With a win, no sure thing with the unpredictable starter, the Tigers would eliminate the Yankees and move on to the American League Championship Series against the Oakland A’s.

Twenty-three-year-old Jeremy Bonderman was the Tigers’ starter that chilly Saturday afternoon and he faced righty Jaret Wright, who’d gone 11-7 witha 4.49 ERA in 30 appearances (27 starts) for New York.

Tigers fans didn’t want to seem overconfident, but compared to the Yankee starters in the series’ first three games (Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina and Randy Johnson) Wright seemed like a notch above batting-practice quality.

That day, the Tigers staked Bonderman to a 3-0, second-inning lead on home runs by Magglio Ordonez and Craig Monroe. They tacked on five more runs by the end of the sixth. (Detroit chased Wright with two outs in the third after he’d surrendered four runs on five hits.) The late Cory
Lidle allowed three runs in his inning-and-a-third of work.

But at the start of the day, all eyes were on Bonderman. Could he handle the big stage, an elimination game against a New York lineup that Jim Leyland dubbed “Murderer’s Row and then Cano” and prevent a trip back to the Bronx for a decisive Game 5?

Could he ever.

All he did was no-hit the Yankees through five before Robinson Cano’s leadoff single in the sixth – after which he retired the next three in order.

Bonderman worked 8-1/3 innings throwing 99 pitches and allowed just five hits and two runs, walked a lone batter and struck out four. Jamie Walker recorded the final two outs of Detroit’s 8-3 win and the Tigers soon headed to Oakland.

Tonight the Tigers are in a eerily similar circumstance. Game 4 of the ALDS is nigh and the club’s hopes of avoiding a trip to New York rest on the almost-23-year-old Rick Porcello (he’ll be 23 on Dec. 27, the same age as Bonderman in 2006.)

That year Bonderman, in his fourth big-league season, finished 14-8 with a 4.08 ERA in a league-leading 34 starts. In 2011, Porcello, in his third season, finished 14-9 with a 4.75 ERA and made 31 starts.

In ’06, Bonderman threw 210 innings. This year, Porcello threw 182. Bonderman fanned 202 that season, Porcello 104 in ’11.

There’s no question that Bonderman and Porcello, despite their similarities at this point in their respective careers, are two different pitchers.
Bonderman relied on a firm fastball and a devastating slider. Of course, he was never able to command a third pitch — an annual Grapefruit League quest for him — and it frustrated at least three pitching coaches and two managers.

Porcello, on the other hand, has a moving fastball, a sinker, a changeup and curveball, making him a more complete pitcher, and one with a bright future.

So, should Tigers fans feel confident in Rick Porcello in a close-out game at Comerica Park against the American League’s finest lineup?

Absolutely. And here’s why.

In 2006, Jeremy Bonderman, like nearly every other player on that club, had no postseason experience. It was a concern that he would crumble under the pressure — particularly given his propensity to have disastrous first innings. But he didn’t.

Two years ago, Jim Leyland handed the ball to Porcello, then just 20 years old, in Game 163 — a one-game playoff to decide the American League
Central Division against the Twins. And he did not disappoint.

Porcello pitched five and 2/3 innings, scattered four hits, walked two and struck out eight. And he yielded just two runs in the most pressure-packed game of the season and many players’ careers.

Two years ago, by giving him the Game 163 start, the Tigers invested heavily in Porcello’s future. I think tonight the Tigers and their fans finally get the payoff from that miserable day in October 2009.

Can Porcello be as good tonight as Bonderman in ’06 or himself on ’09? With A.J. Burnett pitching for the Yankees, he might not need to be. But at least this time around Tigers fans know they have a starter with a more wicked repertoire than Bonderman, a skosh more experience and at least as much mental toughness. Anyone needing proof can re-visit his take down of the Red Sox’ Kevin Youkilis.

Let’s hope history does, in fact, show reruns.

Leading Off: The Tigers enter tonight’s game against the Twins having won 16 of their last 20 games dating back to Aug. 19, an .800 winning percentage – which leads the majors during that stretch … Detroit’s hitting .333 with runners in scoring position dating back to Aug. 11, second-best in the A.L. clubs over that period. The Tigers lead all clubs with a .284 batting average with RISP this season.

Around the Central: The White Sox and Indians are, theoretically, beating each other up this weekend in a four-game series in Chicago. The Sox took the first game last night, 8-1. The Royals are in Seattle this weekend, in a battle of clubs churning toward 90 losses. The M’s won last night, 4-1.

With a win tonight, Penny would join Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello to become the first quartet of Tigers pitchers with 10-or-more wins in the club’s first 144 games of the season since Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman did so in the first 144 games of 2006.

Keeping that thought for a moment, right now Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello and Penny have combined for 58 wins. (Trust me, I’d much rather include Doug Fister in this year’s numbers, but Penny’s been around for the whole year.) In 2006, Verlander (17), Rogers (17), Bonderman (14) and Robertson (13) combined for 61. And in 1984, Jack Morris (19), Dan Petry (18), Milt Wilcox (17) and Juan Berenguer combined for 65. Does the ’11 foursome have enough wins in them between now and Sept. 28 to meet or pass the ’84 rotation?

