GDT2: 9/14/08 - DET (70-76) AT CWS (81-65) - 8:09 p.m. ET

CHICAGO -- The last time Justin Verlander warmed up for a game that wasn't played, it became a point of motivation for the Tigers to knock the Yankees out of their American League Division Series two years ago. This time around, Verlander is taking it in stride.

After all, Verlander pointed out, White Sox pitcher John Danks had gone through the warmups on Friday, too.

"It's not like [two years ago] when I looked over and [Yankees starter Mike] Mussina wasn't warming up," he said.

A mini-controversy arose out of that playoff postponement, because the Yankees knew before the Tigers that the game would be called. That wasn't the case on Friday.

Because both pitchers had gone through their full pregame routine before Friday's game was postponed, both of them were held back an extra day to give their arms a rest. As
it turned out, the only pitching that went on here for the Tigers on Saturday was a game of catch between Freddy Garcia and Dontrelle Willis as the rain came down. Verlander will pitch in the series opener after all, but it'll be Sunday afternoon -- weather permitting.

He's hoping that he'll get a chance to shut down one of the teams that has haunted him for much of the season and his career then.

Verlander is 1-4 against both the White Sox and Indians this season. He's 9-7 combined against everyone else he has faced. Verlander's next two starts will be in Chicago and Cleveland next weekend. It's a late-season test that Tigers manager Jim Leyland is looking forward to seeing his young ace tackle.

"We have to get over that hump," Leyland said earlier this weekend.

To Leyland, however, it isn't just Verlander. The Tigers are 27-36 against the AL Central this season, and they have a losing record against all of their Central foes.

It's a big enough deal that Leyland talked earlier this month about making divisional foes a priority next season. He wants to set up a study session among next year's catchers
to scout some of the division's more dangerous hitters and familiarize themselves with them in order to avoid mistakes on how to approach them.

"We all have to do a better job against our division -- all of us, not just Verlander," Leyland said.


Pitching matchup

Game 2
DET: LHP Kenny Rogers (9-13, 5.49 ERA)
Rogers' start was pushed back four days because of hip soreness, and Saturday's rainout cost him another day, making it essentially as if he skipped a turn in the rotation. The Tigers are hoping the rest does some good to ease some of the aches and pains in his 43-year-old body. He's 3-7 with a 7.45 ERA in 10 starts since the All-Star break.

CWS: LHP John Danks (10-8, 3.44 ERA)
Danks was being monitored closely by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to see if he labored at all during his start against the Angels last Sunday. There was concern that the young left-hander was fatiguing down the stretch, having thrown more innings and more pitches than he ever has in his career. He lasted only 5 1/3 innings, but gave up just two runs on five hits, striking out seven. He didn't factor into the decision. Guillen planned to skip Danks' next start if he wasn't solid, but the outing was plenty good. Danks has faced Detroit twice this season and is 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA in those outings.

Tidbits

Sunday's afternoon game will not be televised in the Detroit area. ... Brandon Inge could be unavailable on Sunday. He hopes to fly back to Virginia for the funeral of his grandfather, Sam Inge, who passed away on Thursday. ... Magglio Ordonez is batting .359 (28-for-78) with eight doubles, four home runs and 17 RBIs since Aug. 19. ... Curtis Granderson leads the American League with 51 runs scored in 52 games since the all-Star break.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• ESPN

On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Mon., Sept 15: Tigers (LHP Dontrelle Willis, 0-1, 10.32 ERA)) at Rangers (Brandon McCarthy (1-1, 4.22 ERA)), 8:05 p.m. ET

• Tues., Sept 16: Tigers (Zach Miner (8-4, 4.29 ERA)) at Rangers (Kevin Millwood (9-9, 5.15 ERA)), 8:05 p.m. ET

• Wed., Sept 17: Tigers (Freddy Garcia, 2008 debut) at Rangers (Dustin Nippert (3-4, 6.20 ERA)), 8:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS

Detroit
Granderson, CF
Polanco, 2B
Ordonez, RF
Cabrera, 1B
Sheffield, DH
Thames, LF
Renteria, SS
Hessman, 3B
Ryan, C

Chi White Sox
Cabrera, SS
Anderson, B, LF
Dye, RF
Thome, DH
Ramirez, 2B
Griffey Jr., CF
Uribe, 3B
Swisher, 1B
Hall, C

Partly to Mostly Cloudy Skies

63 degrees at Game Time

NNW Wind at 15mph

we play today.

uh, I doubt it! Hopefully it will be overwith by tomorrow afternoon!

It's sunny HERE today.

It's cloudy and muggy here but I'm waiting for rain to start at any moment.

Another rain delay, rain go away!

Pouring now. I hate the downpours, but no thunder/lightning is nice.

It's still not raining here...

TG wrote:

It's still not raining here...

Nevermind. It has started and probably won't stop all night.

Sheff at bat. 1 - 0 white sox.

1 out. top of the 2nd.

Thames 2 outs.

Single for Renteria.

DAMN ESPN ANNOUNCERS.
All the can do is trash every Tiger.

laprimamirala wrote:

DAMN ESPN ANNOUNCERS.
All the can do is trash every Tiger.

Thats why I don't have the volume on my TV. I have loud music on with my TV muted. I don't feel like listening to people talk bad about the tigers more than I have to.

3 outs for tigers.

Bottom of the second. 1 out.

Kenny Rogers "The Ancient One.."

KISS MY... well, you know.
Guess I should mute my TV too.

what time did the game end earlier?

Hi, everyone!

Looks like our offense is putting on another display, again.
This will, inevitably be our 52nd loss this year, when we have scored 3 runs or less.

I hate to say it...but, in relation to the talent in the lineup, this is absolutely the worst hitting team I have ever seen.

