Leading Off: Brad Penny proved to be a stopper after all: a momentum stopper. Maybe it was too much to ask for, a sweep of the Twins in the last trip to Target Field this season, but the Tigers lost with a flourish, 11-4. Ramon Santiago collected four hits but other than that, it was a stinker. And what about poor David Pauley? The forgotten man of the bullpen might have showed once and for all why he is the forgotten man of the bullpen: 2 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs (all earned), a walk and homer. Meanwhile, Wilson Betemit is hitting 110 points higher than Brandon Inge … Carlos Guillen is slated to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Toledo tonight and soon thereafter will throw second base into disarray.

Around the Central: The Royals did their part to help the Tigers to no avail, beating the Indians 2-1, and the White Sox finished off a sweep of the Mariners, 9-3.

The Tigers moved up two spots in ESPN’s Power Rankings this week to number 7, seven spots ahead of the Indians and nine ahead of the White Sox.

Alex Avila extended his current hitting streak to 12 games yesterday at Minnesota. He compiled a 10-game hitting streak earlier in the month, doing so August 2-13. Avila is the first Tigers player to have two hitting streaks of 10 games-or-better in a single month since Roger Cedeno(!) did so in May of 2001. Cedeno posted two 10-game hitting streaks that month for the Tigers, doing so May 1-11 and May 15-25.

Paul Sporer wrote that Justin Verlander’s20th win was nothing but a symptom of greatness.

Joe Janish looks at waiver wire deals of the pastand finds two Tigers deals worth mentioning, if not remembering.

On this date in 1925, the city of Detroit hosted a dinner for Ty Cobb honoring his 20 years in a Tiger uniform. He was given a trophy by the city and $10,000 by the club.

On Aug. 29, 1959, Hamtramck won the Little League World Series at Williamsport, Pa.

Finally, Happy 73rd Birthday to actor Elliot Gould who is known for many roles, but my favorite will always be that of Reuben Tishkoff in “Ocean’s 11” and 12 and 13.

AP

Wednesday afternoon the Detroit Tigers announced a trade, the first in Major League Baseball since Francisco Rodriguez was sent to the Brewers on the night of the All-Star game. The Tigers kicked off what is sure to be a slew of near deadline deals in the next ten days by acquiring third basemen Wilson Betemit from the Royals in exchange for Single-A prospects LHP Antonio Cruz and catcher Julio Rodriguez.

Betemit’s offensive production (.281/.341/.409 in 226 PAs this year) will surely be a welcome addition to Detroit’s lineup, which is ranked fifth in the American League in runs scored despite getting a pathetic .186/.251/.249 line from third base this season. Brandon Inge, the longest tenured Tigers player, is the one responsible for that horrific triple slash line leading many to wonder as to why the organization signed him to a 2-year/$11.5M contract before the season. It’s not as if Inge’s 2011 struggles have come out of the blue as his triple slash line since the start of ‘07 is .226/.307/.375. The Tigers knew they weren’t signing an “offensive” third basemen this off-season, but perhaps they were a little overzealous giving that dollar figure to a middling player approaching his decline years.

The addition of Betemit plugs up the only gaping hole the Tigers had in their lineup. The question now becomes who goes from the 25-man roster to make room for Betemit when he joins the club for the upcoming Minnesota series. The candidates are Inge (of course), Ramon Santiago, and Don Kelly. Despite the fans and Manager’s love affair with Donnie Kelly, I actually believe that Santiago would be the more useful bench piece at the moment. The way the Tigers infield is currently with Betemit and Carlos Guillen, having a good defensive replacement off the bench is going to be key. That comment is directed at Guillen, who has shown very little in terms of range at second base in his short time in the majors. Kelly’s value, on the other hand, lies in the fact that he can play multiple positions which isn’t to say that he can play them all well as he can be quite shaky in the infield.

The prospects going the other way here represent a pretty decent return for Kansas City. Cruz is a young lefty who sits at 89-91 mph and has a potentially plus pitch in his curveball. Rodriguez has been called the best defensive catcher in the Tigers system and his fielding is so strong some think he could make the majors as a backup even if his bat never develops, though he’s hitting .283 at Lakeland. Needless to say, but the Tigers won’t be missing either of these players anytime soon.

