PREGAME: The Tigers are in position to sweep the Red Sox and head into the All Star Break on a real high note. Both teams will probably start some bench guys today with last night’s game lasting 13 innings. Plus, the temperature is supposed to push 100 with some humidty.

If you’re going to the game the Tigers do let you bring water into the game, so take advantage of that. Just make sure it is sealed when you go through the gates. Otherwise load up on Lemon Chills or take a break from the heat in the AC of the Beer Hall and watch an inning or two on TV.

The Tigers will have their work cut out for them with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound. He’s been freakishly good in his last 4 starts allowing just 2 runs in 29 innings while fanning 34 and walking 10. That’s good enough for a 0.62 ERA and opponents have a .425 OPS over that span. Plus it’s been over a month since the last homer he allowed (June 5th at Oakland).

Meanwhile, Nate Robertson will be looking for his first win since May 19th. Of course there was some DL time in there as well but it is a 5 game losing skid nonetheless. With the bullpen heavily used last night (lots of pitchers were used, but probably only Jones is unavailble) it would be nice if Nate could get through at least the 6th inning – something he hasn’t done since May 2nd. He is coming off an 8 K appearance though, and he has looked better in his last 2 starts since coming off the DL.

Game Time 1:05pm

BOS @ DET, Sunday, July 8, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

POSTGAME: Now that’s a way to head into the All Star Break. Yeah there were 5 errors and a baserunning mistake, and the Tigers nearly let a 4 run lead slip away, but it’s still a sweep. Plus it was with a lineup without 3 starters.

First the good stuff. The Tigers thumped Matsuzaka. Three homers off of a pitcher that hadn’t allowed one in a month was impressive, and Marcus Thames banging one off the camera well was jaw dropping to say the least. That’s twice on this 5 game winning streak that the Tigers have pounded a front line pitcher. It makes yesterday’s struggles against Kason Gabbard all the more baffling.

Curtis Granderson’s theft of a Willy Mo Pena homer will be seen countless times, and deservedly so. On Baseball Tonight they ran down the top 5 centerfield web gems from the first half and it was number one beating out Grady Sizemore’s catch on a Curtis Granderson blast.

• Craig Monroe gets a big double last night and adds two singles today. And yet still has a rough game. His bat has finally produced and now he picks up 2 errors and a baserunning mistake. The first error, a one hop throw right to the plate that Mike Rabelo couldn’t handle was certainly a tough error. The one in the 9th that allowed the tying run to move from 2nd to 3rd was inexcusable though.
• Last night when Mike Timlin came in I was sure the Tigers would hit a walk off homer off of him. Instead, they did nothing. And then today I thought they would pad their lead, and instead did nothing. Huh.
• Nate Robertson looked real good at times, and then real bad at times. Particularly frustrating was the inning with 4 walks and a HBP that resulted in 2 runs without the benefit of a hit. I’d guess that on the latter homers in the 7th, Nate was a little gassed. I don’t know that he has all his strength back, plus it was really freakin’ hot.
• The bullpen wasn’t quite as good today as last night, yet they seemed to still get the big outs when they needed them. Jose Capellan made his own mess with a walk and an error, but also got out of a 2 on, one out jam in the 7th. And then Zach Miner got a big K to end the 8th with the tying run on 2nd.
• And the closer Todd Jones closed again, the day game after a night game, a night game in which he pitched 2 innings. This one wasn’t quite as easy, but he still protected the one run lead.

Toledo 8 Louisville 7
Is Chris Shelton getting his power stroke back, or is it just a couple good games? He went yard again today and added a single. Brent Clevlen was a triple short of the cycle, and that homer was his first of the year. Ron Chiavaccie allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and 5 walks in 5 1/3 innings. Eulogio De La Cruz allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in 2/3 of an inning.

Erie 7 Akron 5 10 innings
Erick Almonte went 4 for 5. Matt Joyce was a triple short of the cycle. Roman Colon is apparently on work release and allowed 2 runs on 2 homers in 2 2/3 innings as the starter.

Lakeland 6 Sarasota 7 10 innings
Mike Hernandez homered twice to lead the way. Wil Rhymes had 2 hits and 2 walks. Danny Worth made his debut and went 1 for 4 with a walk. Lucas French allowed 3 runs on 5 hits in 5 innings. Kyle Sleeth allowed a run on no hits and 3 walks in 2 2/3 innings.

Great Lakes 5 West Michigan 1
Brennan Boesch and Santo De Leon each had 2 hits. Lauren Gagnier allowed 4 runs, only 2 earned, in 7 2/3 innings while fanning 7.

Oneonta 0 Hudson Valley 8
Kody Kaiser was 0 for 4 with 2 K’s. Weird. Cory Middleton had the only extra base hit. Sendy Vasquez wasn’t good with 5 hits and 6 walks in only 4 innings.