7-0 not Tigers

Well...since they gave up on the season, I, too have given up on them. Time to watch the Cubbies roll through the playoffs. Hopefully, we see some HUGE changes to this team and coaching staff for next year.

Final Score;


White Sox 11


Tigers 7

White Sox sweep the DH

Verlander is cursed...he will never win against the Sox unless he gets whatever it is out of his head...

laprimamirala wrote:

Verlander is cursed...he will never win against the Sox unless he gets whatever it is out of his head...

Verlander will be lights out next year

We'll see...

Kenny sidelined for rest of season because he pitched so bad! No more pitchey for you!

Tigers shut down Rogers for season

September 14, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Detroit	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	0		7	10	0
Chi White Sox	1	0	0	1	5	0	0	4	X		11	12	0

Detroit AB- R- H- RBI- BB- SO- LOB- AVG Granderson, CF 5 1 1 1 0 0 1 .298 Polanco, 2B 5 1 1 0 0 1 1 .307 Ordonez, RF 4 1 2 0 0 1 1 .323 Cabrera, 1B 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 .289 Sheffield, DH 4 0 1 0 0 1 3 .222 Thames, LF 4 1 2 4 0 1 2 .240 Renteria, SS 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .269 - a-Santiago, PH-SS 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 .296 Hessman, 3B 4 1 1 2 0 1 1 .273 Ryan, C 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 .250 Totals 36 7 10 7 2 8 12 a-Grounded into a forceout for Renteria in the 7th. BATTING HR: Hessman (3, 7th inning off Linebrink, 1 on, 2 out), Granderson (19, 8th inning off Logan, 0 on, 0 out), Thames (25, 8th inning off Dotel, 3 on, 1 out). TB: Granderson 4; Polanco; Ordonez 2; Cabrera; Sheffield; Thames 5; Renteria; Hessman 4. RBI: Hessman 2 (5), Granderson (58), Thames 4 (55). 2-out RBI: Hessman 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Ordonez; Renteria. GIDP: Thames. Team LOB: 4.		Chi White Sox AB- R-- H- RBI- BB- SO- LOB- AVG Cabrera, SS 5 3 3 0 0 0 0 .278 Anderson, B, LF-CF 4 1 1 2 0 0 1 .234 - a-Wise, PH-LF 1 1 1 4 0 0 0 .301 Dye, RF 5 0 1 0 0 1 0 .295 Thome, DH 3 2 2 2 1 1 0 .249 Ramirez, 2B 3 1 1 0 1 0 2 .300 Griffey Jr., CF 3 1 1 2 0 0 3 .245 - Owens, LF-CF 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .300 Uribe, 3B 3 0 1 1 0 1 1 .249 Swisher, 1B 3 1 0 0 1 1 2 .221 Hall, C 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .258 Totals 35 11 12 11 3 4 11 a-Homered for Anderson, B in the 8th. BATTING 2B: Griffey Jr. (27, Rogers). HR: Thome (32, 4th inning off Rogers, 0 on, 0 out), Anderson, B (8, 5th inning off Rogers, 1 on, 1 out), Wise (3, 8th inning off Farnsworth, 3 on, 2 out). TB: Cabrera 3; Anderson, B 4; Wise 4; Dye; Thome 5; Ramirez; Griffey Jr. 2; Owens; Uribe. RBI: Thome 2 (86), Anderson, B 2 (24), Griffey Jr. 2 (66), Uribe (36), Wise 4 (13). 2-out RBI: Griffey Jr. 2; Uribe; Wise 4. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Griffey Jr.. S: Uribe. Team LOB: 4. FIELDING DP: (Cabrera-Swisher).
Detroit IP-- H- R- ER- BB- SO- HR- ERA Rogers 4.2 8 7 7 2 2 2 5.70 Lambert 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 5.27 Dolsi 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.98 Seay (L, 1-2) 0.2 1 2 2 1 0 0 4.09 Farnsworth 0.1 2 2 2 0 0 1 3.92		Chi White Sox IP-- H- R- ER- BB- SO- HR- ERA Danks 6.0 4 0 0 1 6 0 3.32 Linebrink 1.0 2 2 2 0 0 1 2.57 Logan 0.0 1 1 1 0 0 1 5.57 Carrasco 0.0 2 2 2 0 0 0 3.75 Dotel (BS, 4) 0.1 1 2 2 1 1 1 4.06 Thornton (W, 5-3) 1.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.64
Logan pitched to 1 batter in the 8th. Carrasco pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. IBB: Swisher (by Seay). Pitches-strikes: Rogers 94-56, Lambert 16-9, Dolsi 11-6, Seay 10-4, Farnsworth 8-7, Danks 95-62, Linebrink 23-16, Logan 6-4, Carrasco 12-8, Dotel 11-6, Thornton 21-13. Groundouts-flyouts: Rogers 1-11, Lambert 2-1, Dolsi 2-0, Seay 1-1, Farnsworth 0-1, Danks 7-5, Linebrink 1-2, Logan 0-0, Carrasco 0-0, Dotel 0-0, Thornton 1-3. Batters faced: Rogers 24, Lambert 5, Dolsi 3, Seay 4, Farnsworth 3, Danks 22, Linebrink 5, Logan 1, Carrasco 2, Dotel 3, Thornton 5. Inherited runners-scored: Lambert 1-1, Farnsworth 2-2, Dotel 2-2. Umpires: HP: Hunter Wendelstedt. 1B: Chris Tiller. 2B: Mike Winters. 3B: Randy Marsh. Weather: 62 degrees, overcast. Wind: 14 mph, Out to CF. T: 3:16. Att: 28,238. September 14, 2008