GDT: 9/23/08 - DET (71-84) VS KC (71-86) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The last time that Freddy Garcia faced the Royals was his last start in the Majors before right shoulder surgery last year. They'll be the last opponent he faces this season before he goes about finding a home for next season.

It's the last chance for Freddy Garcia to make an impression this season. As far as the Tigers are concerned, though, the first impression was a big one.

Manager Jim Leyland marveled last week that Garcia looked like he just picked up where he left off with his five innings of two-hit ball at Texas. Never mind that he hadn't pitched in a Major League game in over a year, having endured a long road back from shoulder surgery.

How much the Tigers can learn in one more outing is hard to say, but it could provide an impression on how Garcia and his surgically-repaired shoulder handle a normal turn through the rotation, albeit one with an extra day of rest. He has said that his arm feels fine, that it's more a matter of building arm strength.

"We'll watch him," manager Jim Leyland said.

The strength, so far, has been fine. Whether it was the adrenaline from his first game back or the endurance of a good workload over the past month, Garcia's velocity was noticeably up in his return. His fastball consistently hit 89 mph and he touched 90 mph on several occasions after sitting generally around 86-87 mph during his rehab stint at Class A Lakeland and Triple-A Toledo.

On the surface, a meeting with the last-place Royals would be a difficult matchup for motivation. In Garcia's case, however, it could be the perfect test with which to close the season. For all the success he has enjoyed against the American League Central division over his career, the Royals are the one team in the division to consistently hit him, and they've hit him hard.

In 22 starts against the Royals, Garcia has an 8-10 record and a 6.01 ERA, having given up 169 hits over 127 1/3 innings with 20 home runs. That includes six runs on seven hits over 1 2/3 innings on June 8, 2007 at Kansas City. He went onto a prescribed rehab program after that and tried to make some Minor League rehab starts later that summer before he had to opt for surgery.

Now, it has come full circle. A win against the Royals would not only help the Tigers, it could help him close the door in this injury-plagued chapter in his career before going into the offseason as a healthy pitcher again.



Pitching matchup


DET: RHP Freddy Garcia, (1-0, 0.00)
Garcia's 2008 debut was short and sweet. More importantly, it was efficient. In five innings, he held a potent Rangers lineup to a single unearned run in a hitter-friendly ballpark. The Rangers got only two hits off him and he struck out three to his one walk. In his next start, Garcia will face the Royals, whom he made his last start against in 2007 on June 8. He's 8-10 in his career against the Royals with a 6.01 ERA.


KC: RHP Zack Greinke, (12-10, 3.59 ERA)
Greinke worked seven innings of a 12-0 blowout in his last start and gave up just two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. There haven't been many bad spots in his season. Only once did he fail to go five innings and only six times in 31 starts did he surrender more than four earned runs. This is his fourth go at the Tigers this year; he beat them, 4-1, on April 3, had a no-decision on May 13 and lost, 7-1, on July 23.

Tidbits

Miguel Cabrera is considered day-to-day after leaving Monday's series opener with tightness in his upper back. If he does play on Tuesday, it'll be as the designated hitter, which is an open spot while Gary Sheffield serves out his four-game suspension for last Friday's fracas at Cleveland. ... David DeJesus, who had four hits against the Tigers on Monday, is 11-for-27 for his career against Garcia. Mark Teahen is 7-for-19 off Garcia with a double, home run and five RBIs. ... Brandon Inge is 8-for-24 with a double, two homers and three RBIs lifetime off Greinke.