On this date in 1970, commissioner Bowie Kuhn handed Denny McLain his third suspension of the year, this one for carrying a gun, plus other unspecified charges, and ended McLain’s season with a 3-5 record.

Happy 28th Birthday to Edwin Jackson, and a Happy 41st to Dan Miceli.

Finally, happy birthdays to Adam Sandler (45), Cliff Robertson (88) and Topol (76).

Have a great weekend.

• When a few specific things occur, I know for certain the baseball season is in full bloom — eight games in or not. Two of these things have already taken place in the past 24 hours: the Tigers lose to the Royals and Ryan Raburn makes at least one bone-headed play in the field.

• Speaking of the Wings, if they end up playing the Coyotes in the first round, I’ll have to endure lame Detroit jokes in the media out here.

• Did the Tigers really lose to Bruce Chen? Bruce Chen?

• Slowly — very slowly — I’m gaining confidence in Alex Avila. He was miserable in the opening series in the New York but I suppose that can be chalked up to nerves, right? Since then he’s hitting .357 (entering today, that is).

• I definitely love seeing Will Rhymes as the Tigers’ regular second baseman. You have to wonder if Scott Sizemore is following him and thinking, “what do I have to do to get back on the radar?”

• Did you notice that Robbie Weinhardt is now wearing Jeremy Bonderman‘s old uniform number, 38? No matter the number on his back, I feel 100-percent more comfortable when Weinhardt enters a game than I do Brad Thomas or Ryan Perry.

• Happy 47th Birthday to Eric King. In two stints with the Tigers (1986-88, ’92), he appeared in 128 games for the Tigers as a starter and bullpen guy, posting a 25-20 record, 16 saves and a 4.23 ERA.

• Manny Ramirez. As the Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan once said on the old Tony Kornheiser radio show, “Ramirez will never be confused with a member of Mensa.”

• I’ve heard from many of you about the next episode of the podcast. Hang with us. Ian and I have had trouble aligning calendars — the trouble coming from my end — but we’ll be back soon. Promise.

Finally, happy 82nd birthday to actress Liz Sheridan, who played Jerry’s mom on “Seinfeid.”

1-2; 4th place, 1.5 GB Royals

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Orioles | 3:05 p.m. ET – Baltimore | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Rick Porcello (0-0) vs. Jake Arrieta (0-0)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Yankees 7

• W: Max Scherzer (1-0)
• L: Phil Hughes (0-1)
• HR: Miguel Cabrera (2), Brennan Boesch (1)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Cameron Maybin, 24

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2005 – On Opening Day in Detroit, Dmitri Young hit three home runs to lead the Tigers to an 11-2 win over the Royals. Here’s what the starting lineup looked like that day behind starter Jeremy Bonderman:
  1. Omar Infante, 2b
  2. Carlos Guillen, ss
  3. Pudge Rodriguez, c
  4. Magglio Ordonez, rf
  5. Young, dh
  6. Rondell White, lf
  7. Carlos Pena, 1b
  8. Craig Monroe, cf
  9. Brandon Inge, 3b

0-1

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Yankees | 3:35 p.m. ET | On the air: FOX/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Brad Penny vs. A.J. Burnett

Thursday’s Results

Yankees 6 – Tigers 3

• W: Joba Chamberlain (1-0)
• L: Phil Coke (0-1)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Pete Incaviglia, 47

• Dick Radatz (d. 2005)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1973 – The Tigers acquired catcher Charlie Sands from the Pirates for RHP Chris Zachary

• 1996 – Cecil Fielder steals the first base of his 11-year major league career — in the 1,097th game that he’d played. This established the longest duration a player had ever gone without a stolen base.

• 2003 – The Tigers become the first major-league team to have four pitchers make their big-league debuts during the same game. Jeremy Bonderman, who gives up gives up six runs on nine hits in four innings, is followed by rookies Wilfredo Ledezma, Chris Spurling and Matt Roney in the 8-1 loss to the Twins.

• 2005 – The Tigers acquired RHP Matt Ginter from the Mets for LHP Steve Colyer

• 2007 – The Tigers begin the defense of their American League Championship with a 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Opening Day in Detroit.

Because my memory latches on to such random things, I clearly remember when I turned over the 1977 Topps Woodie Fryman card and saw that he played for the Tigers from 1972-74.

Fryman passed away on Friday in Lexington, Ky., at the age of 70.

Fryman won 141 games from 1966-83 with the Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. He pitched primarily in relief late in his career, saving 17 games for Montreal in 1980.

Fryman had four career one-hitters – including a nearly perfect game when he was a Pittsburgh rookie. He gave up a leadoff hit to the New York Mets, the runner was caught stealing and Fryman didn’t allow anyone else on base.

In 1972, Fryman joined the Tigers in the middle of the season and went 10-3 with a 2.06 ERA for them, helping Detroit win the American League East.

He was elected to the Expos Hall of Fame in 1995.

