Bonderman, Tigers open homestand
Kansas City (31-56) at Detroit (59-29), Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET

Now the fun part begins.

The Tigers combined a hot start with a mentality of never letting up to post the Majors' best record heading into the All-Star break. Now, all the talk of hot starts is over, and the attention turns to the finish.

"First half's over," manager Jim Leyland said. "Come in Thursday and start from scratch."

After ending the season's first half with a nine-game, three-city road trip that brought them from Pittsburgh to the West Coast without an off-day, the Tigers begin the second half with a 10-game homestand. It includes three much-anticipated games against the White Sox and three more against the AL West-leading A's, but it begins with a four-game set against the last-place Royals.

It's an opening series that has Leyland openly worried. The Royals closed their first half with six wins in 10 games against the Cardinals, Twins and Blue Jays. Their once-struggling offense had scored at least five runs in 10 straight games until Roy Halladay and the Jays handed them an 11-3 loss on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

The Tigers built their first half in no small part by not letting down against teams with losing records. Leyland doesn't want them to lose sight of that with overconfidence now that they're taken seriously.

"They've been very professional," he said. "They've handled everything well, and they haven't said anything stupid. They're drawing attentiont to themselves by their performance. They're not drawing attention to themselves by lip service."

Pitching matchup
KC: RHP Brandon Duckworth (1-1, 5.33 ERA)
Duckworth, the former Phillies prospect who spent Spring Training in Pirates camp, will make his sixth start as a Royal after allowing three runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Twins last Wednesday. It was his first quality start since Kansas City acquired him from Pittsburgh on June 10.

DET: RHP Jeremy Bonderman (8-4, 3.46 ERA)
Though Leyland didn't release his second-half rotation before heading into the All-Star break, he's expected to push rookie sensation Justin Verlander back a few extra days, limit his innings, and use the extra time to move up his more experienced starters. If that holds true, Bonderman would start on five days rest after coming within a strike of a complete-game shutout last Friday at Seattle.

Player to watch
Matt Stairs is 8-for-16 with three homers and eight RBIs for his career off Bonderman, including 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs this year.

Up next
• Friday: Royals (LHP Mark Redman, 6-4, 5.27) at Tigers (LHP Kenny Rogers, 11-3, 3.85), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Royals (LHP Jimmy Gobble, 3-2, 4.32) at Tigers (RHP Zach Miner, 6-1, 2.57), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Royals (RHP Scott Elarton, 3-9, 5.38) at Tigers (LHP Nate Robertson, 8-5, 3.36), 1:05 p.m. ET
http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060709&content_id=1550033&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

Think i'm going for my b-day on the 13th. Or sometime this week. Cant fucking wait.

I'll be at the Friday game. Starting a bachelor party - day, at the Tiger game.

Interesting move with the rotation, but I like that it looks like we'll go Verlander, Bonderman, Rogers for the White Sox series after this

Fuck. I've already seen Minor this year! Grrr. This morning Rogers was starting Friday (per article) now its Minor. Oh well.

Look at espn.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/schedule?team=det

If you aren't going to start Rogers Fri or sat why not let Verlander face KC on Sunday, Move Rogers to Tuesday vs the White Sox, and have your top 3 guys go vs the Sox? This way the roatation would be back to the way it was?

I think they want Verlander to face the sox AND they want to give him as many extra days off as they can. Remember, he's never thrown more than 130 innings before.

I think they want Verlander to face the sox AND they want to give him as many extra days off as they can. Remember, he's never thrown more than 130 innings before.

I get the thinking but what scares me is the concept of doing something we haven't done all year, which is screw with the roation for any reason not related to injury because now it is very unbalanced.

It was L R L (until Maroth got hurt) L R

Now it is R R L L R, so at the end of this roation we will have R R R L L which seems to be a little stupid considering you shouldn't fix what isn't broken IMO. Like I said I get resting Verlander, but we could also spot start Colon sunday and do Verlander, Rogers, and Bonderman vs Chicago, just to keep up the roation that won 59 games in the first half.

I know it won't matter in all likelyhood but Leyland spoke of how he feels the roation has kept people off balance because it was L then R, soft throwing then hard throwing to go in a differant direction now just seems foolish. The way I see it Maroth will be back in 3 weeks the team will likely move Minor to the pen, so to rest Verlander the team can spot start Miner for JV every third start to keep him rested.

Agreed.

Headed to the game tonight.

Section 123 row 24

Cant fucking wait.