GCL Tigers 3 GCL Braves 11
Londell Taylor went 1 for 3 with a walk. It was his second hit of the season so that had to be a relief. Luis Arlet added 2 hits. Emmanuel Miguelez started and allowed 4 earned runs on 6 hits, no walks, and no K’s in 2 innings.

PREGAME: The Tigers look to extend their winning streak to 4 games tonight and they’ll send Jeremy Bonderman to the mound to do it.

Bonderman is coming off the stellar 8 inning shut out performance from Sunday night. He hasn’t faced Boston this year, but he did out duel Curt Schilling last year in Boston. It was a great win, but also the game that cost the Tigers Placido Polanco.

Kason Gabbard will be making his 3rd start of the season. He has struck out more than a batter an inning in that sting, but he has also walked 10 in his last 2 starts.

BOS @ DET, Saturday, July 7, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05pm

POSTGAME Didn’t it have to be number 7 Pudge Rodriguez with the walk off double on 7/7/07? Just a tremendous game tonight, and unlike the extra innings Cleveland game the good guys won.

• It’s pretty remarkable that the Tigers held the Red Sox scoreless for 12 innings. Bonderman and the Tigers bullpen turned in an incredible effort. If it weren’t for that pesky first inning.
• Although it’s hard to comment too much on it because we didn’t see it. Instead we were held captive by Fox’s national coverage.
• I’m tickled for Craig Monroe. He picked up Marcus Thames and knocked in 2 runs. He also laid down a nice sacrifice bunt in the 10th inning. Sure he popped up in the 11th with the bases loaded, but he was hardly alone.
• I was really rooting for the Tigers to score the winner off of Okajima. The symmetry of the Tigers cashing in on the guy that kept Bondo out of the All Star game on a night when Bondo started would have been sweet. Oh well. I guess we’ll just have to settle for scoring off of Jonathan Papelbon instead.
• The Tigers were flirting with disaster walking Ortiz to get to Manny that many times, but it paid off.
• Big time props to the whole cast of characters in the pen. Todd Jones has been great on this homestand and even had success in the 2nd inning of work tonight.
• The only downside is that the Tigers will trot out the B lineup tomorrow. Pudge will certainly get the day off, and Placido Polanco is day to day with an oblique issue. At least they’ve already taken the series.

Tigers 3, Red Sox 2

PREGAME: Both the Tigers and Red Sox spent yesterday thumping their opponents. The Sox are coming off a sweep of the Devil Rays and carry a 4 game winning streak into tonight’s tilt.

The Tigers managed to take only 1 of the 4 games the two teams played in Boston, and will hope to head into the All Star Break by winning back to back series.

Tonight will feature Andrew Miller taking on Julian Tavarez. The Tigers were handled by Tavarez who had been struggling at the time when the two team met up in May. In his last 7 starts Tavarez has posted a 3.48 ERA with a decent walk rate but pedestrian K-rate. He hasn’t allowed a homer in his last 4 starts.

The Tigers will send out Andrew Miller. Miller was knocked around in his last start, but showed a little more than that. He mixed in more off speed pitches and induced some swings and misses. In the end though, 6 of the 8 baserunners he allowed crossed the plate.

The only lineup note I know at the moment is that Mike Rabelo will start in lieu of Pudge Rodriguez. Not sure who will be starting in left field tonight: it will be Marcus Thames. And as a final note, Vance Wilson was transferred to the 60 day DL to make room for Ryan Raburn.

BOS @ DET, Friday, July 6, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 7:05pm

POSTGAME: I’ve been critical of the Tigers decision to keep Andrew Miller in the rotation because I’ve felt that he needed more time to develop his secondary pitches. I wanted him to explode on the scene like Justin Verlander did last year and be dominating. Tonight is a glimpse of what I was hoping for. This was by far his best start as he shut down an offense that is good even without Big Papi. He used his breaking pitches and change to fan Manny Ramirez a couple times which was probably the most impressive part.

If he can pitch that well, or even close to that well on a consistent basis I’ll be more than happy to be wrong.

The other big performer was Marcus Thames who hit 3 balls far enough to be homers, but only one of them was the right direction. Fortunately it was the one with the bases loaded as Thames was the 5th different Tiger to hit a slam this year.

• How about Placido Polanco running hard on a pop-up with 2 outs in the 8th inning of a 7 run game and legging out a double?
• The Tigers looked miserable the first time through the order with only one ball making it to the outfield. But the next couple times the Tigers were ripping the ball all over the park.
• Miller did get some help with a remarkable throw from Granderson and tag by Rabelo. He kept the throw low, but it never bounced and Rabelo was able to catch it clean.
• I don’t mind Gene Lamont sending Mike Rabelo on the play he was thrown out on. I think that Lamont has really been a little too conservative this year and in those 2 out situations I’m in the camp of making the other team make the play.