GDT: 9/9/08 - DET (70-74) vs OAK (65-78) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- Nate Robertson will not be trying out for the Tigers' rotation when he takes the mound Tuesday, manager Jim Leyland emphasized. If Robertson thinks he is, he'll be in trouble. Instead, he's trying out the pitching tweaks that are meant to get him back to being an effective pitcher.

Robertson knows the pitching style that made him successful, and he knows he got away from it during the summer slide that eventually knocked him out of the rotation. In that sense, while the A's serve as the opponent for his first start since then, the bigger foe will likely be on the mound.

"I'm a competitor," Robertson said Monday, "and I think probably my biggest competitor this year for the most part has been myself."

Robertson has made some mechanical tweaks in his sessions with pitching coach Chuck Hernandez over the last couple of weeks, but part of the focus has been on mentality. Robertson has had to avoid overanalyzing and remain aggressive.

"People have described me as a certain type of competitor," he said. "I'm not a guy that's going to just blow you away, and I'm not a guy that's going to finesse you to death, either. More than anything, I come at you with what I've got, leave it on the field. That's what I've been known for. I just need to get back to that."

To do that, he continued, "the belief has to be there." And after a series of rocky starts this year, that belief was shaken to the point where he couldn't throw with conviction.

He was lifted from the rotation after giving up five home runs over 3 2/3 innings Aug. 20 against Texas. He has been up and down in three outings since, but his latest performance -- three innings of one-run ball against the Angels on Thursday -- seemed like a positive sign.

He won't have a pitch count, Leyland said, and he isn't going to be judged for the future based off this one outing.

"I'm just going to watch him pitch, see what he looks like," Leyland said.

Given the opponent, he could look pretty good. The relatively power-starved A's were the opponent for Robertson's last victory Aug. 10 at Comerica Park, where he gave up one run over 7 2/3 innings.



Pitching matchup

DET: LHP Nate Robertson (7-10, 6.30 ERA)
Robertson will make a spot start on Tuesday for Kenny Rogers, who has been bothered by a sore hip, according to manager Jim Leyland. Robertson is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the A's this year. The left-hander last started on Aug. 20, giving up six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings against Texas. He made three relief appearances after being moved to the bullpen.

OAK: LHP Dana Eveland (8-8, 4.28 ERA)
Eveland felt his stuff in his last start against Kansas City was as good as he's had all year. But a few bleeders and bloopers in the third inning resulted in four runs for the Royals. That was all Eveland surrendered in his six innings and he reached that juncture on 83 pitches. Eveland was able to locate all four of his pitches and pounded the strike zone. It was his third encouraging start since returning from Triple-A Sacramento on Aug. 21.

Tidbits
Magglio Ordonez has homered in his last three games as part of a 13-game hitting streak. He reached base in all five of his plate appearance during Monday's series opener, falling a triple short of the cycle, walking twice and scoring four times. ...

Brandon Inge's RBI triple Monday snapped an 0-for-11 streak. ...

The Tigers' five home runs Monday gave them 99 for the season at Comerica Park, tying the stadium record set last season.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Wed., Sept 10: Tigers (RHP Armando Galarraga (12-5, 3.39 ERA)) vs. Athletics (RHP Sean Gallagher (4-6, 5.23 ERA)), 1:05 p.m. ET

• Thurs., Sept 11: Off-day

• Fri., Sept 12: Tigers (RHP Justin Verlander (10-15, 4.78 ERA)) AT WHITE SOX (LHP John Danks (10-8, 3.44 ERA)), 8:11 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:


Oakland AVG
Davis, CF .255
Barton, 1B .220
Brown, E, DH .247
Sweeney, R, RF .284
Suzuki, C .289
Crosby, SS .244
Cunningham, LF .333
Baisley, 3B .000
Pennington, 2B .211

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .305
:placido: Polanco, 2B .306
Ordonez, RF .323
Cabrera, 1B .293
:sheff: Sheffield, DH .225
:thames: Thames, LF .238
:edgar: Renteria, SS .270
Inge, 3B .214
:dusty: Ryan, C .250

Nate on the mound again tonight....

I'm not watching this game...

Dana is not really that good himself.

We gotta be hopeful, anyway, that Nate can get through a few innings.

I have faith in Nate, he just makes it really hard to.

66 degrees at Game Time

Partly Cloudy; Zero Chance of rain;

Winds North around 10mph


Temps in the lower 60's by 10pm

I DON"T GET WHY THAMES GETS TO PLAY! HE SUCKS! WE NEED TO GET RID OF HIM!
GR!!!!

1,2,3 top of the first.

Nate gets a 1-2-3 first inning

Lets go Grandy!

grandy out.

:curtis: grounds out

2 outs. maggs at bat.

tigers go 1,2,3. top of the 2nd. no score.

2 outs for A's in top of the 2nd

8 pitch 2nd inning for Nate!

score 0-0

cabrera at bat.

4 pitch walk

Single for Sheff.

:sheff: singles on 2nd

Bases loaded.

Renteria singles! 2 runs score.

:edgar: 2 rbi single

2-0

2 outs. 1 on.

dp

Double for Dusty!

:dusty: doubles!