I was too young to see Fryman work his half-season magic. Do any of you remember seeing him pitch for the Tigers?

• My friend Chuck passed along this story which appeared last week in The Wall Street Journal. The piece focuses on Bill “Pappy” Holcomb, a 71-year-old retired autoworker, who’s ending his 22-season Tigers Fantasy Camp career.

  The main thread of the story is the aging of Fantasy Camp attendees:

  The Tigers this year had 190 campers, with an average age of 54. In 1985, the average age was 44. Teams that started their camps more recently tend to have a lower average age, around 50, but they also find themselves catering to older, more-infirm players.

  Be sure to view the slideshow that accompanies the article. You’ll see a photo that includes Steve Kemp.

• In our most recent Fungo Flash Poll we asked, If you could choose one, which Tigers killer would you like to see in Detroit?
  1. Grady Sizemore (20 percent, 199 Votes)
  2. Denard Span (17 percent, 171 Votes)
  3. Joe Nathan (16 percent, 162 Votes)
  4. Jim Thome (13 percent, 129 Votes)
  5. Carl Pavano (12 percent, 116 Votes)
  6. Paul Konerko (11 percent, 106 Votes)
  7. Michael Cuddyer (9 percent, 85 Votes)

  Others receiving votes: Joe Crede, Luke Scott and, based on an interesting perspective, Todd Jones.

  I was stunned to see Sizemore earn the most votes and expected to see Konerko or Thome at the top.

  Thanks to the nearly 1,000 voters in this poll. Watch for another poll soon.

• I’m still amazed that the Tigers cut ties with Jeremy Bonderman. As I said on the podcast last week, the Tigers could certainly use someone of Bondo’s caliber for spot starting a la Eddie Bonine or Chad Durbin, et al. Instead it looks like he’s headed to Cleveland and the Plain Dealer‘s Terry Pluto explains why:
  

  They did offer him a minor-league contract, but he rejected it. The market for Bonderman is slim because of that 6.50 ERA (and 13 HR in 73 innings) after the All-Star break — when his average fastball dropped from 92 mph to 88. The Indians believe fatigue was the reason.

  (snip)

  The Indians are looking at Bonderman because you can never have enough starting pitching.

  Apparently the Tigers think you can.

• This story isn’t Tigers related but it’s fascinating nonetheless. If you’ve followed the Bernie Madoff story even peripherally over the past few years, you know the devastation his Ponzi scheme has inflicted on countless people.

  This article in The New York Times provides a window into Madoff’s ties to the Mets’ owners — and what role Madoff played in managing the deferred income included in player contracts.

Finally, if you, like me, are a sucker for the Dos Equis commercials featuring The Most Interesting Man in the World, The New Yorker introduces us to the actor who plays him.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

Then again, only in this offseason could a guy of Victor Martinez’s caliber be considered value-bin material. Now that the big names are off the board, the Tigers are left to browse the remainder table for their missing pieces — unless a trade goes down.

• In March 2009, my friends John and Steve came to town for some Cactus League action. The first game we attended was at the Indians and Reds shared facility in Goodyear, Ariz. (Though the Reds wouldn’t move to the Phoenix region until this past Spring.) We all agreed that the game between the Tribe and the Brewers might have been the longest Spring Training game in history, which made Bob Feller’s performance that day all the more remarkable. He sat in the shade down the leftfield line and signed autographs for the entire game — and it was a steady stream of fans, despite it being far from a sellout. Impressive indeed.

I was never a fan of Feller because he played the Crabby-Old-Man role for so long and his comments about Jackie Robinson in Ken Burns’ “Baseball” series seemed inappropriate.

Nevertheless, baseball lost a legend yesterday. A legend that posted a 41-29 record and a 3.44 ERA against the Tigers in his 18-year career — his record at Briggs Stadium was 21-14 in 38 starts — only the White Sox and Athletics lost to him more. In fact, the Yankees were the only club to have beaten Feller more than they lost: 37-30.

• The response to our most recent Flash Poll was astounding — more than 2,100 votes. Thanks for weighing in. We asked Should the Tigers pursue Curtis Granderson to play left field? The context in which we were asking — but didn’t articulate in the question — was pure speculation that if the Yankees landed Carl Crawford, then Granderson might be available.As you can see, 86 percent of respondents would like to see him back in a Tigers uniform — though most weren’t willing to do it at any cost:
  • Yes, depending on the cost. (45%, 987 Votes)
  • Absolutely. (41%, 891 Votes)
  • Bygones. (14%, 302 Votes)
  • Total Voters: 2,180

Thanks again for participating, and watch for our next poll soon.