Nick Shlain, a Journalism student at Eastern Michigan University, writes for Detroit Baseball Page.com. You can follow him on Twitter @nshlain.

I thought he had it. I really did. Earlier in the year I wrote that Justin Verlander could have another no-hitter this summer and I still believe that (he’ll face the Indians again, right?).

Tuesday night was the tenth time in Verlander’s career that he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. It was also his third complete game of the year and second shutout. And third career two-hitter.

With a league-leading 105 strikeouts and microscopic 0.87 WHIP there is little debate over who should start the All-Star Game for the American League at this point.

Verlander dominated with 40 fastballs that registered above 95+ mph, but also was very consistent with his curveball and changeup. It was probably his best start of the year in that regard.

I remember marveling at Verlander after his no-no in Toronto because he threw it without the command of his curveball. He only had four strikeouts in that start, the last of which came on a slider to Rajai Davis to end the game. He was able to get weak contact by pounding the zone with his fastball the entire night.

Verlander was a different kind of dominant Tuesday night as he was able to baffle the Indians with tremendous breaking stuff as he set down 12 on strikes, including Grady Sizemore four times.

The no-hitter was lost with one out in the 8th inning when Orlando Cabrera lined a 99-mph fastball that was on the outside corner into shallow center.

Most people are saying this was a bad break for Verlander as Cabrera happened to put a nice swing on it, but if there’s anything to complain about on the play its that centerfielder Austin Jackson was simply just playing too deep. In my opinion, he’s playing too deep for Orlando Cabrera at anytime of the game.

It was just Monday that Comerica Park saw how shallow B.J. Upton plays anyone and everyone. It burned Upton and the Rays when Miguel Cabrera and
Ramon Santiago hit balls that he wasn’t able to cutoff, but the true mark of a great centerfielder is how shallow you play. Torii Hunter isn’t the best centerfielder of the generation because he makes highlight catches, its Andruw Jones because he played shallow and still got to basically everything in the same zip code.

If I’m Austin Jackson, I’d have taken a few big steps in and make the not-so-scary
Cabrera hit the ball over my head. Upton was playing in with Joel Peralta on the mound against Miguel (!) Cabrera late in a tight game.

Late in a no-hitter with the Tigers leading by four and Verlander is pumping 99-mph gas there is no excuse for playing Cabrera that deep in that spot. Where he was playing he had no shot, but if he’s playing in with his closing speed he definitely has a shot a catching it with a few steps and a dive.

Fresh off a once-in-a-millennium sweep of the White Sox, the Tigers, well, got smoked by the lowly Mariners thanks to three more or less devastating pitch performances. Smoked.

There were so many moments and plays during this series that could’ve turned a game in Detroit’s favor but went the other way — big time.

If I had to choose the turning point in the series, it had to be the top of the fifth in game one on Tuesday night. The Tigers clawed back to tie the game at three — a major hurdle when facing Felix Hernandez — only to watch Phil Coke hand the lead and the game back to the Mariners by allowing four runs.

Talk about a momentum killer.

And then there were the errors: five in three games, four on Wednesday alone.

And, how about that bruising top three spots in the lineup for Thursday’s finale? Austin Jackson, Ramon Santiago and Magglio Ordonez amassed an average of .180. In fact, five players in Thursday’s lineup finished the game with an average of .200 or lower.

And, how about Ryan Raburn’s performance — any facet you choose?

Right now, things look bleak for the Tigers’ offensively and it appears they now lack any momentum.

Then again, tomorrow’s starting pitcher is the Indians’ Jeanmar Gomez, whose record is 0-1, 7.36.

Maybe I like that old adage after all.

In the meantime, here are some odds and ends from the last week:

• If you’re still coming to grips with the notion of Brandon Inge and Jhonny Peralta manning the left side of the Tigers’ infield next season, here’s something I noticed that will either make you feel better or worse – and nowhere in between.

