PREGAME: It’s pretty simple if the Tigers don’t want to get swept, they need to play better. They need to hit better, pitch better, and field better. Brandon Inge has missed 2 games at third and there have been two errors. Carlos Guillen is fumbling routine ground balls. Pitchers are walking batters and giving up homers. And hitters, well they haven’t been too bad, just not as hot as they were.

The pitching match-up is Scott Baker and Jeremy Bonderman – which would look to favor the Tigers – but I’m not taking anything for granted on this homestand.

Game Time 8:09pm

POSTGAME: I went to the game tonight, and it was just another example of how things have changed. Tonight was on field photo day. We went to this in 2002 and it was great. You get to go on the field before the game, and the players are in the outfield and you simply take pictures with them. You could go right up to Bobby Higginson and Matt Anderson and perhaps wait 3-4 minutes per player. Tonight was just a mass of humanity. The entire perimeter had to be 10 people deep. We showed up when the gates opened, and the lines at each gate stretched for blocks. There had to be at least 25,000 people at the stadium before 6:00pm, 2 hours before game time.

On to the game:

• Of course just a terrific outing by Jeremy Bonderman. Seven K’s, one walk, and 6 hits, 5 of which were singles.
• I think the key inning for Bondo was the 7th. He started the inning at 92 pitches (I believe, unofficial total from my scorecard) and I figured it would be his last. However, he retired the side on just 7 pitches (again unofficial) which allowed him to keep his pitch count in check for the 8th. If the Twins run it up to 105 or so in the 7th, they get to the pen an inning earlier.
• Of course the pen didn’t falter today. Todd Jones made it look easy. I know the easy innings from Jones seem rare, but he did have 26 outings last year where he picked up 3 outs on 3 batters (not all 1-2-3, some of those were baserunners getting on and then a double play).
• Scott Baker on the other side deserved better. I think he retired the first 7 hitters on 17 pitches. Even when guys would take the first pitch, it was usually for a strike. I only counted 5 really hard hit balls all night.
• As the game progressed, I was just hoping that Jeremy Bonderman could hold them down long enough, because the Tigers do have a number of guys who can get a quick run by knocking one out. Stringing hits together just wasn’t going to work today. Luckily Marcus Thames came through.
• I know Jim Leyland wants to keep trotting Craig Monroe out there hoping he’ll break out of his funk. But Monroe’s struggles and Thames homers make it hard to justify, at least for the time being.
• Placido Polanco striking out on a night when only 2 Tigers fanned, and with a runner on third? I still can’t believe that happened.
• I’ve now seen 3 Grandy triples in person this year. Sweet grab also on the Cuddyer play.
• And a final note, the National Anthem singer tonight was Amber Strand Grand (at least I think that was her name). She was really quite good, and really quite attractive. Has anybody noticed if she’s done other games? I’m thinking she should be the Tigers version of Karen Newman.

PREGAME: Today will be a battle of AL Central rookies with Kevin Slowey going up against Andrew Miller.

Miller won’t be fazed by national TV if his start last Sunday was any indication. He pitched 6 shutout innings allowing only 4 hits and 2 walks.

Kevin Slowey will be making his 6th start. He’s allowed 36 hits in 27 1/3 innings. He’s allowed 9 homers already. But he doesn’t walk people with only 6 allowed, and 4 of those came in one outing.

With Gary Sheffield serving his suspension, Sean Casey will bat 3rd and Marcus Thames will DH.

MIN @ DET, Saturday, June 30, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com

Game Time 3:55

PREGAME: It’s a gorgeous night in Detroit for what should be a phenomenal pitching match-up. It will be Justin Verlander taking on Johan Santana.

This is the 3rd time that the Tigers have faced Santana this season. They haven’t lit him up by any means, but they did push across a couple runs each time and more importantly ran his pitch count up to 100 after 6 innings both times. The Tigers will have Gary Sheffield tonight, the only game in the series where he’ll play because he’ll serve his shortened suspension on Saturday and Sunday.

Justin Verlander has been on quite the roll and will make one last statement in his case for pitcher of the month. So far in 4 starts in June he has a 1.24 ERA and a 35:10 strike out to walk ratio.

MIN @ DET, Friday, June 29, 2007 Game Preview – Baseball-Reference.com
Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: Another home clunker for the Tigers. Justin Verlander was nearly unhittable. But he got himself into a ton of trouble with walks. It took him 31 pitches to get through the first inning, and part of that was the fault of Carlos Guillen who had a couple of miscues that could have shortened the inning. After mowing through the 2nd through 4th innings, Verlander did himself in by walking the bases loaded and surrendering a grand slam to Joe Mauer.

I don’t know if it was something about pitching from the stretch. Only one of the walks came when he was throwing from the wind-up, and that came on a full count. But with runners on base he couldn’t find the strike zone.

The Tigers threatened in the first against Johan Santana and made him throw 25 pitches. But an 8 pitch second inning put him back in control and the Tigers didn’t really muster any offense until Placido Polanco’s homer in the 6th.

Macay McBride did a nice job out of the pen. Eulogio De La Cruz came in and wasn’t great, but wasn’t helped when Neifi Perez made an error and 3 more unearned runs would come across.

And if you missed it, Perez started in place of Brandon Inge who was a late scratch with back spasms.
Twins 11 Tigers 1

PREGAME: Nothing’s really changed, same starting pitchers (Kenny Rogers and Kevin Millwood) and all only it’s 20 degrees cooler, half the humidity, and all the clouds are pretty instead of ominous. Oh yeah, and I’ll be at there today.

For more info check out BR’s game preview

Game Time 1:05pm

POSTGAME: Beautiful day for a ball game today, so a 15 minute delay so the umpires could arrive was hardly an inconvenience. I guess that explains the black town car getting a police escort on the Madison ramp at about 12:30.

• Kenny Rogers was amazing again. I saw the last run he gave up (the one in relief on the last day of the season), as well as the one today. But I also saw 2 of his playoff starts so I don’t think you can blame me for the scoreless inning streak ending.
• But a couple other streaks continued, most notable was Carlos Guillen’s 11 game RBI streak. Guillen and Magglio Ordonez also both extended their hitting streaks to 14 games.
• Remember how a couple days ago I questioned the issue of Ordonez turning on a ball? He certainly turned on one today hitting a long drive with home run distance that landed foul in leftfield.
• Pudge Rodriguez was certainly stymied today. He racked up a ton of swing and misses, and from my vantage point it didn’t look like he was over swinging. He looked to be trying to shoot the ball to right, but contact seemed to be alluding him.
• Gary Sheffield’s jumps on both the stolen base and wild pitch were incredible. Stealing third he was probably a third of the way before the ball was released, and he seemed to leave as soon as the ball hit the dirt from third base.
• The Tigers drew 9 walks today, the second time this season they accomplished the feat.
• And the bullpen was good too, even Todd Jones.

Tigers 5 Rangers 2