• Random items: On this date in 1996, the Tigers traded second baseman Mark Lewis to the Giants for first baseman Jesse Ibarra. Lewis came to the Tigers from the Reds in a trade for David Wells … Today’s the 46th birthday of Bill Ripken … Shouldn’t the Tigers make an offer to Jim Thome, if for no other reason than to see what he can do at Comerica Park? … I’m intrigued by what the future holds for Jeremy Bonderman. Where does he sign? Does he come back at all? It’s been awfully quiet on the Bondo front … And this is funny, if not childish. When the Diamondbacks were pursuing (and eventually signing) reliever J.J. Putz, the D-backs’ outstanding beat writer, Nick Piecoro, had to deal with an interesting technological problem. Whenever he wrote “Putz”, the Arizona Republic‘s publishing system would replace it with “(inappropriate term)”, leaving each Web article on the subject with a few instances of “former White Sox reliever J.J. (inappropriate term)”. Putz’s name appeared uncensored, as it were, in the print editions of the Piecoro’s articles but not without the writer needing to produce a tedious workaround. Last week Piecoro reported on Twitter that the tech guys finally got it figured out.

Finally, you probably noticed that posting here has been lighter than normal over the past couple of weeks. Here’s why: after more than seven years as a self-employed freelance writer, I’ve gone back to work in the corporate world.

(If you’re interested in where I’m working, here’s a hint: it’s the parent company of the school Jim Leyland‘s son is attending (he mentions it in this piece by Lynn Henning), though Leyland doesn’t get the name exactly right.) As a result, I’m trying to get a feel for my new schedule — and a wardrobe based on more than t-shirts. Hang with me while I find the groove.

Until then, here are some notable notes from around the Web:

• If you want one more Sparky Anderson photo gallery, ESPN.com is happy to oblige.

• Austin Jackson, in the eyes of Ian and many others got robbed on Monday when he finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. His catch during Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect game should’ve cinched for him.

• The 1934 Detroit Tigers infield tonight was featured in a new episode of MLB Network’s Prime 9: Infields. If you missed it this evening, fret not, MLB Network airs its Prime 9 series almost on the hour in the offseason. The ’34 Tigers will be ranked alongside other infields, including the ’13 Athletics, ’27 Giants, ’75 Reds and ’99 Mets. As always, check your local listings.

• Where will Jeremy Bonderman end up in 2011? As we learned at the end of this season, there’s an outside chance that he’ll return to the Tigers. Not every team can afford Cliff Lee, which means you’d think someone like Bonderman would be an attractive and affordable option. Nosing around online I found two potential suitors: the Pirates (story here) and the Padres (story).

• On Wednesday night I’ll be taking in my first Arizona Fall League game of the year — and likely the last seeing as the season ends on Saturday. I won’t be watching Tigers prospects though. Nope. I’ll be watching the Scottsdale Scorpions and Nationals’ phenom Bryce Harper. I don’t like what I read about this kid but what the hey? When am I ever going to see him again for just $5?

Finally, Happy 60th Birthday to actor David Leisure, a.k.a., Joe Isuzu.

• Brandon Inge gets offered an extension. As Ian wrote this summer, Inge is either loved or loathed in Detroit — with little in between. But I think even those of us who are frustrated by his lack of a strategy when he’s at the plate feel better about third base next season and maybe in 2012, too. In our recent Fungo Pulse Check, 79 percent of respondents (207 of 263 votes) preferred bringing back Inge over Jeremy Bonderman.

• Magglio Ordonez might be back. This isn’t a surprise. The Tigers aren’t picking up the $15 million option on Ordonez’s contract which means he’ll be a free agent, but the Tigers are open to re-signing him. I kept thinking that sentimental Mike Ilitch would tell Dombrowski to pick up the option for old time’s sake. I hope he comes back. If he does sign elsewhere — and you know Scott Boras is already firing up his hyperbole machine — I just pray that he doesn’t go back to the White Sox.

• Jeremy Bonderman gets shown the door. In some ways this is such a no brainer. In others, you had to think the Tigers would bring him back with that “the devil you know” thing in mind.

  Bondo came to Detroit with such promise — “the anchor of the rotation for years!,” we were led to believe — that his unceremonial departure seems like a major disappointment. Remember him walking of the mound to a standing ovation in Game 4 of the 2006 NLDS? I thought his career was set to take off.

  Alas, injuries, inconsistency and — stop me if you’ve heard this one — the inability to develop a third pitch were his ultimate undoing in Detroit. My guess is that he ends up with the Mariners, Cubs or Rangers next season, even the though the Tigers are saying they might be interested in bringing him back if he’s still unsigned close to Spring Training.

  

• Johnny Damon experiment ends with a whimper. If the Tigers had sneaked into the playoffs this year, you know that we would’ve read pages and pages of stories about how his mere presence impacted the club. Instead he’ll be relegated to conversations five years down the road when people will say, “Wow, I totally forgot Damon played for the Tigers.” Kinda like Jarrod Washburn. Damon’s a good guy and you know he’ll end up somewhere next season.

  

• Gerald Laird cut loose. It’s still amazing to me that Laird was unable to hit in Detroit. He always seemed to give the Tigers fits when he played for the Rangers. Wasn’t the thinking that he could produce as a full-timer in Detroit because it wasn’t as hot and humid as Arlington? Laird is a Phoenix-area resident and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up with the Diamondbacks next season. (Oh, and Dombrowski also said that, to no surprise, Alex Avila is the club’s catcher in 2011.)

