The last time the Pittsburgh Pirates (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/pit/) enjoyed any kind of success, Jim Leyland was their manager.
He returns to Pittsburgh on Friday with the Detroit Tigers (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/det/), who are enjoying a renaissance under the 61-year-old manager.
The two teams begin a three-game set at PNC Park, with Detroit (54-25) looking to extend its six-game winning streak and the Pirates (27-53) searching for consecutive victories after snapping a 13-game losing streak, their longest in 116 years. Leyland managed the Pirates from 1986-96, leading them to three straight division titles from 1990-92. Pittsburgh has not reached the postseason since.

Leyland moved on to Florida -- where he won the 1997 World Series -- and Colorado before returning to manage again this season with Detroit following a six-year layoff.

"I'm looking forward to going home, but I'm not looking forward to playing the Pirates," said Leyland, who still maintains a home in Pittsburgh. "I'm sure (the fans will) boo me, but I love them, and I understand."
Sitting in the visitor's dugout with Leyland will be former Pittsburgh managers Gene Lamont and Lloyd McClendon, who are currently coaches on Leyland's Detroit staff.
One of those men -- Leyland, Lamont or McClendon -- was in charge of the Pirates every year since 1986, with the exception of 26 games last season after McClendon was fired and replaced by interim manager Pete Mackanin.
The three former Pirates managers are enjoying plenty of success in Detroit, as the Tigers have baseball's best record and are poised for their first winning season since 1993, when they were 85-77.
Detroit has played so well, with 17 victories in its last 20 games, that the Tigers could reach the postseason for the first time since 1987.
"I think they're special, but that doesn't mean we have something special going," Leyland said.
Detroit begins a 10-game road trip with the visit to Pittsburgh.
The Pirates ended their longest losing streak in more than a century with a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/chw/) on Thursday. Freddy Sanchez (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6999/) hit the game-winning home run for Pittsburgh, which hasn't won consecutive games since June 9-11 against San Francisco and is 2-10 in interleague play.
Pittsburgh hadn't lost 13 straight since 1890, when the franchise known as the Pittsburgh Alleghenies dropped 23 in a row.
"You hope you never see anything like that happen to us again," said Sanchez, who raised his NL-leading batting average to .363. "Now we're looking forward to starting to win some games. Let's do something and turn it around and hope it's over."
Kip Wells (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6301/) (0-2, 11.00 ERA) looks to improve his performance when he takes the mound for the Pirates. The right-hander, who has missed most of the year recovering from surgery to repair a blocked artery in his right shoulder, has allowed 14 hits and 11 earned runs in 8 1-3 innings in his two starts.
Wells is 2-1 with a 4.80 ERA in five career appearances -- three starts -- against the Tigers.
Kenny Rogers (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/3974/) (10-3, 3.44) looks to win his fourth straight decision when he starts for Detroit. The 41-year-old left-hander didn't earn a decision against the Cardinals on Saturday, but has only one loss since April 24.
He's 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four career starts against the Pirates, and Rogers' teams are 4-0 in those contests. The Tigers are 8-7 against the Pirates in interleague play. The teams have not faced each other since 2002.

Heres to a 9 game winning streak!

starting pitchers for tonight:



http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/6177/startingpitching5km.jpg

Where is everyone?

Ok, TIGERS WIN!


But that shit was way to close.

i am here, did they come from behind?

No, they almost blew a 7-1 lead. Doesn't matter now, though. It was good to see Jonesy pitch well again.

Yeah, I was thinking, if they blew this game, for once, Jones would not have been the reason.

Game 2 preview:




The Detroit Tigers (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/det/) look to build on a 20-7 June record and continue their best start since the year of their last World Series title when they play the middle game of a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/pit/) on Saturday.
Detroit (55-25) equaled the 80-game start of the 1984 Tigers with a 7-6 win on Friday against the Pirates. The team's 20th win in June -- the most wins for the team in that month in 38 years -- didn't come easy, though, after letting a five-run lead dwindle to one.
The Pirates (27-54), who had snapped a 13-game losing streak on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/chw/), rallied with three runs in the fifth inning and another run in the eighth. But after putting runners on first and second in the ninth inning, Tigers closer Todd Jones (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/5082/) retired the side for the team's seventh straight win as Detroit manager Jim Leyland faced his former team. "We wanted to win for him," said Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7630/). "He kind of busted on us, saying, 'Hey we're going back to my old place, we'd better kick their rear ends.' It was a little tough, we were a little shaky, but we came out victorious."

Detroit's 20 wins in June were the most for the Tigers in the month the 1968 Tigers went 20-11. That club went on to win 103 games and the World Series.

The Tigers will kick off July by sending Jeremy Bonderman (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7106/) (7-4, 3.65 ERA) to the mound. Bonderman, who went 2-0 in five June outings, did not receive a decision in last Sunday's 4-1 victory over St. Louis, allowing one run in seven innings but leaving a tie game.
"He kept us in there so we could win," Leyland said.
Bonderman, who has never faced the Pirates, has struck out 32 batters over the last three games and ranks in the top 10 pitchers in the majors for strikeouts per nine innings with 8.66.
The Pirates will counter with Tom Gorzelanny (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7678/), making his first start of the season after Oliver Perez (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6945/) was sent to the minors. Gorzelanny was 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA in three appearances last season, one as a starter. The 23-year-old left-hander has just six major league innings under his belt, but Pittsburgh manager Jim Tracy thinks Gorzelanny is ready.
"You can just tell there is a confidence level there that he has reached," Tracy said. "That obviously comes from the success he has had."
The Pirates' second-round draft pick from 2003 was 6-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 16 starts at Triple-A and allowed just one earned run in his last 20 innings.
"During the course of the season, I've kind of been working on everything and it just came together," said Gorzelanny. "Now I have a package I can throw out there and be successful with. Obviously there is more to work on. But I think I am at the point where I can show the team that I am ready to be here and ready to succeed."
Gorzelanny will be the third left-hander to be added to the Pirates' rotation in the last two seasons, joining Zach Duke (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7512/) and Paul Maholm (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/7636/). With Friday's loss, Pittsburgh fell to 2-11 in interleague play this season.

Starting Pitching:


http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/2671/startingpitching8dy.jpg

Mama said their would be nights like this.

Mama said their would be nights like this.

3 errors in a row, and 7 runs in one inning? I thought I was watching the Tigers of the last 15 years. Oh wait, I didn't watch the Tigers the past 15 years....but I heard they were BAD.

Yeah, this was a very bad night.

Glad I wasn't around to watch the game last night.

they blew a 9-2 lead, it was 9-8 going into the 9th inning, Todd Jones loads the bases and then gets 2 straight outs. What a fucked up game.

Yeah. Glad to get the hell out of Pittsburgh.

Ok, what the crap is going on with Rodney? In his last 2 outings, he's only retired one batter while allowing 9 runs (yes, 5 were unearned, but it's being generous to say none of the runs the other night were his fault). We hardly made them look like a team that had lost 13 of 14 before we got there.

He's pissed about the All-star game.

Usually that means people pitch better.

Plenty of people do worse when they are mad.