  Based on this year’s stats, it appears that Inge and Peralta are practically twins:
  

  2010 Stats	Inge	Peralta
  Games	144	148
  At bats	514	551
  Hits	127	137
  Home Runs	13	15
  RBI	70	81
  Average	.247	.249
  On-base Percentage	.321	.311
  Slugging Percentage	.397	.392
  OPS	.718	.703

  Of Peralta, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski last Sunday said: “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’m like many Tigers fans: skeptical, at best, about Peralta as a full-time shortstop. True, he’ll bring more pop to the position than either Danny Worth or Ramon Santiago. But that’s not saying much, is it? As for his defense, the 2010 edition of Baseball Prospectus described Peralta as “increasingly immobile.”

  Gee, if we wanted an immobile shortstop, why not give the job back to Carlos Guillen?

  Discuss.

• Yahoo! Sports‘ Tim Brown last week gave some major love to former Tigers infielder/current Braves sensation Omar Infante.
  

  Years ago, he was run off positions and out of at-bats in Detroit by Ramon Santiago, Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco and Fernando Vina, so he earned back a few swings by playing six different positions, figuring it out, surviving.

  Now 28, hardened by his positional vagabonding and inspired by the public ridicule that accompanied his surprise All-Star selection in July, Infante no longer plays from the bench. In the leadoff spot and back at third base, he has become part of a new core of Braves, that being what was left from a grueling and injurious season. From the Braves’ opening day eight, only two started game 162, a win that clinched the organization’s first playoff appearance in five years.

  All things considered, who would you rather have at shortstop for the Tigers next season: Infante, Worth or Peralta?

• Getting caught up on some recent Fungo Flash Poll results:
  • Do you like the Tigers’ decision to put Phil Coke in the rotation next season? 52 percent (115 votes) said Yes; 48 percent (107) said No.

  • If the Tigers decide to re-sign only one of these players, who should they choose? Inge: 79 percent (214 votes); Bonderman: 21 percent (56 votes)

  • With the Tigers season winding down, what are you looking forward to the most? Top three vote getters: Michigan Football, 25 percent (41 votes); Spring Training, 24 percent (40); Red Wings, 23 percent (38). I’m disappointed that no one — not a single vote! — cast a vote for my alma mater: Any Western Michigan Team Sport (0 percent, 0 Votes). Ouch.

• Some birthdays today: Patrick Leyland, 19; Jeff Larish, 28; and, Dmitri Young, 37. Today’s also the 81st birthday of George Kell‘s brother, Skeeter.

• On this date in 2006, Alexis Gomez and Curtis Granderson each hit home runs as the Tigers beat the A’s 8-5 in Oakland to take a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

• And on this date in 1944, the Tigers acquired catcher Bob Swift and infielder Don Heffner from the Athletics for outfielder Rip Radcliff.

Finally, on this date in 1975 “Saturday Night Live” debuted on NBC, which makes me feel old — and bummed out that it’s not nearly as funny as it used to be.

65-66, 3rd Place; 10 GB

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 (4-5, 4.04 ERA) vs. Brian Duensing (7-2, 2.19 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Off Day

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Ramon Santiago, 31

• Hideo Nomo, 42

• Morris Madden, 50

• Bill Nahorodny, 57

• Boots Day, 63

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2004 — The Tigers acquired cash considerations from the Cubs for C Mike Difelice.

• 1993 — The Tigers acquired OF Eric Davis from the Dodgers for a player to be named (RHP John DeSilva).

• 1988 — The Tigers acquired OF Fred Lynn from the Orioles for RHP Cesar Mejia, LHP Robinson Garces and catcher Chris Hoiles. And, they acquired RHP Ted Power from the Royals for LHP Mark Lee and catcher Rey Palacios.

• 1972 — The Tigers purchase the contract of 1B/outfielder Frank Howard from the Rangers.

• 1943 — Rudy York hits two home runs to bring his August home run total to 17, one less than his 1937 record for home runs in a single month, which he also set in August.