• Jhonny Peralta likely returning. Dombrowski also mentioned that the Tigers are interested in bringing back Peralta next season:
  

  “We don’t know what we will do with his ($7.25 million) option, but would like him back next year as our shortstop.”

  I guess I could live with this for a year, but this is what Tigers fans have to accept thanks to the team’s inability to develop a shortstop (apologies to Danny Worth). Personally, I’d rather they go after the Diamondbacks’ Stephen Drew but the price tag will likely be too high.

Finally, Jim Leyland said that he’s “99.9 percent sure” that Phil Coke will be in the starting rotation in 2011. Coke sure seemed to fit nicely into his relief role this season but I suppose the Tigers do need a lefty in their heavily right-handed rotation. They must feel confident in Daniel Schlereth’s development.

So, is that enough news for you? What do you think of these moves?

Since the 2000 season, the Tigers are 40 games under .500 against the White Sox. That’s beyond ugly. That’s hideous.

Since Ozzie Guillen arrived in 2004, the Tigers are 19 games under .500. But somehow the Tigers, in this season of uneven play and disappointment, Tigers fans (or, at least this Tigers fan) can rejoice in their winning the season series against the White Sox in 2010, 11 wins and 8 losses.

Detroit eked out a 10-8 record against the Sox — up from 9-9 last season — and were able to play the role of spoiler in the series at Chicago Sept. 17-19, essentially knocking Ozzie’s band of jolly outlaws from playoff contention. Huzzah!

Top Performers Against the White Sox

• Don Kelly – .419, 2 HR (13 games)

• Ryan Raburn .321, 3 HR (17 games)

• Carlos Guillen .360, 2 HR (6 games)

In his 16 games against Chicago, Miguel Cabrera hit just .161 with a pair of homers.

On the pitching side, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello pitched the most innings against the White Sox, each with 29.2, with Scherzer faring better: 1-1, 31 strikeouts and a 3.34 ERA in four starts, compared to Porcello’s 1-3, 10, 7.28 ERA in five.

Justin Verlander (2-0, 2.25 ERA) and Jeremy Bonderman (2-1, 3.08 ERA) were the best starters.

With the Tigers playing out the schedule in gloomy Baltimore — and hoping against hope that they can muster enough offense to finish 82-80 — we have to accept some consolation prizes. For me, the best is the season series win over the White Sox. Small potatoes to be sure, but we take what we can get.

And if you’re curious, you’ll have to wait until April 22, 2011 before you can see the Tigers and White Sox tussle again.

Sounds fine with me.

Head-to-Head: Tigers-White Sox 2010

• May 18 @ Detroit: White Sox 6 – Tigers 2; W: Freddy Garcia L: Rick Porcello
• June 8 @ Chicago: Tigers 7 – White Sox 2; W: Brad Thomas L: Matt Thornton
• June 9 @ Chicago: White Sox 15 – Tigers 3; W: Freddy Garcia L: Rick Porcello
• June 10 @ Chicago: White Sox 3 – Tigers 0; W: John Danks L: Max Scherzer
• Aug. 3 @ Detroit: Game 1: White Sox 12 – Tigers 2; W: Mark Buehrle L: Rick Porcello | Game 2: Tigers 7 – White Sox 1; W: Jeremy Bonderman L: Carlos Torres
• Aug. 4 @ Detroit: White Sox 4 – Tigers 1; W: Edwin Jackson L: Armando Galarraga
• Aug. 5 @ Detroit: White Sox 6 – Tigers 4 (11 innings); W: Santos L: Jose Valverde
• Aug. 13 @ Chicago: White Sox 8 – Tigers 4; W: Mark Buehrle L: Jeremy Bonderman
• Aug. 14 @ Chicago: Tigers 3 – White Sox 2; W: Phil Coke L: J.J. Putz
• Aug. 15 @ Chicago: Tigers 13 – White Sox 8; W: Brad Thomas L: J.J. Putz
• Sept. 6 @ Detroit: White Sox 5 – Tigers 4 (10 innings); W: Chris Sale L: Jose Valverde
• Sept. 7 @ Detroit: Tigers 9 – White Sox 1 69-70; W: Justin Verlander L: Freddy Garcia
• Sept. 8 @ Detroit: Tigers 5 – White Sox 1; W: Jeremy Bonderman L: John Danks
• Sept. 9 @ Detroit: Tigers 6 – Tigers 3; W: Rick Porcello Gavin Floyd
• Sept. 17 @ Chicago: Tigers 9 – White Sox 2; W: Max Scherzer L: Edwin Jackson
• Sept. 18 @ Chicago: Tigers 6 – White Sox 3; Justin Verlander L: Sergio Santos
• Sept. 19 @ Chicago: Tigers 9 – White Sox 7 (11 innings); W: Robbie Weinhardt L: Sergio Santos

71-70, 3rd Place; 12.5 GB

Today’s Results

Tigers 6 – White Sox 3

• W: Rick Porcello (9-11)
• L: Gavin Floyd (10-12)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 5 – White Sox 1

• W: Jeremy Bonderman (8-9)
• L: John Danks (13-10)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Edwin Jackson, 27

• Dan Miceli, 40

• Reggie Sanders (1949-2002)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1997 — Scott Sanders hurls a one-hit, 4-0 shutout over the Rangers. Domingo Cedeno’s single is the only Rangers hit.

