GDT: 6/2/09 - DET (28-21) VS BOS (29-22) - 7:05 p.m. ET

BALTIMORE -- Under normal circumstances, the Tigers' Gerald Laird would already know pretty much everything a catcher needs to know about right-hander Jeremy Bonderman. He'd have caught Bonderman's bullpen sessions in Spring Training, along with Grapefruit League games. They would have bonded in the clubhouse in Lakeland, Fla., and Laird would be approaching nine or 10 starts behind the plate with his new batterymate.

But this has been anything but a normal season for Bonderman, who has spent the early season on the disabled list recovering from a circulatory problem. And Laird, traded from Texas to the Tigers during the offseason, will be on a sharp learning curve when Bonderman is eventually activated to make his delayed 2009 debut.

"I've caught a couple of [bullpen sessions], worked with him in Spring Training," said Laird. "But you're right, it takes a while to learn a guy. I know a lot about him from when I was with Texas, from watching him. I know what he likes to do with certain hitters in certain situations from watching him and hitting against him."

A catcher who's new to a team might routinely check in with the guy who caught Bonderman the most last year, but Ivan Rodriguez departed Detroit before last season was over in a trade to the Yankees. Or he could ask a pitching coach, except for the fact that Chuck Hernandez was let go after last season and replaced by Rick Knapp.

That leaves Brandon Inge, the current third baseman who caught regularly once Rodriguez was dealt to the Yankees last year, as his chief source of information on Bonderman.

"I'm sure Ingie and I will be talking a lot," Laird said. "It's my job to know as much about a pitcher as possible and [Inge] can help me do that. But you do that by drawing on whatever experience you have personally and talking to whomever might help you."

Bonderman was scheduled to make his fourth start of a Minor League rehabilitation assignment Sunday night for Triple-A Toledo against Charlotte. When he might rejoin the Tigers, or who he might replace in the rotation, remains a mystery.

When he returns, Laird is cognizant Bonderman may want to push harder and faster than he should in his first few starts once he's activated. That means the catcher becomes equal parts coach and doctor, walking a fine line between trusted confidant and an on-the-field coach who has to take a big-picture approach.

"You have to do what's right for the pitcher, and that's usually what's right for the ballclub," Laird said. "And that's what we'll do. I know he'll want to come back strong because he's raring to go, but we want him healthy because he's going to be important to us down the stretch. It's my job to know when to push him a little and to know when he had to take it a little easy."

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Rick Porcello (6-3, 3.48 ERA)
How does Porcello follow up a 5-0 May? Continuing the unbeaten streak into June would be an impressive step. In addition to being the first Tigers pitcher since John Doherty in 1984 to win five or more games in a month, the impressive rookie has posted a 1.50 ERA during his current five-game winning streak. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that makes Porcello -- at 20 years, 151 days old -- the second-youngest pitcher in Major League history to go 5-0 with an ERA of 1.50 or better in any five-start span (the Mets' Dwight Gooden went 5-0 with a 1.43 ERA in five starts at age 19 in 1984). While the Tigers are thrilled with the production, they will remain cautious with the future rotation cornerstone. He's worked seven innings only once in his nine starts, a clear sign that the Tigers will take a conservative approach and not overwork him.

BOS: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-3, 8.82 ERA)
Matsuzaka tied a team record with four wild pitches in Wednesday's loss to the Twins at the Metrodome. Matsuzaka's control was obviously an issue, as he needed 102 pitches to get through five innings. He allowed three earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out six. He is still winless in four starts this season. Matsuzaka is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four career starts against Detroit, including his only career complete game. Matsuzaka allowed one run in nine innings against the Tigers on May 14, 2007, in his eighth career start.

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Tidbits

... With a victory at Baltimore on Sunday, Detroit improved to 14-2 in Saturday/Sunday games. The Tigers have outscored the opposition 86-41 on those days.
... Designated hitter Magglio Ordonez went 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday, snapping his hitting streak at 17 games. It's the longest streak by a Tigers player since Ordonez hit in 20 straight games from July 5-27, 2005.
... Edwin Jackson's victory Sunday gave the Tigers a combined 14 wins by three pitchers -- Jackson (four), Porcello (five) and Justin Verlander (five) -- in a month for the first time since May 1993, when Bill Gullickson won six games and Tom Bolton and Mike Moore won four apiece.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Wednesday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 3-5, 5.50 ERA) vs. Red Sox (Josh Beckett, 5-2, 4.60 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Thursday: Tigers (Dontrelle Willis, 1-2, 5.56 ERA) vs. Red Sox (Tim Wakefield, 6-3, 4.55 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 6-2, 3.63 ERA) vs. Angels (Matt Palmer, 5-0, 4.06 ERA), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Boston AVG
Pedroia, 2B .326
Drew, RF .248
Youkilis, 1B .366
Bay, LF .288
Lowell, 3B .308
Ortiz, DH .185
Varitek, C .239
Ellsbury, CF .299
Green, N, SS .298

