Maybe that’s what plagues the 2009 Tigers. Except for the powerful lineup thing.

Other thoughts on the game:

• Don Kelly did not lose this game for the Tigers. The offense, yet again, is to blame. But you knew that.

• My local Fox affiliate aired the Dodgers-Giants game today so I listened to the entire game on MLB.com. If you didn’t listen, you missed Dan Dickerson’s call of the ball Kelly lost. I think Dickerson is terrific and the entire game he was warning listeners that games in the Metrodome tend to result in odd endings and comebacks.

  So when Kelly’s miscue was unfolding, Dickerson’s call embodied the “oh-dear-lord-he’s-lost-it-in-the-roof-and-the-Tigers-are-going-to-get-screwed-again” feeling of everyone listening back in Detroit. And he reported that the Twins lead was 3-2, and said it as if it was actually 30-2 — which it essentially was.

• How about that Gerald Laird? I don’t care if he hits .200 forever, keep nailing those runners.

• Edwin Jackson probably sat there watching Justin Verlander dominate with only a pair of runs and thought, “Welcome to my world.”

• I know the announcers have ads and promos they’re required to read on air, but Jim Price’s friendly reminder of Comerica Park suite availability for the Division Series is just asking for it. Need proof? Not long after he read the ad, it came: “(Orlando) Cabrera lifts a high fly ball to left…” Karma.

• I wonder if somewhere Gary Sheffield saw Kelly’s flub and said to anyone in earshot: “I’da caught that!” Here’s hoping.

Tomorrow’s game is the last one I ever have to watch the Tigers play in the Metrodome. Oh, sure, there might be a one-game playoff or something, but come on. Do you honestly think I’d subject myself to watching that game?

Anyway, enjoy him, folks. He’ll be frustrating another team’s fans next year.

And now this:

• How well are things going for the Tigers? They at last moved into the top eight of The Sporting News‘ power poll (last week they were #10). Breaking through that barrier means the Tigers, at least for this week, aren’t a division-leader sitting behind better-rated, non-playoff teams. And maybe — maybe — Detroit is starting to gain some respect out there. TSN’s take:
  

  8. Tigers. The Tigers are finally starting to play like a team grabbing control of the division title instead of backing into the division title.

  Other polls: ESPN #7, last week #11; Fox Sports #9 (#10); SI #10 (#10); CBS SportsLine #11 (#13).

  On this morning’s ESPN Baseball Today podcast Peter Pascarelli gives the Tigers big props (he rates them #5 on his list) and he says he’d take Justin Verlander over Cliff Lee in a World Series matchup. On both points Eric Karabell disagrees — big time. Oh, and Karabell thinks the Rockies are a better club than Detroit. Pascarelli doesn’t buy that. Neither do I.

• Here are some notable Tigers historical nuggets from Baseball-Reference.com:
  • On this date in 1967, the Tigers moved into a first-place tie with the Twins. Eddie Mathews and Jim Northrup hit home runs and Mickey Lolich out dueled the White Sox’ Tommy John 4-1 at Chicago.

  • On Sept. 8, 1983, Yankees (and former Tigers) outfielder Steve Kemp was struck in the face by an Omar Moreno line drive during batting practice in Milwaukee; Kemp misses the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone. Kemp hit just .242 with 12 home run and 49 RBI in the first year of his five-year, $5.45 million contract.

  • In 1995, the Tigers traded Juan Samuel to the Royals in exchange for a player to be named. A week later, the Royals sent Phil Hiatt to Detroit to complete the deal.

  • And on this date a year ago, Gary Sheffield hit a grand slam for the official 250,000th homer in MLB history. The blast is Sheffield’s second of the day and his 13th career grand slam. Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera and Mike Hessman also homer as the Tigers outslug the A’s 14-8. I was there for that game and, man, was it wet, cold and blustery.

If you’re a Twitter person, be sure to follow us and you’ll get Tigers birthdays, trivia and historical notes — all in a crisp 140 characters. Find us at @DailyFungo.

• It’s a shame that I read the USA Today only when I’m traveling, as I am today. There’s usually one or two outstanding pieces in each edition and this morning proved it: a feature on the Tigers by Bob Nightengale.

• Juan Rincon, a victim of a roster numbers game last month — we’re looking at you, Nate Robertson, has been recalled by the Rockies from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Embrace the humidor, Senor. (Oh, and now that the Rox have run off a late-2007-like streak recently, do we all feel a tad better about them taking two of three from the Tigers? Didn’t think so.)

