GDT: 9/27/10 - DET (80-75) AT CLE (65-91) - 7:05 p.m. ET
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Detroit Tigers AT Cleveland IndiansMonday, September 27, 2010Progressive Field, Cleveland, OHGame Time - 7:05 p.m. EDT
This season dedicated to the late, great Ernie Harwell.
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Tribe, Tigers look to start final week with winBy Bailey Stephens / MLB.comWith the season drawing to a close, both the Indians and Tigers have their eyes on gaining valuable experience for next season and finishing on a high note.
Detroit will hit the road to take on the Tribe for a three-game set beginning on Monday before ending its campaign in Baltimore. After battling Detroit, the Indians travel to Chicago to end the season.
While it hasn't been the smoothest of seasons in Cleveland, the Indians would like to finish on a positive note, and hopefully, that leads them to a fourth-place finish. Especially with all the young players on their roster, Cleveland could potentially benefit in 2011 from finishing out the campaign with back-to-back series wins.
"I think that's somewhere in the back of our minds," Indians outfielder Trevor Crowe said. "You don't want to finish in last place. At the same time, more importantly, we need to go out there and play good baseball -- whether it's against the Royals, the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox."
The Tribe will face a formidable foe in Tigers' starter Armando Galarraga. Galarraga has struggled of late, but will be facing in the Indians a team he's been very successful against this season. Including his near-perfect game earlier this season, Galarraga has tossed 16 scoreless innings at the Tribe, holding it to just four hits.
Perhaps that'll be the boost he needs to finish the season on an upswing. The right-hander has allowed 12 earned runs over his last 2 starts, and he was hurt by six walks. The frustrating starts have been part of an odd year for Galarraga, which has seen him go from (near) perfect to rocky.
"[Galarrago's] had so many good outings and bad outings," catcher Gerald Laird said. "He's had ups and downs, and it's more just trying to find some more consistency. He's looked so good at times against teams, and then looked rough. So it's one of those things where you just have to kind of find a medium in there and just be a little more consistent."
If the rotation stays the same, Galarraga will have two more starts, including Monday's, to try and right the ship heading into the offseason. The right-hander will be attempting to show the Tigers that he can handle being a solid No. 4 pitcher in the rotation next season.
Tigers: A homecoming for PeraltaMonday will mark Jhonny Peralta's first series in Cleveland since being traded in July. Peralta has hit .262 with eight homers and 36 RBIs since the trade.
"I hit an inside-the-park home run against [the Tigers]," Peralta said, referring to his July 18 round-tripper against Detroit at Progressive Field. "Hopefully, now I can hit one for them."
Peralta's performance has given the Tigers good reason to consider picking up his $7.25 million option for next season or re-signing him as a free agent.
Indians: Carrasco proving to be capableThe Indians will hand the ball to Carlos Carrasco again on Monday. The young right-hander has proved be a solid addition to the Tribe's rotation since being called up from Triple-A Columbus. He's tossed quality starts in all five of his outings so far this season, but has earned just one victory. His performance at the Major League level isn't surprising to Columbus manager Mike Sarbaugh, who joined the club this week. Sarbaugh praised the development the organization has seen from Carrasco this season.
"[Carrasco] worked on some mechanical things that he really needed to work on," said Sarbaugh. "He and [Triple-A Columbus pitching coach and former Major Leaguer] Charles Nagy really worked well together. I thought he really made a lot of improvements from the beginning of the season to the end. I think it's shown how he's thrown here in September."
Worth notingOn Sunday, the Tigers set new record with 52 wins at Comerica Park.
... The Tigers have also found some recent success on the road, winning six of nine away from Comerica Park, including a three-game sweep of the White Sox on their last trip.
... Crowe now has hit safely in 12 straight games.
... Outfielder Michael Brantley's status for Monday is unknown. Acta suggested on Saturday that Brantley, who has missed four consecutive starts after experiencing left hamstring tightness, would be able to return on Sunday. Brantley wasn't in the starting lineup, but entered late in the game to pinch-hit.
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Pitching matchupTIGERS: RHP Armando Galarraga (4-7, 4.44 ERA)Galarraga has struggled over his last two outings, allowing 12 earned runs on 17 hits over nine innings to the Rangers and Royals. However, he has 16 scoreless innings on four hits against Cleveland this year, including his near-perfect game June 2.
INDIANS: RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 3.03 ERA)Carrasco continues to impress in his audition for a 2011 rotation spot, logging five quality starts in as many outings since being called up Sept. 1. The 23-year-old righty went 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in two appearances against Detroit last season.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Twins with a 5-1 win yesterday afternoon, the club’s eighth win in its last nine games. Rick Porcello (10-11) limited the Twins to one run over eight innings of work to earn the win for Detroit. Ramon Santiago belted a three-run home run for the Tigers, while Miguel Cabrera belted a tworun home run. The Tigers begin their final road trip of the season with the first game of a three-game series at Cleveland this evening. Detroit concludes the season with a fourgame series in Baltimore beginning on Thursday night.
CENTRAL FOCUS: The Tigers continue a 12-game stretch this evening at Cleveland in which all of the club’s games are against opponents from the American League’s Central Division.
