GDT: 7/2/11 - DET (44-39) VS SF (47-36) - 7:05 p.m. ET Parrothead Night at Comerica ParkThe Detroit Tigers are hosting Parrothead Night, a night dedicated to renowned singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett's music and lifestyle, at Comerica Park on Saturday, July 2 at 7:05 p.m.
Come to the ballpark in your flip flops, board shorts and grass skirts and be a Parrothead for the night, a term reserved for Jimmy Buffett's biggest fans!
Parrothead Night Highlights
First 10,000 fans will receive an island-themed floppy hat sponsored by National Coney Island
- Live music from Don Middlebrook & Dave Matchette, Steel Drum Player Phil Mays, CMA National Recording Artist Doug Dunn with Lynda Michele
- Limbo contest
- All in-game music and giveaways will be Jimmy Buffett and island themed
- Friday Night Fireworks, presented by Pepsi, are free with game ticket and will be themed to Jimmy Buffett hits immediately following the game (weather permitting).
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Detroit Tigers VS San Francisco GiantsSaturday, July 2, 2011
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Game Time - 7:05 p.m. EDT REMEMBERING SPARKYThe Tigers are wearing a patch on their right
sleeves this season in the shape of a home
plate emblazoned with the name SPARKY, to
honor Hall of Fame manager Sparky
Anderson who passed away on November 4, 2010.
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Preview Pitching in focus as Zito squares off against ScherzerScherzer goes for 10th win against GiantsBy Cash Kruth / MLB.com | 7/1/2011 8:28 PM ET
At least through the first seven innings, Friday presented yet another reason to believe that good pitching trumps good hitting, a scenario that is likely to be a theme during the Giants' three-game series in Detroit.
Entering play Friday, the Giants pitching staff ranked first in the National League in strikeouts and opponents batting average, third in ERA and had allowed the fewest homers in the Majors. The Tigers, meanwhile, ranked second in the American League in batting average, third in on-base percentage and fourth in slugging percentage, runs scored and runs per game, while tied for fifth in home runs.
On Friday, it was San Francisco left-hander Madison Bumgarner who silenced the Tigers bats through 7 1/3 innings. On Saturday, Barry Zito (1-1, 4.95 ERA) looks to follow Bumgarner's lead in the second of a three-game set at 7:05 p.m. ET at Comerica Park against the Tigers and Max Scherzer (9-3, 4.47).
Saturday marks Zito's second start since returning from the disabled list with a sprained right foot, and also will come on three days' rest. Zito has never thrown on three days' rest in the regular season, but said he doesn't think it will affect him.
"I don't really make a big deal out of it as far as physically," Zito said. "You're either good to go or you're not. ... My body certainly can handle whatever the demands are. I think it should be no problem to go out there and throw 100-plus pitches."
The left-hander's return from the DL on Tuesday went well, as he allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings. Zito is 7-6 with a 3.09 ERA in 15 starts against Detroit, the last of which came in June 2008 when he lasted only two innings.
Opposing Zito is Scherzer, who is gunning for his 10th win of the season. After allowing six runs in six innings on June 21 against the Dodgers, Scherzer rebounded in his last start against Toronto, allowing two runs and striking out nine in seven innings. The former D-back is 1-2 with a 2.60 ERA in three career starts against the Giants.
Giants: Panda extends streakThird baseman Pablo Sandoval extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games Friday, going 2-for-5 and driving in two runs. During the streak, Sandoval is hitting .314 with six doubles, one home run and five RBIs.
• Giants skipper Bruce Bochy said Friday that struggling center fielder Andres Torres will be out of the lineup for "at least a couple of days." Torres has only one hit in his last 22 at-bats.
• Pat Burrell, scheduled to start at designated hitter Friday, was a late scratch because of right foot soreness.
Tigers: Leyland ready for Interleague to endThis weekend marks the final Interleague series for the Tigers, and skipper Jim Leyland said prior to Friday's loss that he's excited for it to end. Although playing without a designated hitter won't affect the Tigers this weekend in Detroit, Leyland said he's ready to get back to a sense of normalcy.
"I am, just because it gets us back into our norm," Leyland said. "It's over for us, really, because we're home. You get back into the more comfortable settings for us. We know the White Sox, Cleveland, Kansas City, we're going there. We're going to the places we're familiar with and you get back in your element. I'm glad it's over."
• Justin Verlander finished June 6-0 with a 0.92 ERA. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other Tigers pitcher other than Verlander to win six or more games during a calendar month with an ERA lower than 1.00 since 1913 -- when earned runs became an official American League statistic -- was Frank Lary in September 1956. Lary went 7-0 with a 0.86 ERA that month.
Worth noting• San Francisco is 6-4 all-time against the Tigers since they began playing in 2003, including winning five of the last six games.
• San Francisco DHs are hitting only .125 (2-for-16) this season, after compiling a .091 mark (2-for-22) during Interleague Play last year.
• Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez is hitting .289 since returning from the DL.
• The Giants are 20-0 in games in which they've had a lead of at least three runs.
Tigers: RHP Max Scherzer (9-3, 4.47 ERA)After looking almost unbeatable for much of the first two months, Scherzer has been stuck on nine wins the last couple of turns through the rotation. He used nine strikeouts to help him to seven innings of two-run ball Monday.
Giants: LHP Barry Zito (1-1, 4.95 ERA)Zito will be starting on three days' rest, one fewer than usual, which he has never done in his Major League career. But he didn't labor in his comeback outing last Tuesday at Chicago, facing four batters or fewer in every inning but one.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
Game InformationRESCHEDULED GAMES: The following is the information on the rescheduled Tigers games postponed at Comerica Park this season:
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Thursday, September 1 versus Kansas City at 1:05 p.m. (rescheduled from May 15)
INJURY UPDATE: •
LHP Brad Thomas (left elbow inflammation,
15-day disabled list on May 11),
•
INF Carlos Guillen (left knee microfracture surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 30),
Rehab with Lakeland•
RHP Joel Zumaya (right elbow olecranon fracture surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 30).
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To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/On the Internet MLB.TV Gameday Audio•
Gameday•
Official Press Pass game notesOn television •
,
MLBN•
Direct TV Extra Innings ScheduleOn radio•
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•
XM Channel Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers) • Sunday, July 3: "Every Kid, Every Sunday" Justin Verlander Superhero CapeTigers (RHP
Rick Porcello (6-6, 5.06 ERA))
VS Giants (RHP
Ryan Vogelsong (6-1, 2.09 ERA)),
1:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Monday, July 4: Tigers (LHP
Charlie Furbush (1-1, 2.49 ERA))
AT Angels (RHP
Joel Pineiro (3-3, 4.14 ERA)),
9:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Tuesday, July 5: Tigers (RHP
Justin Verlander (11-3, 2.32 ERA))
AT Angels (RHP
Dan Haren (8-5, 2.85 ERA)),
10:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Wednesday, July 6: Tigers (RHP
Brad Penny (5-6, 4.43 ERA))
AT Angels (RHP
Tyler Chatwood (5-4, 3.83 ERA)),
3:35 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)