• He might not chuck it as hard as Ryan Perry, but it’s close enough and I, for one, am glad Freddy Dolsi’s back.

• Did you happen to catch this nastygram from Ken Rosenthal about the Tigers benching Magglio Ordonez? The zingers about Gary Sheffield are amusing but I don’t think anyone in the Tigers front office regrets the decision to cut him loose. And for what it’s worth, I hope that Ordonez finds his stroke soon and that he doesn’t wind up on the Red Sox, poking homers over The Green Monster at Fenway.

• Speaking of hitters, here are the results of our most recent Fungo Pulse Check poll. The question: Which of These Sluggers Should the Tigers Go After?
  • Matt Holliday: 35% (12 votes)
  • Brad Hawpe: 32% (11 votes)
  • Adam Dunn: 29% (10 votes)
  • Jeff Francouer: 3% (1 vote)
  • Carlos Lee: bupkis

  Be sure to vote in our new poll, available in the sidebar –>

• Finally, I didn’t weigh in on the Jim Leyland extension when it happened: I believe it came a few weeks too late, but I’m delighted that he re-upped. I don’t want to see the Tigers become the Verizon Wireless of Major League Baseball, with a new manager every two years or so. (If anyone should’ve been shown the door as a result of this clunky roster, it should’ve been [should be?] Dave Dombrowski.)

Have a great week.

For the second time this week, coaches hit fly balls to Sheffield in the early afternoon to get him acclimated, after he served as DH with Detroit. Sheffield has suggested a pinch-hitting role would be acceptable, but Manuel reiterated that performance would dictate who starts in right field and noted that players need semi-regular starts anyway in order to remain sharp for pinch-hitting duty.

This I gotta see.

Even if you aren’t interested in the Sheff Saga, click the link to see some lackluster Photoshopping by Mets.com designers.

The dad, possibly sauced, assuredly angry, took every opportunity to rip the Tigers’ DH that night, Gary Sheffield. His major beef was the wasted talent sitting on the bench in the person of Marcus Thames. His poor teenage son looked weary and sat mute as dad ripped Sheff — who, by the by, went 2 for 4 that night. In other words, at least four times he tore into Sheffield and twice he had to pull back a bit.

Until the bottom of the ninth.

That’s when Thames appeared from the dugout as a pinch hitter for Clete Thomas — and promptly shot a single to left. Even before Thames got to the plate the duo jumped — jumped! — into the cool evening air, missing each other with high-fives and spilling dad’s fifth beer. They became even more giddy with Thames’s single and, man, did pops lob a rapid-fire series of I-told-you-so’s toward Jim Leyland. Two hitters later, Cabrera went yard and the father and son went home vindicated.

With the news of Sheffield being jettisoned this morning, Marcus Thames is now the Tigers’ more-or-less regular DH and we’ll see if he really can hit 30-plus homers if given the chance. (Actually, I thought we learned last year that the Thames-as-Hank-Greenberg theory carried no weight, but I guess we’ll see…again.)

If you stayed with me through that circuitous tale, I owe you one.

Now, what to make of this roster move. I’ll admit it falls into that category of surprised but not surprised for me. I wanted Sheff to succeed in Detroit and thought he would. Even in 2009. The basis of my reasoning, at least in the past six weeks, were reports from Lakeland that he was scalding the ball again.

Or, as we learned today, not.

Either way, I tend to agree with Lynn Henning that getting Sheff was a wise move at the time. The Tigers had just lost the World Series and wanted to add another weapon to a lineup that slept through that painful week against St. Louis.

I don’t know that I agree with Henning that the Tigers will regret it later this season. The move was made for versatility reasons and, if that’s the story, then not having Sheffield clogging the DH spot and freeing-up more at bats for Jeff Larish and others is a good thing. Probably a great thing.

Yet, it’ll be interesting to see where Sheff lands. (My hope is that it’s not with the Blue Jays where he could hit #500 off Justin Verlander on Opening Day. Oy.) And can you imagine if he goes to the Phillies and underachieves? Think the Philly fans would be forgiving? Woo-doggie. And if the White Sox sign him, look out.

As the Tigers’ DH, Marcus Thames will make about $12 million less than Sheffield this year. But ultimately, the move was about giving the job to a younger guy who can produce at a higher level. The Tigers believe it’s Thames.

And I know of at least two fans who agree.

