GDT: 8/24/09 - DET (65-58) AT LAA (74-48) - 10:05 p.m. ET

OAKLAND -- Clete Thomas hasn't been making much contact as of late.

He's stuck out at least once in 10 of his past 11 games, recording seven multi-strikeout showings over that span.

Thomas has been getting hits when the Tigers have needed them, though.

"He needs to shorten up," said manager Jim Leyland, whose Tigers open a three-game set against the Angels on Monday, "but he has knocked in the winning run in our last two wins."

Leyland, of course, would like to see more hits and fewer strikeouts from his young outfielder. Leyland said Thomas has been shortening his swing one day, then lengthening it again the next.

"He might strike out three times or he might hit two home runs," Leyland said. "He's a young player. You never know."

Thomas has been choking up a bit, but his hands are still drifting with his stride. The Tigers' offense has bigger problems to deal with, though.

"We have a bunch of guys that need to step up," he said. "[Thomas' strikeouts are] not our problem."

Maybe Thomas can be part of the solution.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (13-7, 3.29 ERA)
Verlander crossed the 200-strikeout mark with 10 in eight innings against the Mariners on Wednesday. A three-run fifth and a lack of run support, however, saddled him with the loss for the second time in his past three outings. He has split a pair of decisions against the Angels, including one where he struck out seven in eight scoreless innings on June 5 at Comerica Park. In the other, he surrendered seven runs in five innings.

LAA: RHP Jered Weaver (13-4, 3.89 ERA)
Weaver is coming off his second career shutout and fourth complete game, a seven-hit blanking of the Indians on Wednesday night. He was in command from the start, striking out two in the first inning, but became efficient as the game went on. The shutout erased the bitter taste of his worst outing of the season in Baltimore. Weaver had a seven-inning no-decision against the Tigers in April, yielding three earned runs. He's 2-1 with a 7.08 ERA in four career outings against Detroit and is 8-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 13 home assignments this season.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tidbits

...Leyland on drawing Weaver and John Lackey in the first two games of the series in Anaheim: "Yeah, that's the big leagues," he joked.
... Miguel Cabrera hit his 200th home run Sunday. He's the fifth Venezuelan-born player to accomplish the feat, joining Tony Armas (251), Bobby Abreu (252), teammate Magglio Ordonez (275) and Andres Galarraga (399).
... Detroit starting pitchers had combined to go 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in their past nine games entering Sunday.
... Triple-A Toledo's Mike Hessman has homered in back-to-back games, giving him 21 on the season. It's his sixth season in a row with 20-plus homers, and 11th in 13 seasons as a pro.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/

On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• ,

On radio

•
• XM Channel Schedule
• Direct TV Extra Innings Schedule


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Tuesday: Tigers (Jarrod Washburn, 8-7, 3.18 ERA) at Angels (John Lackey, 8-6, 4.00 ERA), 10:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 10-5, 2.86) at Angels (Joe Saunders, 9-7, 5.33 ERA), 3:35 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Off-day

Let's snag this series here!

Go Tigahs!

STARTING LINEUPS:

Detroit AVG
:curtis: Granderson, CF .256
:placido: Polanco, 2B .271
Ordonez, RF .274
Cabrera, M, 1B .338
:huff: Huff, A, DH .249
Guillen, C, LF .237
Inge, 3B .239
Laird, C .223
Santiago, SS .257

LA Angels AVG
Figgins, 3B .302
Abreu, B, RF .307
Hunter, CF .306
Guerrero, DH .309
Rivera, J, LF .308
Morales, K, 1B .301
Izturis, M, 2B .300
Napoli, C .294
Aybar, E, SS .310

omg. Look at their averages...

No wonder their best in the league in AVG and runs scored.

gdennis59 wrote:

omg. Look at their averages...

No wonder their best in the league in AVG and runs scored.

Hopefully JV can help drop those averages for the halos.

Inning 1
Top Half

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to center fielder Torii Hunter.

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Placido Polanco singles on a line drive to left fielder Juan Rivera.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Magglio Ordonez singles on a ground ball to left fielder Juan Rivera. Placido Polanco to 2nd.

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Miguel Cabrera doubles (27) on a fly ball to right fielder Bobby Abreu. Placido Polanco scores. Magglio Ordonez to 3rd.
DET 1, LAA 0

B:1 S:2 O:2 - Aubrey Huff reaches on a fielder's
choice out, pitcher Jered Weaver to catcher Mike Napoli. Magglio
Ordonez out at home. Miguel Cabrera to 3rd.

B:2 S:1 O:3 -
Carlos Guillen grounds out softly, shortstop Erick Aybar to first baseman Kendry Morales.

DET 1, LAA 0 after .5 inning

Bottom Half

B:0 S:2 O:0 -
Chone Figgins singles on a line drive to left fielder Carlos Guillen.

B:0 S:3 O:1 -
Bobby Abreu swinging.

B:1 S:3 O:2 -
Torii Hunter swinging.

B:0 S:2 O:3 -
Vladimir Guerrero grounds out, shortstop Ramon Santiago to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

DET 1, LAA 0 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Brandon Inge grounds out, third baseman Chone Figgins to first baseman Kendry Morales.

B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Gerald Laird singles on a line drive to right fielder Bobby Abreu.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Ramon Santiago lines out to third baseman Chone Figgins.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
With Curtis Granderson batting, Gerald Laird steals (3) 2nd base.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson walks.

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Placido Polanco swinging.

DET 1, LAA 0 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Juan Rivera grounds out, pitcher Justin Verlander to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:2 O:1 -
Kendry Morales singles on a ground ball to left fielder Carlos Guillen.


B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Maicer Izturis singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Kendry Morales to 2nd.

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Mike Napoli swinging and Kendry Morales caught stealing 3rd, catcher Gerald Laird to third baseman Brandon Inge.

DET 1, LAA 0 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:3 S:2 O:1 -
Magglio Ordonez pops out to second baseman Maicer Izturis.


B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera swinging.


B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Aubrey Huff grounds out softly, pitcher Jered Weaver to first baseman Kendry Morales.

DET 1, LAA 0 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Erick Aybar pops out softly to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:3 O:2 -
Chone Figgins swinging.

B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Bobby Abreu flies out to left fielder Carlos Guillen.

DET 1, LAA 0 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Carlos Guillen singles on a line drive to right fielder Bobby Abreu.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Brandon Inge grounds out softly, third baseman Chone Figgins to first baseman Kendry Morales. Carlos Guillen to 2nd.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Gerald Laird pops out to first baseman Kendry Morales in foul territory.

B:0 S:2 O:2 -
Ramon Santiago hit by pitch.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.


B:3 S:0 O:3 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to right fielder Bobby Abreu.

DET 1, LAA 0 after 3.5 innings