• 1937 — Rookie Rudy York sets a new record for home runs in a month, hitting his 17th and 18th to eclipse Babe Ruth’s mark set in September 1927. He knocks in seven runs against Pete Appleton, as the Tigers beat the Senators 12-3.

• 1906 — Beset by injuries, the Tigers call 46-year-old Sam Thompson out of retirement; he drives in two runs in a 5-1 win over the Browns. Thompson, who last played in the majors in 1898, appears in eight games and bats .226.

Who at the time would’ve guessed that the brittle Guillen could stay healthy for two months and regain his status as a productive member of the Tigers’ lineup?

But let’s be honest: the concern wasn’t Guillen’s offense, it was the defense. How many ground balls would he, could he, get to…without pulling a hamstring? Could he turn the double play with Adam Everett (and now Ramon Santiago and Danny Worth)? The answer to all those appears to be yes.

Let’s see if the numbers bear it out.

In 39 games, Guillen’s committed just four errors and has a .977 fielding percentage — 24 points higher than Sizemore who had six errors in 30 games.

Guillen’s UZR of 5.267 would put him in eighth place overall if he had enough games played to qualify for league-leader status. (Chone Figgins leads the majors with a 6.129 UZR.) His 4.69 range factor would place him in the company of Aaron Hill, Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia for 14th. (Robinson Cano and Chase Utley lead the way with a 5.26 RF.)

The verdict? Guillen has been about average in the field which, all things considered, isn’t horrible. That’s because everyone’s expectations at second base were lowered a notch when Placido Polanco departed for the Phillies. No one expected Sizemore to replicate Polanco’s steadiness, but they didn’t expect him to be as substandard as he was in April and May either. So the defensive bar for Guillen was set low — but not as low as it was for him in left field — and he’s managed to perform above it.

Offensively, he’s getting the job done and creeping closer to .300 — he finished the first half at .289. It would be nice to see his power return (he’s got five homers so far) but chances are that’s just wishful thinking.

Overall, Carlos Guillen seems like a happier player now that he’s back in the infield and not a part-time DH and left fielder. As we always have to say, when healthy he’s a vital piece of Jim Leyland‘s lineup.

So keep those fingers crossed.

After losing two of three to the Dodgers way back in May, the Tigers ran roughshod over the dregs of the National League. Against the Pirates, Nationals and Diamondbacks, Detroit won eight of nine.

This past week the Tigers crashed back to reality while facing the top two clubs in the National League East. After losing two of three in New York, the Tigers needed to reverse that outcome in Atlanta to make it a .500 trip. Unlike the series at Citi Field, the Tigers were in every game against the Braves thanks to stellar pitching — and despite an often-dormant offense.

Friday night’s game was disappointing because of the outing by rookie Andy Oliver. He scattered five hits over six innings, walked only one and struck out four. Brian McCann‘s two-run homer accounted for the Braves’ only offense against Oliver. From what I saw, Oliver looks like the real deal and he looked right at home on the Tigers’ staff watching his offense fizzle.

On Saturday, Austin Jackson led off the game with a single to left and was stranded at second. The next Tigers hit wouldn’t come until the sixth when Ramon Santiago laid down a bunt single. Meanwhile, Max Scherzer was brilliant, if not a tad wild, pitching into the sixth inning while blanking the Braves and striking out eight. The real story, of course, emerged in the top of the ninth with the Tigers down 4-1. Magglio Ordonez lined out to lead off the inning. Miguel Cabrera followed with a 411-foot homer, inching the Tigers closer and giving them their third — and final — hit of the game. Then, suddenly, the Braves couldn’t find the strikezone. Here’s how the play-by-play recap looks on ESPN.com’s box score of the game:

• B Boesch struck out looking.
• C Guillen walked.
• B Inge walked, C Guillen to second.
• E O’Flaherty relieved T Saito.
• D Worth walked, C Guillen to third, B Inge to second.
• G Laird walked, C Guillen scored, B Inge to third, D Worth to second. (Braves 4 – Tigers 3)
• P Moylan relieved E O’Flaherty.

