GDT: 9/5/08 - DET (67-73) AT MINN (77-62) - 8:10 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers won't get into Minnesota until midday Friday, after the Republican National Convention has left the Twin Cities and the hotels are no longer packed. The way the Twins have roughed up Armando Galarraga this year, he won't mind the delay.

He isn't the first Tigers pitcher to struggle against Minnesota, and the way that lineup hits, he won't be the last. Jeremy Bonderman lost all four starts he made against the Twins in 2003 and went winless against them two years ago. Jason Johnson went 1-8 against Minnesota in his two seasons as a Tiger, and his only win came in a pitching duel with Johan Santana. Mike Maroth went 2-6 versus Minnesota in 2003 and 2004.

What makes Galarraga's struggles against the Twins so unique is how it contrasts with the rest of his season. Three of his four losses have come against that one team; he's 12-1 against everybody else, with the lone loss coming at Baltimore in July. Minnesota has hit him for a .289 average and .782 OPS.

In short, they're the one real blemish on what has otherwise been a surprisingly solid rookie season for someone who wasn't expecting to see much of any Major League teams this year, let alone get almost a full season in a rotation.

Galarraga is a pitcher who thrives on pitching to contact and getting ground balls. The Twins are a team that thrives with small-ball hits. They've homered just once off of Galarraga in 23 2/3 innings, but they have seven doubles out of their 28 hits. Just as important, they've drawn 12 walks off of him, just under one-fourth of his season total.

"They're a tough team," Galarraga said. "They put a lot of balls in play all the time. They sacrifice all the time, do their job."

Friday will be his last chance to get a win against the Twins. If he doesn't, it probably won't do much to damper his season. To beat Minnesota, though, would be one last feat in a season that has seen a lot of them for the right-hander, the greatest of which is a spot in the Tigers' rotation. That will likely continue into next year, giving him more matchups with Minnesota in 2009.

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Armando Galarraga (12-4, 3.17 ERA)
Galarraga tossed seven quality innings Sunday, and Detroit needed every one of them. The hard-throwing right-hander allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out seven batters. He didn't get credit for the win because the Tigers were slow in getting on the board, but they did end up beating the Royals. Galarraga has allowed three runs or fewer in his past eight starts and is 5-0 in that span. He'll be put to the test against the Twins, against whom he is 0-3 in four starts despite a solid 3.65 ERA.

MIN: LHP Francisco Liriano (4-3, 3.45 ERA)
In what appeared to be his best outing of the season for the Twins, Liriano gave up just one run on five hits over seven innings on Saturday against the A's. It was the longest start of the season for the left-hander, and he seemed to cruise though this one with relative ease. Liriano credited throwing first-pitch strikes and pitching to contact early in the game with allowing him to last deeper into his outing. Liriano's next start will come at home against the Tigers, a team he has yet to face this season. In four starts at the Metrodome, Liriano is 3-1 with a 1.17 ERA.


Tidbits

Leyland was encouraged by three innings of relief Thursday from Nate Robertson, whose lone blemish was a tape-measure solo homer from Torii Hunter. "I thought he was much better," Leyland said. "I thought he had late life to his fastball, better sliders. He was better. It was a good spot for him to get some work in." ... Carlos Guillen will not make the trip, officially ruling him out of the weekend series. He'll work out at Comerica Park and do some baseball activities in hopes of being ready for the start of next week's series at home against Oakland. ... Magglio Ordonez is 5-for-11 off Liriano with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSND

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• 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

• Sun., Sept 7: Tigers (RHP Chris Lambert (0-1, 6.75 ERA)) at Twins (LHP Glen Perkins (12-3, 4.08 ERA)), 2:10 p.m. ET

• Mon., Sept 8: Tigers (RHP Zach Miner (8-4, 3.72 ERA)) vs. Athletics (TBD), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .305
:placido: Polanco, 2B .311
Ordonez, RF .315
Cabrera, 1B .290
:sheff: Sheffield, DH .228
:thames: Thames, LF .234
:edgar: Renteria, SS .268
:hessman: Hessman, 3B .250
Inge, C .218

Minnesota AVG
Span, RF .299
Casilla, 2B .290
Mauer, C .322
Morneau, 1B .311
Kubel, DH .275
Young, LF .287
Buscher, 3B .303
Punto, SS .288
Gomez, CF .252

LIVE BLOG IF USED

72 degrees; Dome

Why does the game have to start so late. I'm tiiiired. I've already fallen asleep and been woke up since I got home.

TITANIC IS ON!

TG wrote:

Why does the game have to start so late. I'm tiiiired. I've already fallen asleep and been woke up since I got home.

Central Standard Time

I will check in every once in a while.

starting lineup is posted

No Matt
I'll check in on commercials from this movie... I don't think I've seen it enough times

0 - 0 in the bottom of the first with 1 on, Gala pitching.

walk. 2 on. no out.

1-0 Minn in the middle of the 2nd inning

top of 3rd

all 3 tigers strike out

still 1-0 Minn

bottom of 3rd

Twins go down 1-2-3

The big stat in this game so far is that there's only 1 hit and it belongs to Polanco.

Kubel , 1 out in the 4th.

And there goes the no-hitter; Young homers 2-0 Twins.

Young homers

Twins 2-0

I've really got a problem, I've been so much this season!

good news, twins only have 1 hit, a homer, bad news, tigers gave up 3 walks in the first inning and a sac fly scored 1 run on no hits. The only hit by the Twins was the homer.

:thames: homers making it 2-1 Twins

Go Thames....!
Even though I hate him

:hessman: strikes out again ending the Tigers side of the 5th inning.

Twins 2-1

It is normal for Hess to either homer or K!

Gomez doublles at bottom of 5th inning

Span lines out - 1 out

Casilla walks

Mauer - walks

get it together Gala!

Morneau - hits a grand slam homer



Twins - 6-1

Kubel - flies out - 2 outs