Twins@Tigers May 16-18

[Darth Thanatos]

I'll take a walk as well. A popout to end the inning, but we did enough damage.

Hopefully Roberston will stop sucking.

[Darth Thanatos]

A catcher bunting? Thought I'd never see that happening.

Robertson in another jam. Runners on the corner with 1 out.

[Hermy]

A catcher bunting? Thought I'd never see that happening.

Robertson in another jam. Runners on the corner with 1 out.

Nates a busta.

[Tahoe]

The double play....Yea buddy.

Zoom overthrows and walks in a run, but gets them to hit into a DP.

[Shugadaddi]

The Sox lost today...that means that after almost one quarter of baseball...The Tigers...THE DETROIT TIGERS...are tied for the best overall record in baseball.

[Anthony]

The ground cold under anyone elses feet too?

[Fool]

Didn't Playboy predict this, last year.

SEE! I READ THE FUCKING ARTICLES!

[H1Man]

Verlander, Tigers to face Twins ace
Minnesota (17-22) at Detroit (25-13), 7:05 p.m. ET

Maybe this is the game Torii Hunter had in mind when he guaranteed the Twins wouldn't get swept this time around at Comerica Park.

The last time the Tigers faced Johan Santana on May 7, he didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning. Detroit came back to put the tying run at the plate that inning, but Santana held them off for a 4-2 victory, improving his career record against the Tigers to 8-1. He hasn't lost to the Tigers since 2004, and he has never lost at Comerica Park.

"He's one of the best pitchers in baseball. He's going to beat a lot of teams," manager Jim Leyland said. "He has a lot of weapons. You can't pick up his changeup. It looks like a fastball. You try to sit on a pitch and you can't because of the speed and deception of it. He sells his changeup real good. He's one of the best in the business."

The one factor that works in the Tigers' favor in this matchup is that their starter might well be on his way to becoming one of the best in the business. Justin Verlander had to battle through his last two outings with less than his best stuff, yet salvaged quality starts in both of them. Working with his knuckle-curveball last Wednesday at Baltimore, he still managed to hold the Orioles to three runs in 6 1/3 innings despite seven hits and three walks allowed.

Verlander's last solid outing came against the Twins in an 18-1 Tigers rout April 29. He allowed a run on six hits in seven innings, letting Minnesota's aggressiveness at the plate work in his favor.

Pitching matchup

MIN: LHP Johan Santana (4-3, 3.38 ERA)
Santana has looked borderline dominant in four consecutive wins, striking out 40 batters over 29 innings in that span. He held the White Sox to a run on five hits over seven innings with 10 strikeouts last Friday at the Metrodome.

DET: RHP Justin Verlander (4-3, 3.77 ERA)
Like Nate Robertson on Tuesday, Verlander will be pitching on six days rest thanks to Monday's off-day and last Thursday's rainout at Baltimore. How the extra rest affects the 23-year-old rookie remains to be seen, especially with the team limited in his on-field work due to the weather.

Player to watch
Magglio Ordonez is 9-for-22 with three homers and 11 RBIs lifetime off of Santana, including a two-run homer in their last meeting May 7 at Minnesota.

This is going to be a tough one. Santana loves to pitch against us.

He is 8-1 in 17 appearances versus Detroit with a 2.54 ERA, including a 2-0 record with a 1.86 ERA at Comerica Park.

[Darth Thanatos]

Tigers lose 2-1.

Inge hits a solo, Hunter hits a 2 run double.

[Balkan]

Tigers lose 2-1.

Inge hits a solo, Hunter hits a 2 run double.

Interesting prediction. I forsee a pitching duel that lasts till the 9th inning but is broken by a solo off Magg's bat.

1-0 Tigers