Sweet fucking gift.

Maggs has been looking more and more lost out there in right, I'd like to see him get a few DH at-bats with Monroe or Thames playing right.

Nice comeback. Good to see the team is showing the same kind of heart that got them there in the first half of the season.
I would have liked to see something more than 3 strikeouts in the bottom of the 8th, stranding runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out (Maggs struck out before the runners got on base, then Monroe and Shelton struck out back to back), but those are easy complaints to make after a win.

Maggs has been looking more and more lost out there in right, I'd like to see him get a few DH at-bats with Monroe or Thames playing right.

I was thinking the same thing after he fucked that play up in the 1st inning. He is looking worse and worse. Put Thames and Monroe out there. They're a million times better defensivly.


Anyways. The game was fun. Bonderman was rough. But he held it together long enough.

The offense came alive. Who ever was the ump on 1st is blind as a bat. He blew about 3 calls tonight.

Note to all parents: If you're going to bring you little kids (under 5) to the game, go fucking sit in left field where paws is. I dont want to fucking hear your kid talk for 3 hours straight about "whats the score, wheres the ball, whos winning, when do we hit, i want ice cream, I have diariah, momy why are you mad, does paws come here, i want cotten candy. Jesus fucking lord. 3 hours straigh!

And, I could see Mario and Rod from where I was sitting! I felt honnered!

I have diariah, momy why are you mad

Thanks for making me laugh so many different ways Anthony.

Now Rogers is starting today again? I guess that complaint post worked.

I have diariah, momy why are you mad

Thanks for making me laugh so many different ways Anthony.

Haahaa. I wish I was kidding. That was a true quote from the mouth of a 4 year old behind me.

The quote made me laugh, the spelling of diarrhea made me laugh, the angry mother made me laugh, the wondering if it was the kids diarrhea that made the mother angry made me laugh, and I'm sure there were other reasons why I laughed as well.

All in all, kudos my lamb devouring friend.

Weather looks shitty right now. I hope there's a game.

Me2. No tigers=me sad.

Scattered T-storms tonight in Detroit.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/events/sports/local/USMI0229?from=search_city

It rained here but then blew over pretty quick. You guys usually get our weather right after us, so if it rains, I bet it blows over. Is it humid as hell out there??

Game is on hold as of now (7:20)

If its called, do they do a double header on sunday? I'm guessing.

Looks like its starting. Hopefully we can get though at least 5 with the lead and pick up another win.

OR, if we struggle and give up stupid runs like Rogers has started to do in the 2nd, hopefully it gets rained out altogether. But yeah, if we have a lead and it's past 5 innings, I wouldn't mind a short win.

Well, there goes the win after 5 idea.

GUILEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFUCKINGWHO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

great game. 9 straight at home. Tigers up 3.5 games after Chicago lost tonight.

yep, it sorta scares me that we're not taking care of business vs this team.

Over 40,000 at the game tonight. Its going to be a hot mother tomarrow. I think i'm going too.

4.5 up on the Sox. Hopefully they'll lose again tomarrow, and we can win another one before the 3 game series coming up.

This is the game I've been waiting for. Dominating. 6 runs is above average, and shutting out a team like this is great. That's what we should be doing. 4.5 game lead now. Excellent. Keep the foot to the floor and don't let the Sox claw there way back. We need to win the series against them coming up.
What stands out to me is how much hype Liriano got, especially in the fan voting for the final spot on the AS team, while Verlander deservedly made the cut for the voting, but was disrespected in the voting itself. True, Liriano had better numbers, but the hype machine needs to pay attention. Liriano got rocked the other day, giving up 3 HR in 5 innings. Well, Verlander came strong. Rookie of the Year in the AL will get interesting down the stretch.
Let's sweep these puppies so Wizzle can see his favorite picture again!

We haven't beat a team this many times in a row since 1911.

2.83 ERA

I can't believe this cat was left off the team. One of the biggest snubs this millenium.

Let's sweep these bitches.

Glad I didn't go today.. Shit.

Sorry guys. My bad. 0-3 on sundays.

Although, those ford seats on the dugout were sweet.

We haven't beat a team this many times in a row since 1911.

2.83 ERA

I can't believe this cat was left off the team. One of the biggest snubs this millenium.

Let's sweep these bitches.

Dear Archie,

We're deeply sorry that the Detroit Tigers lost to the Kansas City Royals. You have our deepest condolences.

Sincerely,
Seattle Mariners fans.