• 1990 — Right fielder Scott Lusader loses the battle to bright sun and soggy turf and makes three errors (two fielding and one throwing) in the first inning against the White Sox. It’s a first in the American League since 1925. The Sox score seven runs in the inning and coast home 13-3, snapping the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak.

• 1977 — In the second game of a doubleheader loss at Fenway Park, Tigers rookies Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell debut together. They will hold down the second base and shortstop jobs in Detroit for a record 19 years. Boston wins both games, 5-1 and 8-6, respectively.

• 1970 — Bowie Kuhn hands Denny McLain his third suspension of the year, this one for carrying a gun, plus other unspecified charges, and ends McLain’s season with a 3-5 record.

• 1932 — The Tigers beat the Yankees 14- 13 in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam and
  drives in eight runs. He has reached this RBI feat twice before. Frankie Crosetti strikes out four times in the game, including twice in one inning.

  Detroit also tops the Yanks, 4-1, in five innings to finally complete the protested game of August 1, and the tie of yesterday. The Yankees score their lone run in the third inning off Buck Marrow with their only two hits of the game.

50-45, 3rd place; 2.5 GB Chicago

Today’s Games

Game 1

Tigers vs. Blue Jays | 1:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Armando Galarraga (3-3, 4.50 ERA) vs. LHP Brett Cecil (8-5, 3.99 ERA)

Game 2

Tigers vs. Blue Jays | 6:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: Radio Only – AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Jeremy Bonderman (5-6, 4.98 ERA) vs. RHP Jesse Litsch (1-4, 5.79 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Blue Jays 3 – Tigers 2

• W: Shaun Marcum (9-4)
• L: Rick Porcello (4-8)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Torey Lovullo, 45

• Fred Scherman, 66

• Mick Kelleher, 63

• Larry Sherry (1935-2006)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2002 — The Tigers acquired outfielder Hiram Bocachica from the Dodgers for RHP Tom Farmer and a player to be named later (RHP Jason Frasor).

• 1993 — Mike Moore hurls a one-hit, 3-0 shutout over the Royals. Wally Joyner’s second-inning single is the only Kansas City hit.

• 1967 — Race riots in Detroit force postponement of a Tigers-Orioles game. The games
  scheduled for July 26 and 27 are shifted to Baltimore.

• 1960 — The Tigers acquired catcher Hank Foiles from the Indians for catcher Bob Wilson and infielder Rocky Bridges.

• 1904 — The Tigers acquired catcher Monte Beville from the Yankees for fellow catcher Frank McManus.

48-42, 2nd place; 1.5 GB Chicago

Today’s Game

Tigers vs. Rangers | 7:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Jeremy Bonderman (5-6, 4.79 ERA) vs. RHP Scott Feldman (5-8, 5.32 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Indians 7 – Tigers 2

• W: Jeanmar Gomez (1-0)
• L: Andy Oliver (0-4)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Phil Coke, 28

• Mark Carreon, 47

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1991 — The Tigers pound Kansas City, 17-0 to give Bill Gullickson an easy win over Tom Gordon. It’s the worst loss in franchise history for the Royals, and a reversal of the July 14 match-up between the same two starters. That day, the Royals routed the Tigers, 18-4.

• 1912 — Ty Cobb strokes seven hits in a doubleheader to give him a major-league record of 14 in two consecutive twin bills against the Athletics. Bill White will tie Cobb in 1961.

In theory, no.

In reality, with the seemingly unbeatable Carl Pavano on the mound, the answer is a begrudging yes.

But who would have guessed, though, that the Tigers would take the first two games of the weekend series and still slip into second place? White Sox GM Kenny Williams? Probably.

And so here we are at the All-Star Break and the Tigers are an eyelash out of first place — and with a bit of breathing room between themselves and the Twins.

All things considered, not too bad.

Friday: Tigers 7 – Twins 3

Friday night’s game was the marquee matchup, Justin Verlander versus Francisco Liriano, and Verlander was at times excellent and baffling — 103 pitches in 5-1/3 innings? Yikes — and the offense, as the 7-4 score would indicate, was paced by Magglio Ordonez, Brennan Boesch and Carlos Guillen who went a combined 7 for 11.

After the game Jim Leyland blasted holes through the Rick Porcello trade rumorette — Jon Paul Morosi speculated that Porcello’s pushed-back start could be viewed as a showcase for a trade partner. Perhaps Morosi got a little too close to the truth and the Tigers wanted to respond? I’m thinking we haven’t heard the last of this story.

Saturday: Tigers 7 – Twins 4

Saturday’s nationally televised game featured loads of offense all of the extra-base variety: eight hits, four doubles, four homers. Jeremy Bonderman eked out a quality start and the bullpen kept the Twins at bay.