On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN-HD


On radio
• 97.1FM/1270AM

Up next

• Wednesday: Tigers (Nate Robertson, 7-10, 6.15) vs. Royals (Brian Bannister, 8-16, 5.96), 7:05 p.m. ET

• Thursday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 12-6, 3.58) vs. Rays (Scott Kazmir, 12-7, 3.36), 1:05 p.m. ET

• Friday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 10-17, 4.87) vs. Rays (Andy Sonnanstine, 13-8, 4.27), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Kansas City AVG
DeJesus, CF .307
Aviles, M, 2B .319
Guillen, RF .267
Shealy, 1B .286
Teahen, LF .256
Butler, DH .267
Gordon, 3B .257
Olivo, C .252
Pena, SS .162

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .289
:placido: Polanco, 2B .308
Ordonez, RF .321
Cabrera, DH .294
Larish, 1B .247
:edgar: Renteria, SS .271
:thames: Thames, LF .243
Inge, 3B .211
:dusty: Ryan, C .333

74 degrees at Game Time


Partly Cloudy

ESE winds at 7mph

WE WANT FREDDY FOR NEXT YEAR!!!

Go Tigers!!!

laprimamirala wrote:

WE WANT FREDDY FOR NEXT YEAR!!!

I really do hope they sign him!

DeJesus -

Aviles, M - hr

kc 1-0

Hey, gang, how is it going?

Guillen -

hi Ty

Shealy -

Except for that one ball that Aviles got ahold of, Freddy doing great! struck out the side!!!

:curtis: pops out

:placido: grounds out

I went to last nights game vs. KC.

Got out of work early, picked up my son and drove 3 hours to get him to his 1st Tiger game. He is 7. He was BORED out of his mind. 4 fragging hits? 2 runs? This is the 53rd game this season that they've lost scoring 3 runs or less.

All the talk about pitching is moot when this "1000 run" offense blows 2/3rd of their losses on the inability to hit.

grounds out

end of 1st

KC 1-0

Ty McCobb wrote:

I went to last nights game vs. KC.

Got out of work early, picked up my son and drove 3 hours to get him to his 1st Tiger game. He is 7. He was BORED out of his mind. 4 fragging hits? 2 runs? This is the 53rd game this season that they've lost scoring 3 runs or less.

All the talk about pitching is moot when this "1000 run" offense blows 2/3rd of their losses on the inability to hit.

Sorry to hear your son was bored and the Tigs played their usual dead self!

I sure hope things change this winter, like no more Chucky or Leyland!

Teahen -

Butler - singles

Gordon - flies out

Olivo - double

Hey Ty! Sorry your son had to see that game, but at least he knows what our low point was.
I don't think we can go much lower!

Funny. When I was his age my grandpa took me to several games and I got to see the Bird. That was cool. Watching him, as weird as he was, is what got me in to baseball.

I was hoping my son would get into it like I did. He got into baseball because of Joel Zumaya. He LOVED watching him in 06 and watching the team do good. Once Zumaya was out of it and the Tigers slid downhill...he has lost interest. Too bad.

Pena - pops out

end of 1.5 innings

KC 1-0

laprimamirala wrote:

Hey Ty! Sorry your son had to see that game, but at least he knows what our low point was.
I don't think we can go much lower!

You mean when we overtake the Royals for last place?

Ty McCobb wrote:

Funny. When I was his age my grandpa took me to several games and I got to see the Bird. That was cool. Watching him, as weird as he was, is what got me in to baseball.

I was hoping my son would get into it like I did. He got into baseball because of Joel Zumaya. He LOVED watching him in 06 and watching the team do good. Once Zumaya was out of it and the Tigers slid downhill...he has lost interest. Too bad.

He might come around! You never know!

Ty McCobb wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

Hey Ty! Sorry your son had to see that game, but at least he knows what our low point was.
I don't think we can go much lower!

You mean when we overtake the Royals for last place?

exactly!

Ty McCobb wrote:

Funny. When I was his age my grandpa took me to several games and I got to see the Bird. That was cool. Watching him, as weird as he was, is what got me in to baseball.

I was hoping my son would get into it like I did. He got into baseball because of Joel Zumaya. He LOVED watching him in 06 and watching the team do good. Once Zumaya was out of it and the Tigers slid downhill...he has lost interest. Too bad.

That is too bad.

The Bird sure brought electricity to the team that year!!! I doubt we will ever see another pitcher like him! It was a shame they did not know about Tommy John surgery back then, or he would have had a great career!

pops out

doubles

:edgar: lines out