6/24/09 -- Chicago Cubs (Harden) vs. Detroit Tigers (Porcello) -- 7:05 PM

[JayVee]

Coming to you LIVE from Comerica Park, in beautiful Downtown Detroit, Michigan...





It’s Your FIRST PLACE
DETROIT TIGERS





versus the

Chicago Cubs

PITCHING MATCHUP:



Chicago – RHP Rich Harden (4-3, 5.27 ERA)

Harden wasn't sharp in his last outing against the Indians. He served up two three-run homers among the seven hits he gave up in five innings. The right-hander said he was falling behind in the count. He also has discovered that he can't get away with any mistakes. "It seems that this year, when I'm leaving the ball up, it's cost me," he said. "If you're going to miss, miss in, miss out, but don't miss over the plate. That has to be my approach out there."

Detroit – RHP Rick Porcello (8-4, 3.54 ERA)

Porcello allowed three runs -- one earned -- in 5 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on Thursday in St. Louis. He struck out three, walked two and turned a one-run lead over to the Tigers' bullpen, earning his eighth victory in 13 starts. He is 2-1 in four starts in June and has allowed just two earned runs in his last two outings.

NOTES:
Magglio Ordonez will be back in the starting lineup Wednesday against Harden. Ordonez went 0-for-2 with a walk Monday in his first start since last Wednesday, showing some better swings in the process. ... Placido Polanco is 5-for-7 lifetime off Harden with two doubles and two RBIs. Gerald Laird is 0-for-6 off Harden with three strikeouts. ... Fernando Rodney's streak of 14 saves in as many opportunities is the longest streak by a Tigers closer in a single season since Todd Jones converted 19 consecutive chances from June 10 to Aug. 30, 2006. ... Triple-A Toledo left-hander Lucas French was named the International League's Pitcher of the Week for the week ending Sunday. French allowed two runs in 16 innings over two starts with 18 strikeouts, including a 10-strikeout, eight-inning performance Sunday.

Current MLB Records and Standings


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Extra Innings Schedule

***
GO TIGERS!

[FloridaTigers]

I gotta say, the Flying Tigers have one of the coolest uni designs/schemes around

[The Truman Show]

I need a flying Tigers hat.

[DaYooperASBDT]

Wow, all those injuries appear to have finally caught up to Mr. Harden.
Danged shame, at one point he was the best pitcher in baseball (again, when healthy).

[Shelton]

Who do I have to pay to get the media to stop saying Rodney has saved 14 games in as many opportunities? He has at least one save opportunity that did not result in a save. If you want to say he hasn't blown a save yet, I won't argue with you. But he is not 14 for 14 in save opps. 15 opportunities, 14 saves, zero blown saves.

[JayVee]

Another reason why the Save stat needs to be reworked...

[Shelton]

Another reason why the Save stat needs to be reworked...

The save stat is fine. I just don't think the media should be so lazy and assume no blown saves means perfect in save opps.

They should do a better job of tracking save opportunities. If you don't end up with a hold or a save during your save opp, then you aren't perfect in save opportunities. Maybe they should create a blown hold stat.

[Dan Gilmore]

As another example of sloppiness, my local (Oregon) paper had the game being played at Wrigley.

[The Truman Show]

The save stat is fine. I just don't think the media should be so lazy and assume no blown saves means perfect in save opps.

They should do a better job of tracking save opportunities. If you don't end up with a hold or a save during your save opp, then you aren't perfect in save opportunities. Maybe they should create a blown hold stat.

A blown hold is just a blown save, so he wouldn't have one of those either.

That whole thing was weird. He basically had his save op retroactively disregarded once Lyon came in. But I agree that either way, they aren't tracking his numbers correctly. I mean, forget about the whole save % thing, they don't count that White Sox game when they're comparing his save situation numbers to non-save situation numbers. That's even more misleading.

[Shelton]

A blown hold is just a blown save, so he wouldn't have one of those either.

Not necessarily. I'm talking about creating a stat to give to a player who contributes to a blown save, like in Rodney's case. When the pitcher goes through and actually blows the save situation in the 8th inning, you can still give him a blown save.

