GDT: 7/20/11 - DET (51-45) VS OAK (42-55) - 7:05 p.m. ET ---
VS ---
Detroit Tigers VS Oakland AthleticsWednesday, July 20, 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. Anderson’s number 11 was retired
in a pre-game ceremony on June 26.
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Preview Tigers call up Below to face A'sBy Jon Star / MLB.com | 7/19/2011 11:16 PM ET
A midseason promotion is what all rookies look forward to, but the excitement and energy gets ratcheted up when that rookie is thrown straight into a hotly contested divisional race. That is the environment with which the Tigers' Duane Below will find himself on Wednesday. Detroit called up the left-hander from Triple-A Toledo where he went 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 18 starts. Below will make his debut with the opportunity to pitch the Tigers into first place in the American League Central.Below is a local product, having grown up in Britton, Mich., roughly an hour from Detroit, and having attended Lake Michigan College in the western part of the state. Below earned his stripes in the Tigers system, making his first appearance for the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2006 and his Triple-A debut this season.
His lengthy stay in the Minors has allowed the Tigers to get a good look at the 25-year-old southpaw, who manager Jim Leyland said has made one noticeable change throughout the season.
"His control has been really good this year," Leyland said. "It wasn't in Spring Training."Countering Below will be Brandon McCarthy, who looks to build off his previous start -- his first victory since coming off the disabled list on July 3 and first overall since April 10. In between, McCarthy endured five losses in nine starts. Despite the injury, the right-hander has proven reliable, having lasted at least six innings in eight of his last nine starts.
One of McCarthy's best starts of the season came against the Tigers. On April 15, he blanked Detroit over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and only one walk. His 1.43 walks per nine innings currently ranks third in the AL (minimum 70 innings).
Athletics: Weeks continues to rack up hitsJemile Weeks made his big league debut on June 7 and since then, all he has done is hit his way on base. Weeks, who is hitting .307 (44-for-143) this season, saw his streak of four consecutive multi-hit games end with an 0-for-5 night on Tuesday, but he has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games. Since going 0-for-4 in his first game, the second baseman's average has not dipped below .287, which it did on July 10.
Tigers: Cabrera once again punishes A'sMiguel Cabrera is having a relatively quiet July, but when he hit his 20th home run of the season on Tuesday, he expanded on his recent history of pounding Oakland pitching. Cabrera, who entered Tuesday's game hitting .178 this month, hit his 11th home run and drove in his 28th and 29th runs against Oakland since joining the Tigers in 2008. In that span, Cabrera is hitting .330 (35-for-106) in 29 games. The A's have somewhat held Cabrera in check this season. The Tigers' first baseman is hitting only .176 (3-for-17) against Oakland in 2011, though two of the hits are home runs.
Worth noting:Oakland pitching has allowed four runs or more just four times since June 14.
Tigers: LHP Duane Below (0-0, -.-- ERA)After much speculation over who would get the fifth starter's spot out of the break, the Michigan native will get his shot. He has been the most consistent of Detroit's prospects, going 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA at Triple-A Toledo.
Athletics: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-5, 3.64 ERA)McCarthy may not be a fan of the win-loss stat, but the righty returned to the win column last time out for the first time since April 10. He surrendered two runs over 5 1/3 innings and fanned seven to snap a five-game losing streak.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
Game InformationRECENT RESULTS: The Tigers knocked off Oakland 8-3 last night. Rick Porcello (9-6) earned the win for Detroit. Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen both belted two-run home runs for the Tigers, while Brennan Boesch finished with three hits and an RBI. The Tigers conclude a five-game homestand tonight with the final game of a two-game series against the Athletics. Following tonight’s game, the club hits the road for a seven-game trip to Minnesota and Chicago.
TIGERS RECALL BELOW AND FURBUSH FROM TRIPLE A: The Tigers today recalled the contracts of lefthanded pitchers Duane Below and Charlie Furbush from Triple A Toledo. Below posted a 9-4 record and 3.13 ERA (115.0IP/40ER) in 18 starts with the Mud Hens this season. Furbush compiled a 5-3 record, 3.17 ERA (54.0IP/19ER) and 61 strikeouts in 10 outings (nine starts) with Toledo. Following last night’s game, the Tigers optioned the contracts of lefthanded pitcher Adam Wilk and outfielder Casper Wells to Toledo.