Detroit AVG
Thomas, RF .282
Polanco, 2B .255
Ordonez, DH .280
Cabrera, M, 1B .355
Granderson, CF .258
Inge, 3B .269
Anderson, J, LF .277
Laird, C 0 .225
Santiago, SS .308

Play Ball!

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Dustin Pedroia doubles (16) on a line drive to left fielder Josh Anderson.

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
J. D. Drew singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Dustin Pedroia scores.

Sox 1-0

B:1 S:2 O:2 - Kevin Youkilis grounds into double play,
third baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Placido Polanco to first
baseman Miguel Cabrera. J. D. Drew out at 2nd.

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Jason Bay strikes out swinging.

Sox 1-0

Bottom Half

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Clete Thomas walks.

B:0 S:1 O:0 -
Placido Polanco singles on a line drive to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Clete Thomas to 2nd.

B:2 S:0 O:2 - Magglio Ordonez grounds into double
play, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to second baseman Dustin Pedroia to
first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Clete Thomas to 3rd. Placido Polanco out
at 2nd.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera singles on a line drive to left fielder Jason Bay. Clete Thomas scores.

tied 1-1

B:2 S:2 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a ground ball to right fielder J. D. Drew. Miguel Cabrera to 3rd.

B:2 S:2 O:2 -
With Brandon Inge batting, Curtis Granderson steals (9) 2nd base.

B:2 S:3 O:3 -
Brandon Inge strikes out swinging.

1-1 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:1 S:3 O:1 -
Mike Lowell strikes out swinging.


B:2 S:1 O:1 -
David Ortiz singles on a line drive to left fielder Josh Anderson.

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Jason Varitek singles on a ground ball to left fielder Josh Anderson. David Ortiz to 2nd.

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Jacoby Ellsbury reaches on fielding error by pitcher Rick Porcello. David Ortiz to 3rd. Jason Varitek to 2nd.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Nick Green pops out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera on the infield fly rule.

come on Rick!

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Dustin Pedroia grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

1-1 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Josh Anderson grounds out, pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Gerald Laird singles on a line drive to left fielder Jason Bay.

B:0 S:2 O:2 -
Ramon Santiago grounds out, second baseman Dustin Pedroia to pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
With Clete Thomas batting, wild pitch by Daisuke Matsuzaka, Gerald Laird to 2nd.

Clete Thomas

1-1 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
J. D. Drew singles on a line drive to left fielder Josh Anderson.

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Kevin Youkilis pops out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Jason Bay homers (16) on a fly ball to left field. J. D. Drew scores.

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Mike Lowell reaches on fielding error by shortstop Ramon Santiago.

B:1 S:1 O:3 - David Ortiz grounds into double play,
first baseman Miguel Cabrera to shortstop Ramon Santiago to first
baseman Miguel Cabrera to third baseman Brandon Inge. Mike Lowell out
at 2nd.

Sox 3-1 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Placido Polanco called out on strikes.

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Magglio Ordonez singles on a line drive to right fielder J. D. Drew.

B:1 S:1 O:3 - Miguel Cabrera lines into double play,
second baseman Dustin Pedroia to first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Magglio
Ordonez doubled off 1st.

Sox 3-1 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Jason Varitek grounds out, shortstop Ramon Santiago to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Jacoby Ellsbury singles on a ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
With Nick Green batting, Jacoby Ellsbury steals (22) 2nd base.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Nick Green grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Jacoby Ellsbury to 3rd.

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Dustin Pedroia grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

Sox 3-1 after 3.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:2 S:2 O:0 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a line drive to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

B:0 S:3 O:1 -
Brandon Inge strikes out swinging.

B:0 S:0 O:3 - Josh Anderson flies into double play,
right fielder J. D. Drew to second baseman Dustin Pedroia to first
baseman Kevin Youkilis. Curtis Granderson doubled off 1st.

Sox 3-1 after 4 innings

Inning 5
Top Half

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
J. D. Drew grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:4 S:2 O:1 -
Kevin Youkilis walks.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Pitcher Change: Ryan Perry replaces Rick Porcello. (84 pitches - 54 for strikes - 2 K - 1 BB)