A pitcher can enter in the 9th and end up with a hold where someone else gets the save. For that reason, I think they should make a new stat called blown holds.

Or just keep track of actual save opps per pitcher.

[ahmed345]

I'll be there. Got tix last minute. Hopefully better than my last game, which was the Saturday game @ PNC.

[The Truman Show]

Not necessarily. I'm talking about creating a stat to give to a player who contributes to a blown save, like in Rodney's case. When the pitcher goes through and actually blows the save situation in the 8th inning, you can still give him a blown save.

A pitcher can enter in the 9th and end up with a hold where someone else gets the save. For that reason, I think they should make a new stat called blown holds.

Or just keep track of actual save opps per pitcher.

I think they should start a new stat called fails. It would be up to the official scorer: if the reliever just comes in and fails at whatever he was supposed to do, he gets a fail for the day, regardless of circumstance.

[Jeremy"Cy" Bonderman]

I think they should start a new stat called fails. It would be up to the official scorer: if the reliever just comes in and fails at whatever he was supposed to do, he gets a fail for the day, regardless of circumstance.

Better yet they could give out participation trophies like they do in Little League. That way players like Magglio don't have to feel bad about an 0-2 game.

[JonBenke]

Ordonez went 0-for-2 with a walk Monday in his first start since last Wednesday, showing some better swings in the process.

Wow, what game were they watching?

[The Truman Show]

Wow, what game were they watching?

That's awfully generous.

[tiger337]

The save stat is fine. I just don't think the media should be so lazy and assume no blown saves means perfect in save opps.

I also think the Save stat is OK. What's not OK is managers allowing it to totally control how they use closers. I don't think any other stat has so much influence over how players are used.

[kdog]

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
4. Marcus Thames, DH
5. Don Kelly, LF
6. Brandon Inge, 3B
7. Magglio Ordonez, RF
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Adam Everett, SS

[JayVee]

So is this the "A" lineup?

[Shelton]

So is this the "A" lineup?

I'd call it the B+ lineup. It could be better, but it's still pretty good.

[JonBenke]

That's awfully generous.

And he only "walked" cause Inge hit a two run, go ahead HR of Z, who went about throwing a tantrum like a girl .. while "throwing" to Ordonez.

[Lousluggage]

I picked a bad time to fall asleep last night, and missed the walk-off. Hopefully tonight's game is even better than last night's ending.

[The Truman Show]

I picked a bad time to fall asleep last night, and missed the walk-off. Hopefully tonight's game is even better than last night's ending.

I picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue.

[Yoda]

Nice picture of Rick there. :)

[KleShreen]

Magglio cut all his hair off...looks like a crew cut now.

Maybe it will allow him to hit.

[Shelton]

Who took that picture?

This is going to sound stupid, but I am somehow confident that Maggs will have a good game tonight.

[MoTownTigers15]

maggs looks so different!

[KleShreen]

Who took that picture?

This is going to sound stupid, but I am somehow confident that Maggs will have a good game tonight.

It was from FSN Detroit's facebook page.

[Oblong]

Magglio looks like a white sox player.

[Antrat]

Magglio looks like a white sox player.

eeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww!

[tigerbomb13]

maggs looks so different!

He's hoping it will aerodynamically give him more power.

[apabruce]

The reverse Samson effect for Magglio.

[Lousluggage]

I picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue.

and smoking, drinking, and amphetamines?

[sloan]

glad he finally cut his hair

[Ghostface]

who didn't think the haircut was inevitable?

[Chaz]

Just "wow" on Maggs cut!! agree with Yoda on the shot of Rick..seems like just last year, he was pitching down here..


GO TIGERS!!!

[tigerbomb13]

I loved the reaction of the Cubs fan in the front row where Raburn hit the home run last night. Outstanding!

[JackMorrisStache]

I hope Magglio's lack of hair doesn't cost him his Slater nickname.

[wolverinefan]

Theriot grounds to Everett. 2 outs

[tiger337]

Glad he finally got a hair cut. Stuff like that looks silly when a player is not producing.

[ScrubBeaterUpper]

GGG.

(We don't count K's with Rick)