PREGAME: I really have no clever set up to this game, so let’s get to it.

Nate Robertson will take the mound for the Tigers and try to fare better against Mauer and Morneau than every Tiger left hander last night did.

The Tigers will be opposed by Boof Bonser who you may know as “the third guy” that the Twins got in the Pierzyinski for Nathan/Liriano deal.

Game Time 7:10

POSTGAME: It’s the same old story. The Tigers open up a series on fire, and then muddle through some frustrating losses. Invariably one of those frustrating losses will belong to Nate Robertson who was excellent. Of course you probably know that the runs came as the result of an Omar Infante error. What I still don’t understand is how Michael Cuddyer was able to run 270 feet in the time it took Ordonez to get the ball and throw home.

The Tigers had opportunities early, which was a pleasant change, but weren’t able to cash in. And then the offense was completely shut down for the 2nd half of the game.

And as for the umpiring, that blown call at 2nd base where Infante flipped to Guillen, Guillen caught the ball, took a step and touched 2nd base, and then went to transfer the ball to his throwing hand, was as bad a call as you will see.

PREGAME: Tonight the NFL kicks off it’s season, and for the first time in recent memory I could care less. The Tigers enter this series knowing that they could A)Effectively knock the Twins out of the divisional race B)Find themselves in a tie for 1st place or C)tread water for 4 more games. Looking at the pitching matchups, A would seem like a possibility, but given the way the Tigers have hit against everyone lately I’d be satisfied with C.

Scott Baker will be taking the hill sporting an ERA 3 runs higher than his Detroit counterpart Justin Verlander. But in his last start (and his only start since August 1st) Baker limited the Yankees to 1 runs on 2 hits over 5 innings.

Verlander is coming off a start in which he threw 126 pitches in just 7 innings. I’ll be watching Verlander’s velocity as well as seeing how quick Jim Leyland is with the hook.

Game Time 8:10

POSTGAME: There wasn’t much not to like about this game with the exception of Verlander throwing 15-20 more pitches than were necessary. But along the way he really staked a claim for the Rookie of the Year award with an excellent performance in a high profile game.

The Tigers had a balanced attack from the offense, and rendered two pitchers unavailable for the next couple nights.

As Pete pointed out in the comments, we’ve been here before with an impressive series opener only to struggle in the subsequent games. Even winning 1 in the next 3 and the Tigers have improved their chances of taking the division. But let’s not think like that yet.

PREGAME: The Tiger offense is still in a funk, and to top it off they face Tiger killer Gil Meche. In his first 2 starts against the Tigers this year, he has allowed 3 runs over 13 innings while fanning 15.

Meanwhile, Kenny Rogers has been the Tigers hottest starter, but if the bats don’t get going soon they’ll need near perfection from Rogers.

Game Time 1:05

PREGAME: Nate Robertson makes his 100th career start today as a Detroit Tiger. The last time a starter had a milestone game, the Tigers beat the bejeezus out of the Cubs to earn Kenny Rogers his 200th victory. Here’s hoping that they can get some of that magic back today.

Of course the Tigers problem lately hasn’t been pitching, but the complete lack of offense. The Tigers will look to get that going against lefty Jarrod Washburn.

Game Time 1:05pm

POSTGAME: Just a couple nights ago I called out Magglio Ordonez for failing to catch a ball that would have ended the game. Today Ordonez made a very nice sliding grab, to compliment his first inning 2 run homer. It doesn’t absolve him for Saturday night, but the effort and production today are needed and greatly appreciated.

It was also nice to see Chris Shelton back at first base. He was 0 for 2 with a walk, but his approach was solid. He did a good job laying off pitches out of the zone and didn’t look to be going all out to pull the ball.

Nate Robertson got more run support than he has in the last month it seems and he only needed 1 run. Thus continuing the excellent starting pitching streak the Tigers have been enjoying.

But the at-bat of the day had to be Omar Infante’s 9 pitch effort in the 7th that resulted in a two run double. And I’m not just saying that because his play continues to prove everyone right who lobbied for him to be the everyday 2nd baseman in Polanco’s absence.

