday could be a chance to add on to that. Cabrera is 3-for-8 for his career against Angels starter Jon Garland, with a double and a solo homer.



Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Zach Miner (8-4, 3.46 ERA)
It was deja vu for Miner on Friday when he impressed yet again against the Royals. He picked up his second straight win against Kansas City with six strong innings in which he allowed just one run on six hits. He'd shut out the Royals over seven innings in his previous start and allowed just three hits. Miner has pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief against the Angels this season and allowed just one hit. He's 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA in games he's started this season.

LAA: RHP Jon Garland (12-8, 4.54 ERA)
Garland battled back after allowing four runs in the first inning against the Rangers on Thursday, throwing eight innings in the Angels' come-from-behind win. He allowed just three hits and one run after his rocky first inning to keep the Angels in the game. In all, he allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking one. He is 13-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 25 career starts against the Tigers.


Tidbits

Placido Polanco is 12-for-34 (.353) lifetime against Garland with a home run and six RBIs. Brandon Inge is just 11-for-47 (.234), but seven of those hits have gone for extra bases -- three doubles, two triples and two homers. ... Curtis Granderson's stolen base on Tuesday made him just the fourth Tiger to post multiple seasons with double digits in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. Ty Cobb did it in 1921 and 1925. Charlie Gehringer posted back-to-back seasons in 1929-30. Bobby Veach did it in 1920-21.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Thurs., Sept 4: Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers (9-12, 5.23 ERA)) vs. Angels (RHP Ervin Santana (14-5, 3.31 ERA)), 1:05 p.m. ET

• Fri., Sept 5: Tigers (RHP Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17 ERA)) at Twins (LHP Francisco Liriano, 4-3, 3.45 ERA)), 8:10 p.m. ET

• Sat., Sept 6: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander, 10-15, 4.74) at Twins (RHP Scott Baker, 8-4, 3.66), 3:55 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

LA Angels AVG
Figgins, 3B .283
Anderson, LF .278
Teixeira, DH .302
Guerrero, RF .291
Hunter, CF .283
Morales, 1B .250
Napoli, C .215
Wood, SS .159
Rodriguez, S, 2B .174


Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .303
:placido: Polanco, 2B .306
Ordonez, RF .313
Cabrera, 1B .291
:joyce: Joyce, LF .269
:sheff: Sheffield, DH .225
:edgar: Renteria, SS .270
:hessman: Hessman, 3B .000
Inge, C .219

Whoooooo Go Miner!!!

Game Time Temp 82 Degrees


Slight chance of isolated showers and T showers

Winds NW at 5-10mph

Hopefully it won't get rained out! We're getting some much needed rain right now down here.

At 6pm - Detroit is getting lots of rain. Hard to tell if it will be out of Detroit by game time.

Hope they play tonight, :joyce: and :hessman: are playing!

Rain stop yet?

Delayed Start: Rain

I would guess 1 to 1.5 hours rain yet

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Hope they play tonight, :joyce: and :hessman: are playing!

MATT!!!!!
I am going to have a hard time with this! Bones is on for 2 hours tonight... But I want to watch the game.

Back to the first post, I like that tidbit. Yay :curtis: Now if he could just do it one more time....(and I think he can ).

I am the proud owner of a Miggy Bobblehead! there are about 2 dozen on eBay right now...

laprimamirala wrote:

I am the proud owner of a Miggy Bobblehead! there are about 2 dozen on eBay right now...

Bobbleheads are cool!

I want a bobblehead!

grab the nearest credit card you can find and go to it!

:haha: I think my parents might kill me if I did that

I wish my parents would let me get one of the Miggy Bobbleheads.

They ARE pretty cool....

I can't wait to here Sarah Palin tonight at the RNConv.

Well I wouldn't like to be at this game. I didn't get home from last night's until 11:30, didn't fall asleep until 1, and then my mom woke me up at 5 to ask me when I was waking up....

Listening to "the Ticket" on mlb radio and people are really up in arms against Leyland, Sheff and the Tigers poor pitching staff!

TG wrote:

:haha: I think my parents might kill me if I did that

Use yours? I had my own credit card in 10th grade

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Listening to "the Ticket" on mlb radio and people are really up in arms against Leyland, Sheff and the Tigers poor pitching staff!

I have a sinking feeling there's gonna be some housecleaning done. As in the party's over.

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

:haha: I think my parents might kill me if I did that

Use yours? I had my own credit card in 10th grade

I don't have money.... so I don't have a credit card.

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

:haha: I think my parents might kill me if I did that

Use yours? I had my own credit card in 10th grade

I don't have money.... so I don't have a credit card.

Always remember that.

laprimamirala wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Listening to "the Ticket" on mlb radio and people are really up in arms against Leyland, Sheff and the Tigers poor pitching staff!

I have a sinking feeling there's gonna be some housecleaning done. As in the party's over.

Which will make Leyland and Sheff gone!!!

laprimamirala wrote:

TG wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

TG wrote:

:haha: I think my parents might kill me if I did that

Use yours? I had my own credit card in 10th grade

I don't have money.... so I don't have a credit card.

Always remember that.

What she said. I usually pay mine off right away. The only reason I use it at all is it's hard to pay for things online with cash and credit cards give more rewards than ATM cards.

Always gotta have the reward card, so when I get my credit card, It will be an ESPN card.

they are trying to start the game a 8:15