GDT 10/3/09 - DET (85-75) VS CWS (78-82) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- If the Tigers are going to control their own division destiny now, they'll have to win out. They'll have to start it Saturday against the White Sox with a pitcher who hasn't started a game at any level in three months.

If that doesn't rattle some nerves, it takes a special kind of calm. But for what it's worth, rookie right-hander Alfredo Figaro said he doesn't get nervous before a ballgame.

"I've never been nervous about a game in my life. I like the game," Figaro said Friday night, after Detroit's 8-0 loss to Chicago put a lot more meaning onto his third Major League start. "I know we need the game."

The Tigers' magic number remains at two for the third straight day. They need any combination of two victories over the White Sox or two losses from the Twins, but Leyland told his players after Friday's loss not to expect the latter.

Leyland bristled at the question of whether he would talk to his players about their situation.

"That all sounds good. That's all storybook stuff," Leyland said. "It's good reading material. But what does a manager need to tell a team that needs to win two games to win the division title? If they don't know that, then we've got a real big problem. This is not Knute Rockne. This is professional baseball."

Figaro doesn't expect to feel pressure now, and Leyland hopes he doesn't. But if the game starts to get away from him, Leyland said he won't be afraid to make a change.

"If it looks like he is [nervous], we'll get him out of there early," Leyland said. "We'll be able to afford to, because our bullpen's in good shape. So we'll watch it close. If we feel we have to do something early, we will.

"But I don't know. I think he has a chance to pitch a good game."

In other words, Zach Miner won't be sitting easy in the Tigers' bullpen. Nor might a few other Detroit relievers. With Justin Verlander now all but certain to pitch Sunday unless a Tigers win and Twins loss Saturday to Zack Greinke and the Royals seals the race, Leyland probably won't worry about saving a lot of relief arms for that game.

With Detroit's rotation stretched thin once again, Leyland turned to Figaro essentially out of necessity. Of the other pitchers on the staff who have started a game for the Tigers this year but aren't in the rotation, neither Armando Galarraga nor Jeremy Bonderman are healthy enough to be stretched out to start, and Leyland long ago decided that he couldn't afford to take Miner out of the bullpen and lose his versatility.

That left Figaro, who made his Major League debut in June with five innings in a win over Milwaukee, then was roughed up at Houston a week later. He went on the disabled list soon after with a sprained right wrist, and didn't resume pitching again until the end of August.

He wasn't even among the Tigers' September callups when rosters first expanded. Not until injuries to Nate Robertson, Galarraga and Jarrod Washburn forced the Tigers to move Eddie Bonine to the rotation did Figaro join the team, called back after he returned home to the Dominican Republic to prepare for winter ball.

At his best, Figaro is a deceptively powerful pitcher for his small frame, firing mid-90s fastballs and pounding the strike zone. When the Astros hit him, they let him fall behind with fastball command struggles, then pounced on his breaking ball.

Nobody knows for sure which Figaro will emerge, and it'll be intriguing to watch how long the Tigers wait him out on the mound to find out. But Leyland can say with certainty that it probably won't matter unless the Tigers can hit better.

"I know he's going to compete. I know he's not afraid," Leyland said. "But we still have to score some runs."

The latter might be Leyland's bigger fear, that the same offense that came through in clutch situations Monday and Tuesday night against the Twins has hit a lull at the worst possible time. They were held to two hits off Jake Peavy Friday night, but they also struggled against Twins right-hander Scott Baker on Thursday.

Leyland can go to Miner early if need be, but he can't do much for his offense if they can't produce rallies.

"It's simple: We've got to score runs," Leyland said. "There's no secret here. We have to score runs. Go up, have good at-bats, get some hits, hit some tweeners, get guys running around the bases. If we don't, we'll get beat. There's no excuses, nothing strange about it."

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Pitching matchup


DET: RHP Alfredo Figaro (2-1, 5.74 ERA)
With Monday's rainout pushing back Rick Porcello to the point where he couldn't pitch Saturday on his regular rest, Figaro will make a one-time return to the rotation for a critical next-to-last game of the regular season. He hasn't started at any level since he took the loss June 28 at Houston, a week after he won his Major League debut with five effective innings and seven strikeouts against the Brewers. Still, his 2 2/3 innings of relief last Saturday against the White Sox showed he has his stuff back after missing the better part of two months with a sprained right wrist. He's a high-strikeout hurler with a fastball in the mid-90s, but he has to mix in his breaking ball effectively to make things work.


CWS: RHP Freddy Garcia (2-4, 4.78 ERA)
Garcia appeared on his way to producing his seventh consecutive quality start on Saturday night, until he hit a road block in the seventh inning against Detroit. He entered the frame holding a 5-3 lead, but allowed singles to four of the five batters he faced in the inning. By the time the inning ended, Detroit had turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead, and Garcia was saddled with the loss. He lasted 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts. Garcia lost to Detroit for the first time since Sept. 2, 2005, a span of eight starts. Lifetime against the Tigers, he is 15-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 24 starts.