• Height: 6′ 0″ | Weight: 215
• 2008 Stats: .225 – 19 HR – 57 RBI

Gary Sheffield entered the 2008 season looking to improve on a sub-par debut campaign in Detroit. A shoulder injury sustained in an outfield collision in ’07 required surgery and off-season rehab, and it slowed Sheffield at the plate during the season’s first two months. A left oblique strain landed him on the disabled list at the end of May, leaving little time for a strong first-half finish. Sheffield posted a .217 average and just five home runs before the All Star break.

The second half featured flashes of the power stroke – 14 homers in 220 at bats – that might eventually put Sheffield in the Hall of Fame. Tigers fans are still waiting for the Gary Sheffield of old to arrive in Detroit, but at age 39, they are in for a long wait. Still, he remains a dangerous presence in the lineup and at the plate, lashing pitches down in the zone and scorching line drives to the left side of the diamond.

Sheffield begins 2009 one home run shy of 500. If he can stay healthy, watch for this motivated veteran to make up for lost time – and hits.

Without further ado, here are the first Non Sequiturs of the 2009 season powered, as usual, by a fresh pot of Peet’s Coffee:

• We have our first box score of 2009 for the Tigers. Enjoy it in all its linear glory.

• Did you catch the MLB Network’s “30 Clubs in 30 Days” program focused on the Tigers on Monday? (If you missed, catch it here.) I caught the West Coast replay and, like so many things related to the fledgling network, I was underwhelmed. I enjoyed the interviews, seeing Gary Sheffield’s beard, watching Al Kaline say absolutely nothing interesting, etc., but if you’ve followed the Tigers even in the most casual way this offseason, chances are you learned nothing new.

  
  But, in the spirit of a positive mental outlook, I determined that these shows likely aren’t produced for the hardcore Tigers fan. They’re for everyone else. If I watch the episode on, say, the Marlins, I’ll probably learn a lot. In the end, the show was worth watching for these three nuggets:

  • Mitch Williams picking the Tigers to win the division.

  • Dan Plesac picking the Tigers again to finish last (this after raving about how great a manager Jim Leyland is).
  • Plesac somewhat butchering a nice attempt at complimenting Ernie Harwell’s “he stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched that one go by.”

• Not that you care, but I’m booked for three Cactus League games next week in metro-Phoenix and in Tucson. Fungophile John Milton and our friend Steve will be coming to Arizona for games Friday (Indians/Brewers), Saturday (Giants/Rockies) and Sunday (Rockies/Padres).

  The Friday game is of interest mainly because it will be at the Indians’ new Spring Training facility in the middle of nowhere also known as Goodyear, Ariz. We also wanted to attend that game because, let’s face it, seeing the Indians 19 times against the Tigers this summer just isn’t going to be enough. Of course, the Saturday game will give us one more chance to boo Edgar Renteria at close range.

• Be sure you add Ian Casselberry’s Morning Prowl at BlessYouBoys.com to your daily reading agenda. Ian reads it all, summarizes it neatly and we’re all the better for it. Now if only he’d do the same for The New York Times and ESPN.com…

• Happy 45th birthday to once-heralded Tigers catcher-o’-the-future Rich Rowland. After four partial season and 83 at bats with Detroit, he was dealt to the Red Sox for John Flaherty on April 1, 1994.

Finally, I stumbled on this gem from The Onion. It’s from 2007 but it’s still funny and, very likely, still relevant. Here’s the lede:

Following their game against the Twins Tuesday, Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez and second baseman Placido Polanco stayed in their hotel room all night, giddily discussing their favorite in-game hitting situations.

So, here I am working on a — gasp! — PC trying to get some stuff done. (There’s more on my Windows Vista experience here.) I offer this not as a self-handicapping thing, but as a legit reason. Honest.

On with the Fungoes:

• There’s been much to talk about in recent weeks and it centers on an infuriating lack of activity by the Tigers. Kerry Wood? Gone — to the Indians. Carl Pavano? Gone…to the Indians. Jason Giambi? Gone. Brian Fuentes? John Smoltz? Trevor Hoffman? Gone. Gone. Gone. What’s worse is that these guys, for the most part, were considered low-cost, low-risk investments for the teams they joined. Are the Tigers suddenly so cash poor/talent rich that they can’t take a flyer on the likes of Giambi — a solid lefty bat — or Pavano who could actually be an upgrade over Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis? I would love to know what the master plan is down on Witherell.

• The Padres pick Virgil Vasquez off waivers today from the Red Sox. Let’s hope Double-V gets some appearances in San Diego who will definitely need help when Jake Peavy gets dealt.