So feel good for another day Tigers fans. We’ve seen some games that we thought were momentum shifters in the past, only to be stymied in the next game. Here’s hoping this is the beginning of a beautiful win streak.

PREGAME: Wil Ledezma against Kelvim Escobar.

Game Time 8:00pm on ESPN2

POSTGAME: The look of the lineup without Carlos Guillen is troubling to say the least. The result is another defeat in which the starting pitcher did everything you could ask for. Yet the bats remained cold.

The only big play for the Tigers offense was the Ordonez single in which Craig Monroe was thrown out trying to score. It has been called a boneheaded call but I couldn’t disagree more. Given the way the Tigers were hitting, Gene Lamont had to send Monroe home on that play – especially with 2 outs.

If you send Monroe home, you’re banking on the fact that Juan Rivera doesn’t make a perfect throw and/or Jose Molina has no troubles handling the throw and applying the tag. Going into the play I like those odds better than the 3 out of 10 odds that Sean Casey doesn’t make an out. Given the way Escobar was pitching, and the fact that the situation was created by a ground ball single, a walk, and an error, Casey’s odds of success probably weren’t even that good.

The Angels executed the play to perfection. Sometimes you have to credit the other team.

That play doesn’t make up for the fact that once again the lineup completely failed to produce. Escobar was excellent, but 3 singles just isn’t going to cut it.

PREGAME: After a very pleasant beginning to the final month of the season, the Tigers will look to keep the good times coming. This is of course predicated on the rain stopping.

Justin Verlander will be taking the mound. He wasn’t able to hold a lead in his last start against Cleveland and his final line showed 8 runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings. With Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Liriano injured, this is Verlander’s chance to stake a claim to the Rookie of the Year award.

Joe Saunders will be pitching for the Angels. He joined the rotation in late July and won his first 4 starts allowing only 7 runs over 27 innings. However in his last 3 starts he’s allowed 18 runs over 10 2/3 innings.

Game Time 7:05

POSTGAME: This one definitely leaves a bad taste. Todd Jones deserved better with the only hard hit ball being the triple to Chone Figgins. This game should have been over without a 10th inning. This one also doesn’t go on Neifi who did make an error, but again, it shouldn’t have come to that.

This one is on Magglio Ordonez who failed to go all out and make a play in the top of the 9th. He followed it up by weakly striking out and failing to run to first on the ball in the dirt to end the game.

And speaking of guys who deserved better, how about Justin Verlander? I can’t say I agree with him being allowed to throw 122 pitches, but he was very good. As was his counterpart, Joe Saunders.

And finally, I just want to recognize a guy who doesn’t get a lot of recognition, in Ramon Santiago. He made a couple nice plays down at third base and hung in and had a very solid at-bat against K-Rod.

PREGAME: The Tigers return home and put to rest their worst month of the season. The offense will look to get going, but they’ll have to do it against a pitcher that destroyed them to the tune of 10 strike outs and no runs over 6 innings. Said pitcher is Ervin Santana.

The Tigers made a slight shuffle in the rotation with the off day Monday, and will be sending Kenny Roger out (it normally would be Justin Verlander’s turn). It just happened to be Rogers on the mound the last time the Tigers faced Santana and he held the Angels offense to 2 runs over 7 innings.

Game Time 7:05pm

PREGAME: Thanks to late inning heroics and awesome pitching the Tigers have a shot at the series. A win today would mean just their 3rd series win of the month, after losing 1 series in all of July.

It will be Jeremy Bonderman against Randy Johnson on ESPN. I wish I didn’t have to work today.

Oh yeah, Infante and Thames are playing. (but so is Neifi)

Game Time 1:05pm

POSTGAME: I know I should rail against another loss. I know I should be worried that Jeremy Bonderman has had a rough month. I should be furious that Neifi Perez continues to get playing time. And yet for some reason I’m okay tonight.

First, the Neifi issue. For those of us (which is basically everyone not named Jim Leyland) who have been hoping that Omar Infante gets the everyday gig until Polanco returns (possibly in 2 weeks) this game was about all we could have hoped for. Infante homered, got a cheap hit, and hit a line drive to right field. Neifi meanwhile made more weakouts, failed to chase down a pop up that led to a run, cut off Marcus Thames throw which may have nabbed Alex Rodriguez and kept him from scoring, and dropped a throw from Pudge.