Meanwhile, the White Sox were doing what the Tigers seem incapable of doing: beating the Royals with ease. Coming into Sunday’s finale, a mere half-game separated the surging Sox and the Tigers.

Sunday: Twins 6 – Tigers 3

Standing in the way of a sweep was the most mystifying of recent Tigers killers: Pavano. Last year with the Indians and Twins, he was 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA against Detroit.

He was up to his old tricks on Sunday making Tigers hitters look foolish and retiring the first 13 batters he faced. Andy Oliver showed flashes of his potential but allowed four earned runs and seems destined for a return trip to Erie sooner rather than later.

The Tigers made some noise offensively but never seemed to mount a credible threat. Hardly surprisingly considering the foe. With the Twins’ 6-3 victory, Pavano’s career record against Detroit: 5-2 with a 2.81 ERA in eight career starts.

So, despite winning two of three, the Tigers find themselves looking up at the White Sox in the Central division.

Things will get all the more interesting when games resume after the All-Star Break. The Tigers head to Cleveland on Friday while the White Sox travel to Minneapolis for three.

It all has the makings of a terrific three-team race.

They lost two games to the Mariners in Seattle, then came home to lose three of four to the A’s. After a 14-10 record in April, they stumbled to 12-14 in May.

How would they fare in June? Much better, despite losses to division opponents on the both ends of the month.

Detroit finished June with a 15-12 record and gained three games in the standings; on June 1 they were 4-1/2 back of the Twins, just 1-1/2 on June 30. In between, the Tigers surged thanks to that soft spot in the interleague schedule — Pittsburgh, Washington and Arizona — allowing them to gain ground on the Twins, who were playing much tougher National League opponents.

The Tigers’ abysmal 5-10 road record in June included losing two of three at Kansas City, Chicago and Minnesota. This has got to stop if the Tigers hope to stay relevant — much less in the hunt.

While a seven-game winning streak and a 10-2 home record certainly helped buoy the Tigers’ winning ways, we can’t overlook the convergence of wins with Brennan Boesch becoming a fixture in the lineup and the awakening of Brandon Inge, Alex Avila and, to a lesser degree, Gerald Laird.

As frustrating as this team is on some nights, they still have a compelling roster, an aggressive owner and a winnable division.

Issues to watch in July will be:

• Can Jeremy Bonderman get his act together after three consecutive lousy starts?
• Will Inge and Avila maintain their respective offensive resurgence?
• Can Ryan Perry capably fill Joel Zumaya‘s role in the eighth inning?
• Will Johnny Damon finally provide the consistent hitting the Tigers expected when they signed him?

• Can they stop playing porous defense night in and night out?

Watching as these questions get answered should make this month a fascinating one. And, what we learn in July will determine whether the Tigers emerge as buyers or sellers — or neither — when the trade deadline arrives.

43-36, Tied for 1st place with Minnesota

Today’s Game

Tigers vs. Mariners | 1:05 p.m. ET – Comerica Park | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Jeremy Bonderman (4-5, 4.36 ERA) vs. LHP Cliff Lee (7-3, 2.45 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 6 – Mariners 1

• W: Justin Verlander (10-5)
• L: Jason Vargas (6-4)

Tigers History Lesson

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2001 — The 50 people stranded on the Ferris wheel ride at Comerica Park for two hours during the Royals-Tigers game are rescued by firefighters and emergency crews using a cherry picker and a fire truck ladder. The inconvenienced fans will receive tickets to another game, free dinner and team autographs from the Tigers. Oh, and the Tigers won, 6-4.

• 2000 — In the Tigers’ 11-0 blowout over Tampa Bay, Shane Halter takes over the catching duties in the eighth
  from Brad Ausmus. Halter has now played every position in the majors: with the Royals, he pitched on July 17, 1998. Dave Mlicki is the winner with Dean Palmer knocking a pair of home runs.

• 1912 — Three weeks after the Tigers ask waivers on George Mullin, he pitches himself a 32nd birthday present at Detroit, a 7-0 no-hitter over the Browns. Mullin helps his victory with three hits and two RBIs. In the morning game, a 9-3 Detroit win, Ty Cobb steals second, third base and home in the 5th inning against the battery of George Baumgardner and Paul Krichell. Cobb has stolen home five times this season; this is his first swipe of home in his last eight successes that didn’t occur in the first inning.
• 1911 — In the morning game between Chicago and Detroit, Ed Walsh stops Ty Cobb’s 40-game hitting streak, as the White Sox win, 7-3. Curiously, neither Detroit paper mentions the streak which began on May 15. Cobb has hit .491 over that stretch.

Nevertheless, the Mariners are back in town. And these are not the powerhouse Mariners that opened Comerica Park on that ice-cold day in 2000. These are more like the Mariners clubs I watched as a kid: bad.

• Current Record: 33-45, 4th place in A.L. West, 14 GB of Texas
• Last 10: 6-4

Head to Head

• 2010 Record: 1-4
• 2010 at Home: 0-0
• 2010 at Seattle: 1-4
• All-Time Record: 191-160-1*
• All-Time at Home: 107-67-1
• All-Time at Comerica Park: 25-21
• All-Time at Seattle: 84-93

*If you’re wondering about the one tie in their all-time series, read this Fungo Flashback.