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Tidbits

... Though rookie Alex Avila caught Figaro several times at Double-A Erie, Leyland said Gerald Laird will catch him Saturday.
... Magglio Ordonez is batting .444 (16-for-36) during a 10-game hitting streak. He's 12-for-43 (.279) lifetime off fellow Venezuelan Garcia.
... Aubrey Huff is 10-for-24 for his career off Garcia, but he's also in an 0-for-9 slump and has been sitting in some games against right-handers in recent days.
... Miguel Cabrera needs four hits to join Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg as the only Tigers to post 200 hits, a .300 average, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in the same season. Greenberg did it in both 1935 and '37.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Sunday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 18-9, 3.45 ERA) vs. White Sox (John Danks, 13-10, 3.69 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Chi White Sox AVG
Podsednik, CF .306
Beckham, 3B .272
Pierzynski, C .303
Konerko, DH .278
Quentin, LF .235
Kotsay, 1B .287
Rios, RF .243
Ramirez, A, SS .274
Lillibridge, 2B .146

Detroit AVG
Granderson, CF .249
Polanco, 2B .287
Ordonez, RF .301
Cabrera, M, 1B .327
Guillen, C, LF .246
Huff, A, DH .240
Inge, 3B .231
Laird, C .228
Everett, SS .236

I want to see:

I'm here

rickimouse wrote:

I'm here

hi long lost friend!

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Scott Podsednik singles on a soft line drive to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Gordon Beckham called out on .

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
With A. J. Pierzynski batting, Scott Podsednik steals (30) 2nd base.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
A. J. Pierzynski lines out to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

B:2 S:0 O:3 -
Paul Konerko lines out to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

0-0 after .5 inning

Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to left fielder Carlos Quentin.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Placido Polanco grounds out to first baseman Mark Kotsay.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Magglio Ordonez singles on a ground ball to center fielder Scott Podsednik.

B:0 S:0 O:3 -
Miguel Cabrera pops out to second baseman Brent Lillibridge.

0-0 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Carlos Quentin homers (21) on a line drive to left center field.
CWS 1, DET 0

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Mark Kotsay walks.
B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Alex Rios singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Mark Kotsay to 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:0 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:3 O:1 -
Alexei Ramirez swinging.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
With Brent Lillibridge batting, Mark Kotsay steals (3) 3rd base. Alex Rios steals (23) 2nd base.

I hope this rain quits

B:4 S:2 O:1 -
Brent Lillibridge walks.

B:4 S:2 O:1 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Pitcher Change: Fu-Te Ni replaces Alfredo Figaro.

rickimouse wrote:

I hope this rain quits

it should quit, radar looks good.

Tigers better get their act together.

Gala better have his stuff tonight

B:0 S:2 O:2 - Scott Podsednik grounds into a force
out, second baseman Placido Polanco to shortstop Adam Everett. Mark
Kotsay scores. Alex Rios to 3rd. Brent Lillibridge out at 2nd. Scott
Podsednik to 1st.
CWS 2, DET 0



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

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Pitcher Change: Armando Galarraga replaces Fu-Te Ni.

Gala, play like you did in 2008!

B:2 S:0 O:3 -
Gordon Beckham flies out to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

CWS 2, DET 0 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Carlos Guillen swinging.

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Aubrey Huff singles on a ground ball to left fielder Carlos Quentin.

B:3 S:3 O:2 -
Brandon Inge :K: swinging. (AS USUAL)

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Gerald Laird swinging.

strikes out the frickn side, come on guys, stop this crap!

CWS 2, DET 0 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
A. J. Pierzynski pops out to third baseman Brandon Inge in foul territory.

B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Paul Konerko swinging.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Carlos Quentin hit by pitch.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
With Mark Kotsay batting, Carlos Quentin steals (3) 2nd base.

B:4 S:2 O:2 -
Mark Kotsay walks.

B:2 S:2 O:2 -
Alex Rios doubles (31) on a fly ball to right fielder Magglio Ordonez. Carlos Quentin scores. Mark Kotsay to 3rd.
CWS 3, DET 0


B:4 S:0 O:2 -
Armando Galarraga intentionally walks Alexei Ramirez.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Brent Lillibridge flies out to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.


CWS 3, DET 0 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:0 S:3 O:1 -
Adam Everett swinging.

B:4 S:1 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson walks.

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Placido Polanco singles on a ground ball to third baseman Gordon Beckham. Curtis Granderson to 2nd.

B:2 S:1 O:2 -
Magglio Ordonez pops out to second baseman Brent Lillibridge on the infield fly rule.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
With Miguel Cabrera batting, wild pitch by Freddy Garcia, Curtis Granderson to 3rd. Placido Polanco to 2nd.


B:1 S:2 O:3 -
Miguel Cabrera grounds out, third baseman Gordon Beckham to first baseman Mark Kotsay.

CWS 3, DET 0 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Scott Podsednik grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Gordon Beckham flies out to left fielder Carlos Guillen.

B:2 S:1 O:3 -
A. J. Pierzynski grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

CWS 3, DET 0 after 3.5 innings