• There’s nothing like some distance from the past baseball season to provide some perspective on how good or bad a player was. Two examples in each category from the 2008 Tigers:
  • The Good: Magglio Ordonez – .317, 21 HR, 103 RBI for the season but he hit .330 in the second half.
  • The Bad: Gary Sheffield – .225, 19 HR, 57 RBI. He hit a meager .217 in the first half and .232 in the second. Yeah, I know, he wasn’t completely healthy but still, if it weren’t for his 500th homer chase, Sheff would’ve been persona non grata at Comerica Park in 2008.

• Perhaps you heard that former Tigers pitcher Dave Roberts passed away today at 64. He was acquired by the Tigers on Dec. 6, 1975 when the Astros traded him along with Jim Crawford and Milt May to Detroit for Leon Roberts, Terry Humphrey, Gene Pentz, and Mark Lemongello. Roberts appeared in 48 games for the Tigers in 1976 and ‘77 — all of them starts. In 1976, he posted a record of 16-17 and a 4.00 ERA with 18 complete games. The following year he made 22 starts for the Tigers going 4-10, 5.15, before his contract was purchased by the Cubs on July 30. According to the MLB.com story, Roberts died from lung cancer.
  

  Roberts’ death came after a struggle with lung cancer that had developed from exposure to asbestos — a mineral with toxic fibers — earlier in his life, according to a report by the Associated Press. He had worked as a boilermaker years ago, which likely exposed him to the toxic substance.

  How things have changed. You certainly don’t hear of any journeyman lefty relievers working as boilermakers in the off season anymore just to make ends meet. Today Roberts would be making $4 million a year.

Finally, Happy Birthday today to Freddy Dolsi, 26; Ivan DeJesus – what? You didn’t know he played for the Tigers? He did: 1988 – and Phil Mankowski, both 56.

Frank Catalanotto is one player Texas might attempt to trade. He has a guaranteed $6 million left on his contract, including $4 million in 2009 and a $2-million buyout (or $5-million salary) the next year.

As someone I worked with once said: “Two words: what. ever.”

Exactly.

So, as I wait out this Tigers/White Sox rain delay from bright, sunny Phoenix, it’s time to weigh in on:

• Todd Jones’s Retirement. The decades-old joke in Detroit is that the most popular person in the city is the Lions’ backup QB and/or the Red Wings’ backup netminder. I think we can now add the Tigers’ setup man to that punch line. Detroit is unusually cruel to its closers. Less than a year after Willie Hernandez won the 1984 Cy Young and MVP awards, he started getting booed and it’s never stopped. Mike Henneman did too, but to a much smaller degree. The Tigers were so unwatchable during Todd Jones’s first tour of duty in Detroit, that often he was the only bright spot. Come to think of it, he was a welcome sight then because it mean the Tigers were in line for a rare win.

  But what was it about Jones in his second stint as a Tiger? What made it so infuriating? Sure, he got 93 saves in just under three seasons but his ERA was always around four and … ah, what’s the use? Jones is a good guy and I’m sure he’ll be missed by his teammates. I guess. For me, though, I’ll never be able to forgive him for not being Joe Nathan.

• Inge Returns to Third. This move makes the Tigers’ infield defense significantly better next season. With the range he covers, Inge is essentially a third baseman and a half. So even if they decide to bring back Edgar Renteria, Inge makes the left side if not a plus than definitely not a minus. Now, about that average…
• Guillen to Left. As I wrote here, I think it’s more likely that we see Carlos Guillen back at short than in left field. Why? If they put Guillen in left and a light-hitting guy at short, the Tigers lose the potential production of Matt Joyce. And, if you put Guillen in the cavern that is Comerica Park’s left field, what are the odds on him pulling a hamstring before May 1? Not good.
• Chuck Hernandez Firing. I know that Doug and others have been calling for Hernandez to lose his job as a result of the pitching staff’s tank job. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a wuss when it comes to firing coaches or managers. The rhetorical question I always ponder is: How much impact does a coach have — or can a coach expect to have — at this level? Was Hernandez, the genius of 2006, suddenly a lousy coach? I don’t think so. He was nothing more than a vessel caught in the perfect storm of Jeremy Bonderman’s injury, Dontrelle Willis’s loss of … everything, Kenny Rogers‘ age, Justin Verlander’s growing pains, and Nate Robertson’s wrought-iron physiology.