Batting Leaders

• Average: Ichiro Suzuki- .332
• Home Runs: Milton Bradley – 8
• RBI: Franklin Gutierrez – 34
• Runs: Chone Figgins – 33
• OPS: Ichiro – .813

Pitching Leaders

• Wins: Cliff Lee – 7
• Strikeouts: Felix Hernandez – 116
• Saves: David Aardsma – 16
• WHIP: Lee – 0.92
• ERA: Lee – 2.45

Who’s Hot (June)

• Gutierrez – .333
• Bradley – .304
• Russell Branyan – .273

Who’s Not (June)

• Josh Wilson – .077
• Figgins – .208
• Michael Saunders – .214

41-34, 1st place; 1/2-game lead

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Twins| 8:10 p.m. ET – Target Field | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Armando Galarraga (3-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Blackburn (6-5, 6.10 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 7 – Twins 5

• W: Jeremy Bonderman (4-5)
• L: Francisco Liriano (6-6)
• Save: Jose Valverde (18)
• HR: Gerald Laird (2), Jim Thome (7)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Eddie Miller, 53
• Bruce Kimm, 59
• Dizzy Trout (1915-1972)

• Bobby Veach (1888-1945)

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1986 — The Tigers beat the Brewers 9-5 in the first game of a doubleheader split, making Sparky Anderson the first manager ever to win 600 games in each league. The Brewers win game two, 3-1.

• 1983 — Mark Fidrych, in the second year of an extended comeback attempt with the Pawtucket Red Sox, retires. The 1976 A.L. Rookie of the Year was 2-5 with a 9.68 ERA.

• 1968 — Jim Northrup’s third grand slam ties the major-league record for slams in a month (Rudy York, May 1938), and sets a major-league record for slams in a week. The Tigers win 5-2 over the White Sox; Denny McLain notches his 14th victory.

• 1967 — The Tigers acquired outfielder Jim Landis from the Astros for RHP Larry Sherry.

Among the many differences between the Tigers of May and the Tigers of late June — an overhauled rotation, a new second baseman, a new shortstop — is that today’s Tigers also must contend with a surging White Sox club. Depending how this series and the Sox’s series against the Royals pan out, the Tigers could be in first, second or third.

In some ways, these two teams are fairly even. In others — oh, the defense — the Twins are superior.

Team Hitting
• Tigers: .272 (6th overall)
• Twins: .270 (7th)

Home Runs
• Tigers: 67 (15th overall)
• Twins: 63 (18th)

Team ERA
• Tigers: 4.25 ERA (19th overall)
• Twins: 3.89 ERA (8th)

Team Defense
• Tigers: .981 Fielding Pct. (22nd overall)
• Twins: .990 (Tied 1st)

Head to Head

• 2010 Record: 2-4
• 2010 at Home: 2-1
• 2010 at Minnesota: 0-3
• All-Time Record: 1,034-962-17
• All-Time at Home: 551-449-8
• All-Time at Comerica Park: 43-49
• All-Time at Minnesota: 483-513-9

Batting Leaders

• Average: Justin Morneau – .346
• Home Runs: Morneau – 15
• RBI: Morneau – 49
• Runs: Morneau – 47
• OPS: Morneau – 1.057

Pitching Leaders

• Wins: Carl Pavano – 9
• Strikeouts: Francisco Liriano – 3.11
• Save: Jon Rauch – 17
• WHIP: Pavano – 1.03
• ERA: Liriano – 3.11

Who’s Hot (June)

• Morneau – .409
• Jason Kubel – .333
• Nick Punto – .300

Who’s Not (June)

• Michael Cuddyer – .143
• Delmon Young – .174
• Denard Span – .200

40-34, 2nd place; 1/2-game behind Minnesota

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Twins | 8:10 p.m. ET – Target Field | On the air: FSD/AM 1270 and 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Jeremy Bonderman (3-5) vs. LHP Francisco Liriano (6-5)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Braves 6

• W: Justin Verlander (9-5)
• L: Tommy Hanson (7-5)
• HR: Brennan Boesch (12)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Chris Spurling, 33
• Greg Keagle, 39

• Fred Gladding, 74

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1997 — For the second time in three days, a Tiger steals four bases with Boston catcher Scott Hatteberg behind the plate. This time it’s Damion Easley in Detroit’s 9-2 victory. Tomorrow, Hatteberg will start on the bench, but will come in when Bill Haselman breaks his finger.
• 1976 — Mark ‘the Bird’ Fidrych one-hits the Yankees before a national television audience as the Tigers win 5-1.

• 1962 — Hall of Famer href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cochrmi01.shtml">Mickey Cochrane died at age 59.

• 1931 — Records for catching fly balls are set in a doubleheader as the A’s beat the Tigers, 9-1 and 5-1. Detroit’s outfield made 24 putouts, and Philadelphia adds 19 for a two-team total of 43 in the two games.