Detroit has posted a 21-7 record in the last 28 games against the division after the club compiled a 17-24 record in the first 41 games against the division this season.RECENT SUCCESS VERSUS THE INDIANS: Since the start of the 2009 season, the Tigers have compiled a 23-10 record against the Cleveland Indians. Detroit is third among all major league clubs with a 3.23 ERA (300.2IP/108ER) versus the Indians since the start of the 2009 season.MIGGY MASHES AGAINST THE TRIBE: Since joining the Tigers in 2008, Miguel Cabrera is hitting .330 (66x200) with 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 51 games against the Cleveland Indians. He is tops among all active major league players with 45 RBI versus the Indians during that stretch, while he is tied for second with 13 home runs.
JACKSON SWINGS INTO ACTION VERSUS CLEVELAND: Austin Jackson has hit safely in 12 of his 14 games against Cleveland this season, hitting .397 (25x63) with 16 runs scored, seven doubles, a triple, two RBI and seven stolen bases. He is tops among all major league players with 25 hits against Cleveland this season, while he is tied for the lead with 16 runs scored and is second with seven doubles and seven stolen bases.
STARTING WELL: Tigers starting pitchers have registered a quality start in 22 of the club’s last 34 games dating back to August 20. During the 34-game stretch, Detroit’s starting pitchers have compiled a 17-4 record and 3.15 ERA (231.2IP/81ER).
CABRERA HOMERS IN LAST THREE HOME GAMES: Miguel Cabrera homered in each of Detroit’s final three home games this season after connecting for a two-run home run yesterday against the Twins. He became just the second player in Tigers history to homer in each of the club’s final three home games of the season, joining Rocky Colavito who did so against the Kansas City A’s in 1960. (Source: Elias Sports Bureau)
OFFENSE ON THE UPTICK: Tigers hitters are batting .286 (371x1296) with 215 runs scored, 67 doubles, 10 triples and 41 home runs over the club’s last 35 games dating back to August 19. Detroit leads American League clubs with a .286 batting average, 215 runs scored, 371 hits and 67 doubles during that stretch.
CABRERA PILES UP THE HOME RUNS ON THE ROAD: Miguel Cabrera leads the American League with 21 home runs on the road this season. The 21 home runs are third most by a Tigers player on the road since at least 1952, trailing 27 home runs by Rocky Colavito in 1961 and 26 home run by Cecil Fielder in 1990.
RABURN ON A ROLL: Ryan Raburn enters tonight’s game hitting .343 (59x172) with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 36 RBI over his last 46 games dating back to August 5. He is second among all American League players with 26 extra-base hits and a .634 slugging percentage during the stretch, while he is tied for second with 36 RBI, tied for third with 59 hits, 14 doubles and 12 home runs and is fourth with a .343 batting average.
CABRERA APPROACHES AL RECORD FOR INTENTIONAL WALKS: Miguel Cabrera enters tonight’s game at Cleveland with 31 intentional walks to lead the American League. With three more intentional walks, Cabrera would match Ted Williams’ American League record of 34 intentional walks during the 1957 season. Intentional walks first became a recognized statistic in Major League Baseball during the 1955 season.
ROOKIE HIT PARADE: Tigers rookie hitters collected three hits yesterday against the Twins, raising the season total to 499 hits by Tigers rookies. The 499 hits by rookies are the most by Tigers rookies since the rookies on the 1929 club established the franchise record with 590 hits. (Source: STATS LLC)
JACKSON REACHES RARE ROOKIE TERRITORY: Austin Jackson scored his 100th run of the season on Saturday against Minnesota and he became the ninth player in major league history since 1901 to collect at least 100 runs scored, 170 hits, 30 doubles, 10 triples and 20 stolen bases as a rookie. Jackson joined Joe Jackson (1911), Roy Johnson (1929), Evar Swanson (1929), Barney McCosky (1939), Minnie Minoso (1951), Juan Samuel (1984), Nomar Garciaparra (1997) and Hanley Ramirez (2006) in accomplishing the feat.
INJURY UPDATE: •
RHP Zach Miner (Partial tear in right elbow,
60-day DL on March 26, Had successful Tommy John surgery May 28,
Out for Season),
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LHP Bobby Seay (Torn rotator cuff,
60-day DL on March 26, surgery on September 15,
Out for Season),
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OF Magglio Ordonez (right ankle fracture,
15-day DL on July 25, Had surgery surgery Aug. 25,
Out for Season),
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INF Danny Worth (bruised left heel,
15-day DL on August 4,
Out for Season),
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RHP Joel Zumaya (non-displaced fracture of the olecranon,
60-day DL on June 29, Underwent elbow surgery July 12,
Out for Season).
•
Carlos Guillen (Bruised left knee,
15-day DL on August 23,
Out for Season)
Out for Season
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Up next (Probable Pitchers)• Tuesday, September 28, TIGERS (RHP
Max Scherzer (12-10, 3.40 ERA))
AT INDIANS (RHP
Mitch Talbot (9-13, 4.61 ERA)),
7:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)• Wednesday, September 29, TIGERS (RHP
Justin Verlander (18-8, 3.31 ERA))
AT INDIANS (RHP
Josh Tomlin (5-4, 4.50 ERA)),
7:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)
Mon Sep 27, 2010 7:02 pm
out swinging.