  I suppose the decision was also based on the bullpen’s lackluster year. Where do you start there? In fact, I think Hernandez should get a raise for having to deal with Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya, Aquilino Lopez and the rest. According to an article in the Free Press, Jim Leyland wants to go with a pitching coach and bullpen coach from the within the organization. I’m sure Joe Coleman, A. J. Sager and Ray Burris are good coaches, but if the Tigers want to show their serious, go after rockin’ Leo Mazzone or Rick Peterson.

• Jeff Jones’s Firing. I remember when Lloyd McClendon was named the Tigers’ bullpen coach for 2006. My reaction was “What does he know about a bullpen?” The answer, it would seem, was nuttin’. And if you read into this comment from Leyland, that’s precisely what the skipper wanted:
  

  “It was a weird situation, and I won’t say for sure, but I doubt that I’m going to have a pitching coach as my bullpen coach. It’s worked very well in some places, but I think it makes people uncomfortable from time to time.”

  Hmm. I would’ve thought being a pitching coach would help in guiding the bullpen. But now that I think about it, it probably makes about as much sense as having two hitting coaches – one for day games, one for night. Well, maybe not that example but perhaps there was some yin-and-yang between Hernandez’s approach and that of Jones which made Bobby Seay incapable of retiring a left-handed hitter?

• Sheff’s 500th Homer. The most entertaining parts of the weekend series against the Rays was watching Gary Sheffield’s family — including Uncle Dwight Gooden — stand up and wave homemade signs for every at bat. My favorite: “Gramma Says 500″. I sure hope Sheff gets number 500 today in Chicago. There’s been no player in my years of following the Tigers on which I’ve turned 180° like Gary Sheffield. (By the by, I loved Leyland slotting Sheff in the two spot in the order on Sunday.)

Finally, I relied heavily on DirecTV’s Extra Bases Game Mix channel over the weekend to track the playoff races. It’s one screen with eight games shown at once. I kept going back to the Mets and Marlins game, hoping to see the Mets force a playoff with the Brewers. That didn’t happen, of course, but what I did see was Cameron Maybin catch the final out at Shea Stadium.

Gary Sutherland.

I can be in the outfield and play every day.

I don’t want to DH.

I don’t feel like a baseball player

when I DH.

Read the rest on Bardball.com. It’s worth it.

The Score: Tigers 8 – Rangers 7

The Gist: Gary Sheffield hit his 493rd career jack and went 3 for 5, and Curtis Granderson drove in four as the Tigers escaped with an 8-7 win in Arlington. Kenny Rogers eeked out a win thanks to two four-run outbursts by his teammates in the seventh and eighth. (And Rogers struck out seven in his six innings…usually a sign of impending doom. But not on Monday.) Kyle Farnsworth, a model of consistently sub-optimal pitching since his return to Detroit, made it too interesting in the eighth but Fernando Rodney pitched not awfully and sealed the deal.

The Quote: “[I]t would be the biggest mistake of his life if he goes on the mound hoping to show the Rangers something. That’s high school [stuff].” — Jim Leyland on Tuesday’s starter and former Rangers farmhand Armando Galarraga.

The Stat: 12. The number of errors by Edgar Renteria so far this season. He leads all A.L. Central shortstops in flubs — but not by much. Orlando Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta each have 11. The Twins’ trio of Adam Everett, Nick Punto and Brendan Harris average about six. KC’s Tony Pena (8) and Mike Aviles (6) roundout the Central.

Up Next: Tigers @ Rangers

Armando Galarraga (11-4, 3.11) vs. Vincente Padilla (12-6, 4.85)

Here we are, approaching the third weekend of August, and the Tigers are mired in third place, nine-and-a-half games out of first place. And, as I’m always reminding myself, only five games out of last place. This was supposed to be like 1984, 1968 or even 1945. It was not supposed to be like – gulp – 2005.

The Tigers record coming into this weekend series against the Orioles is 59-62. Entering play on Aug. 14, 2005, the Tigers were 53-61, 21-and-a-half-games out of first.

While the 2005 club was further back in the standings mathematically on Aug. 14, the current team feels about that far behind the White Sox and Twins. Doesn’t it?

Three years ago, Tigers fans seemed more interested in whether or not Alan Trammell would return as manager, who they’d acquire in the offseason, and what on God’s green earth to do with Carlos Pena?

Today, well, the team has probably more questions than the 2005 team did. One thing we can be assured of is Jim Leyland returning as manager. And that’s a good thing. Of course, some may disagree with that, but I believe there are very few buttons he could’ve pushed this year that would make up almost 10 games in the standings.