Johnny Damon then pinch hit for Jackson and was the victim of a call perhaps even worse than Jim Joyce‘s on June 2. Homeplate ump Gary Cederstrom (pictured above) called the 3-2 pitch a strike, costing the Tigers a run and, given the way the Braves were pitching, a likely victory. (Photo credit to Grey who posted it on Twitter.) Once again, the Tigers were left to stew about the second egregious call against them in three weeks.

When Gerald Laird smacks three hits in a game, you have to figure the Tigers are winning big or getting trounced. Combine those three hits by Laird with a Justin Verlander start and you’re looking at a victory. The Tigers’ launched a 17-hit assault, highlighted by Brennan Boesch’s 12th homer of the year — which traveled 395 feet up and out. Verlander gutted out seven innings, striking out six and raising his record to 9-5, in helping the Tigers avoid a sweep.

All told, the Tigers’ interleague performance in 2010 (11-7) could have been even better had they not lost six of nine against winning N.L. teams. Still, the wins against weaker clubs allowed them to stay close to the Twins in the division and keep this season interesting for at least another couple of weeks.

Tigers’ Record: 22-16, 2nd place; 1.5 GB Minnesota

Today’s Game

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

Pitching Matchup

Rick Porcello (3-3, 6.08 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (2-2, 4.75 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 5 – Red Sox 1

• W: Armando Galarraga (1-0)
• L: John Lackey (4-2)
• HR: Ramon Santiago (1)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Carlos Pena, 32
• Ozzie Virgil, 78

On this Date in Tigers History

• 2001 — Former Tigers outfielder Ike Brown died from cancer in Memphis at the age of 59. He played for the Tigers from 1969-74. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Brown was one of the last Negro League players still active in the majors during the 1970s. He played every infield and outfield position but center during his Tigers career.

Max Scherzer certainly did his part on Friday night by serving up five runs in the first inning which fueled Boston’s 7-2 win.

What happened on Saturday was the stuff that magical seasons can be built on. An overstatement? Maybe. But when Dontrelle Willis plays the role of Scherzer by yielding four runs and seven walks in just 3.1 innings, you could almost expect the Tigers to mail it in. Except they didn’t. Instead, they chipped away at Jon Lester and the Red Sox bullpen and mounted a thrilling comeback behind Brennan Boesch‘s four-hit game — and near cycle.

Another letdown appeared imminent with John Lackey starting for the Sox on Sunday but that wasn’t meant to be either. The Tigers wore down Lackey with nine hits and four walks and Ramon Santiago went deep in the fourth for his first homer of the year.

Meanwhile, Armando Galarraga made a triumphant return to the majors and was superb (despite walking two of the first three hitters): 5.2 IP, three hits, one run, three walks and five strikeouts. And what about Jim Leyland bringing in Jeremy Bonderman for an inning of flawless relief? Whatever works.

For me, the most interesting part of an exciting week were the roster moves made after Saturday night’s game. Scherzer being sent down came as no surprise after he showed on Friday how truly out of sync he is. With Galarraga seemingly ready to resume his big-league career, this makes sense.

Demoting Scott Sizemore jolted me a little. Based on everything we heard since spring training — and that they let Placido Polanco walk — I expected the Tigers to ride it out with Sizemore. Then again, when your keystone combination is hitting a combined .399, you’ve gotta do something.

I’ll say this about Dave Dombrowski, he’s certainly not afraid to bring up the kids. Right now, the Tigers have five rookies on their roster. And good ones. Who knows how long Danny Worth and Casper Wells will stick in Detroit, but it certainly is fun to watch it all play out.

The stunner in all this was the announcement of Carlos Guillen becoming the Tigers’ starting second baseman when he returns from the disabled list. Tell me how this can possibly end well? One wrong twist trying to turn a double play and Guillen could be on the shelf again. Then again, this is a player — a favorite of mine, actually — who landed on the DL running the bases. Add the more demanding defensive requirements of the middle infield and, well, yeah. This can’t end well. (Of course this isn’t saying much, but I’d certainly rather have him at second than in left.)