WINNING WAYS: Detroit has won 39 of the club’s last 67 games dating back to May 3, a .582 winning percentage. The Tigers are third among all American League clubs with a .582 winning percentage during that stretch.
MIGGY MASHES AGAINST OAKLAND: Miguel Cabrera is hitting .330 (35x106) with eight doubles, 11 home runs and 29 RBI in 29 games versus Oakland since joining the Tigers in 2008. He is tops among all major league players with 11 home runs and a .717 slugging percentage versus Oakland since the start of the 2008 season, while he is tied for fourth with 29 RBI and is eighth with a .330 batting average.
BOESCH IS BASHING: Brennan Boesch enters this evening’s game against the Athletics hitting .362 (55x152) with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBI over his last 38 games dating back to June 3. He is tops in the American League with a .362 batting average during that stretch, while he is tied for third with 12 doubles and a .618 slugging percentage, is fifth with 55 hits and tied for ninth with nine home runs.
VALVERDE’S CONVERTING SAVES: Jose Valverde converted his 25th consecutive save to begin the season on Sunday versus Chicago. His 25 straight saves converted is the third-longest such streak during a single season in Tigers history. Guillermo Hernandez converted 32 straight save opportunities for the Tigers April 6-September 23, 1984, while Todd Jones converted 26 straight save chances for the club April 25-July 30, 2000.
BENOIT ON THE BALL: Joaquin Benoit enters tonight’s game against the Athletics with a 1-0 record, 1.33 ERA (20.1IP/3ER), two saves and 22 strikeouts over his last 24 outings for the Tigers dating back to May 20. He has limited opponents to a .222 batting average (16x72) during the stretch.
VICTOR AT THE BAT: Victor Martinez is hitting .337 (58x172) with 12 doubles, two home runs and 27 RBI over his last 46 games dating back to May 27. He is tied for third among all American League players with a .337 batting average during that stretch.
CABRERA COLLECTS HIS 600TH EXTRA-BASE HIT: Miguel Cabrera belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning last night off Oakland’s Guillermo Moscoso for the 600th extrabase hit of his major league career. Among all the players to debut in major leagues following the conclusion of World War II, only Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols had as many extra-base hits as Cabrera at his current age. (Source: Elias Sports Bureau)
ALL IS WELL WITH ALBURQUERQUE: Al Alburquerque enters tonight’s game against the Athletics tops among all American League relievers with a .145 batting average, 14.36 strikeouts per nine innings and 4.60 hits per nine innings, while he is tied for the lead with five wins and is sixth with 50 strikeouts.
BULLISH BEHAVIOR: Tigers relievers have compiled a 2.97 ERA (30.1IP/10ER) and 25 strikeouts over the club’s last 12 games dating back to July 3. During the 12-game stretch, club relievers have limited opponents to a .239 batting average (27x113).
RESCHEDULED 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: •
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 •
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Direct TV Extra Innings ScheduleOn radio•
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XM Channel Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers) • Thursday, July 21: Tigers (RHP
Justin Verlander (12-5, 2.29 ERA))
AT Twins (RHP
Carl Pavano (6-6, 4.08 ERA)),
8:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD, MLBN / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Friday, July 22: Tigers (RHP
Max Scherzer (10-5, 4.53 ERA))
AT Twins (LHP
Brian Duensing (7-7, 4.14 ERA)),
8:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Saturday, July 23: Tigers (RHP
Brad Penny (7-6, 4.47 ERA))
AT Twins (?HP
TBA ( ERA)),
4:10 p.m. ET (FOX / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)• Sunday, July 24: Tigers (RHP
Rick Porcello (9-6, 4.76 ERA))
AT Twins (LHP
Francisco Liriano (6-7, 4.56 ERA)),
4:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD / WXYT 97.1 FM & 1270 AM)