Here are 17 questions about the 2009 season rattling around in my head:

1. Who’s the closer in 2009?
2. Does Chuck Hernandez return as pitching coach?
3. Is Nate Robertson a Tiger next season?
4. Can Dontrelle Willis bounce back?
5. Can the Tigers deal Carlos Guillen?
6. If the Tigers can get a catcher, do they — and do they move Brandon Inge back to third?
7. Does Vance Wilson return at long last?
8. Who’s the shortstop?
9. Would they deal Magglio Ordonez as some suggest?
10. How does Jeremy Bonderman recover?
11. Is Clete Thomas on the big club to stay?
12. Who is 2009’s Matt Joyce?
13. Are the Tigers counting on Freddy Garcia?
14. Will Brent Clevlen finally break through?
15. What can the Tigers expect out of Joel Zumaya?
16. Do they sign Placido Polanco to an extension before the season?
17. What’s Gary Sheffield’s role — if any?

Ultimately, the 2005 Tigers finished 20 games under .500. Will this year’s team finish that far off the pace? Some days (i.e., against Tampa Bay) it certainly feels as if they could, but I doubt it.

I’m tending to believe that Doug’s right — 81 and 81 for this year’s club. But the fate of the 2009 team lies in how they address the pressing issues hovering over the organization.

Teams aren’t permitted to comment on the waiver process, so it’s possible the timing is coincidental. But there were indications that the Tigers floated Sheffield’s name in trade talks before the July 31 trading deadline. So it seems likely that Sheffield’s latest remarks have prompted them to see if interest in him may have picked up this month in the wake of a number of injuries to prominent players on several contenders.

Putting players on waivers happens all the time, but given that Detroit ownership wants Sheffield gone, and that he’s mouthed off at the wrong time to the wrong manager, there’s lots of fire amid the smoking Mt. Sheff.

The Score: Tigers 5 – Orioles 1

The Gist: Justin Verlander dominated — 8.2 IP, three hits, three walks, three strikeouts — and Magglio Ordonez and Marcus Thames went yard to lead the Tigers to a series split against the pesky Orioles. Brandon Inge made the play of the week, if not the year, for the final out of the game (to save Todd Jones’s bacon).

The Quote: “One of the hottest days I can remember.” — Inge on the conditions at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 96 at game time.

The Stat: 7. The number of points Gary Sheffield (.225) has over Inge’s batting average.

Up Next: Tigers @ Royals

Zach Miner (3-3, 4.23) vs. Luke Hochevar (6-7, 5.10)

The Score: Tigers 6 – Orioles 5

The Gist: Gary Sheffield went yard (almost twice), as did Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge, and Kenny Rogers pitched just good enough to win the opening game of the four-gamer against the Orioles. Magglio Ordonez went 1 for 5 in his return from the DL. In the eighth, Baltimore leftfielder Jay Payton robbed Sheffield of his second homer of the game. Todd Jones freaked everyone out for his 18th nearly blown save.

The Quote: “But like I say, `If you see something, say something.’” — Sheffield on his willingness to take hitting advice from, say, a former big-league star that Jim Leyland ran into in New York this week.

The Stat: 13. The number of baserunners Rogers allowed (11 hits, two walks) in six innings of work.

Up Next: Tigers @ Orioles

Armando Galarraga (7-3, 3.27) vs. Daniel Cabrera (6-5, 4.33)

The Gist: Hey now! Jeremy Bonderman earns a quality start — and a win — after a six-inning, eight-hit outing against the Mariners. And what do you know? The Tigers beat the Mariners 9-2 to sweep the series. Freddy Dolsi was lights-out over three innings of no-hit relief. The Tigers banged out 13 hits (43 for the series), including three from Gary Sheffield (to raise his average to .202), two from Matt Joyce and a three-run jack from Brandon Inge.

The Quote: “They want me to run on and off the mound. I smoke three packs a day.” — Jim Leyland on MLB’s efforts to accelerate games.

The Stat: .281 – Placido Polanco’s average, despite an 0 for 4 day on Thursday. Talk about flying under the radar.

Up Next: Twins @ Tigers

• Friday: Armando Galarraga (3-1, 3.06) vs. Kevin Slowey (0-4, 5.49)
• Saturday: Nate Robertson (1-5, 6.08) vs. Boof Bonser (2-5, 5.25)
• Sunday: Justin Verlander (2-7, 5.61) vs. Glen Perkins (1-1, 3.44)