Marcus Thames once again made the most of a start and has homered in 3 of his last 4 starts. The more he does that, the harder it is to keep him out of the lineup.

And finally Magglio Ordonez has put together a few games now where he’s hit the ball hard. Combined with some better at-bats from Curtis Granderson, the Tigers might be getting a couple of their key offensive components back in time for the stretch run.

And one last note, I’ve complained about umpires who argue back. Home plate umpire James Hoye did it just like he was supposed to with Jim Leyland today. He ran Leyland, and stood there while Leyland had his say while calmly suggesting Leyland head back to the dugout. I’m not going to comment on his actualy umpiring or strike zone, just that he handled the argument well.

PREGAME: The nice thing about a doubleheader, is that if you lose the first game there is still hope that the day will turn out alright. Tonight will feature Wil Ledezma and Jaret Wright.

The most notable element of the matchup is that Alex Rodriguez has hit homers in 4 of the 5 at-bats where he faced Ledezma. The only exception was a walk.

As for the Tigers lineup, Jim Leyland isn’t making too many people happy. Neifi Perez is inexplicably playing both ends of a doubleheader. What’s more, Marcus Thames is joining Infante on the bench for both games. Leyland’s stubborness is maddening to say the least.

POSTGAME: Okay, I’ll admit it. I was gripping. I snapped at my wife when she switched from the chair to the couch in the middle of a rally only to see it die. I was talking to the TV and yelling at Leyland for letting Neifi hit and trying to figure out why the heck Leyland hates Thames. So yeah, this was a big win.

Tonight’s comeback was brought to you by 4 Tigers. First was Brandon Inge working a walk. Second was Curtis Granderson having a long at bat and working a walk. And of course there was Craig Monroe who came through once again with late inning heroics. (he tried to do his part in the 7th as well with the leadoff double).

Now who is the 4th guy? Carlos Guillen. In the first game of the double header Mariano Rivera retired Young and Monroe on 3 pitches. If Rivera retires the side on a half dozen pitches, chances are he’s pitching in both games. As it was Guillen fell behind 0-2 before turning a 7 pitch at-bat into a single, thus extending the inning and probably keeping Rivera out of the second game.

And just one other thing I wanted to point out. Much was made about the Tigers lack of patience at the plate today. If you actually look at the numbers, you’ll see that the Tigers first time through the lineup of the first game 8 of the 9 players took the first pitch. In fact in the first game the Tigers saw 3.9 pitches per plate apperance against Wang while the ultra patient Yankees saw 3.1 against Robertson. In the 2nd game both starters threw 3.4 pitches per plate appearance.

I’m not saying the Tigers aren’t an impatient team, it’s just that no one complains when they’re hitting the ball – much like Craig Monroe’s first pitch swing in the 9th.

So the game was cancelled just as I was about to post this. I’ll leave it here for commenting, and hopefully it will be applicable tomorrow.

PREGAME: A couple weeks ago the Tigers were coming off a 5 game losing streak and heading to Boston. Things looked bleak with the Tigers facing Schilling and Beckett while the White Sox went off to play 4 games against Kansas City. There were some that predicted the Tigers 5.5 game lead would be cut to 2.5 within a matter of days. The Tigers did the unexpected and took the first 2 games of the series and were able to keep there lead intact.

Now the Tigers head to the Bronx with a similarly daunting task. Their chief competition in the Central are off playing the Devil Rays, and the Royals while the Tigers take on the Yankees. I’m not saying the Tigers will take the first 2 in this series, just illustrating the situational similarities and given the despair of 2 weeks ago, not a lot has changed from the Tigers perspective.

As for the game itself Nate Robertson will take the hill for Detroit. His last start contributed to the worst loss of the season for the Tigers. But at least he almost got through 7 innings on a day when the bullpen was largely unavailable.

Chien-Ming Wang will oppose the Tigers. After putting together 17 scoreless innings over 2 starts, Wang has had uneven results over his last 4. He’s not a strikeout pitcher, but the Tigers are a strikeout team so we’ll see what happens.