In his career, Guillen has played a dozen games at second base, all with the Mariners in 1998 and ’99 and he had 56 error-free chances. He’ll have to make quite a few to catch up with Sizemore’s six errors so far this year.

A weekend that started out poorly — and could’ve gotten a lot worse without much effort — certainly turned around in a hurry and featured lots for Tigers fans to chew on as the dreaded White Sox come to town on Monday.

The Gist: For the first time in nearly nine years, Brad Thomas took the hill as a starter and did enough to keep the Tigers in the game until the offense took over in a kooky fourth inning. With two outs that inning, Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago scored on a wild pitch when the ball ping-ponged off the brick backstop and rolled toward Gene Lamont along the third-base line.

Winning-pitcher Eddie Bonine (2-0), Joel Zumaya and Jose Valverde combined with Thomas to hold the Rangers scoreless over the final seven innings. Johnny Damon drew three walks — a season’s worth for Pudge Rodriguez.

The Quote: “They’ve been getting us our wins.” — Damon, on the Tigers’ bullpen.

The Stat: 5 – The number of strikeouts by Zumaya on his two innings of work.

Up Next: Tigers @ Rangers | Sunday – 3:05 p.m. ET

Rick Porcello (1-1, 6.46 ERA) vs. former Tigers RHP Colby Lewis (2-0, 3.12 ERA)

On the air: FSD/1270 AM & 97.1 FM

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

Tigers’ Spring Training Record: 18-10-2

Today’s Games

Tigers 4 – Braves 1

The Tigers dinged Jair Jurrjens for a pair of runs on Don Kelly‘s home run and Eddie Bonine pitched four scoreless, one-hit innings to pace the Tigers in the front end of Grapefruit League finale.

Tigers 4 – Astros 2

The only worthwhile tidbit about this matchup of Tigers minor leaguers versus primetime Astros is former Tiger Chris Shelton appearing in the game for Houston. Oh, Brandon Lyon and Tim Byrdak pitched for the Astros.

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 8 – Pirates 5

Justin Verlander got smoked by the Pirates for five runs, three earned, on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings. Johnny Damon had three hits and three RBIs. Scott Sizemore hit his third home run of the spring, a fourth-inning solo shot. Ramon Santiago doubled in a two during his two-hit day.

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Frank Castillo, 41
• Rusty Staub, 66
• Ron Perranoski, 74

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1962 -The Tigers signed University of Detroit basketball star Dave DeBusschere.
• 1981- Acquired INF Mick Kelleher from the Cubs for cash considerations
• 2004 – Acquired LHP Steve Colyer and cash considerations from the Dodgers for OF Cody Ross

Tigers’ Spring Training Record: 15-10-1

Today’s Game:

Tigers vs. Pirates | 1:05 p.m. ET – Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland | On the air: MLB Gameday Audio (Pirates’ broadcast)

Pitching Matchup: Justin Verlander (1-3, 5.63 ERA) vs. Zach Duke, (0-1, 3.00 ERA)

Also scheduled to pitch: Phil Coke and Brad Thomas

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Orioles 9 | Box Score

Mere moments after the Nate Robertson trade was announced — which secured Dontrelle Willis‘ rotation spot — D-Train celebrated by surrendering five earned runs in 4.1 innings — his worst outing of the spring.

Offensively, Miguel Cabrera hit about 1,000 feet worth of homers with one in the first and another in the fifth. Scott Sizemore and Don Kelly also went yard.

Tigers History Lesson

Birthdays

• Tracy Jones, 49. Sparky Anderson once said that Jones had intensity on the field that reminded him of Kirk Gibson. Jones hit .246 for the Tigers in 96 games for the Tigers in 1989-90.

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1994 – Acquired C Alan Zinter from the Mets for 1B Rico Brogna

• 1998 – The Tigers defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in their first-ever game 11-6 at Tropicana Field. Justin Thompson got the win.

• 2003 – The Tigers opened their worst season ever with a 3-1 loss to the Twins at Comerica Park. Get a load of this star-studded lineup:
  

  Gene Kingsale, CF
  Omar Infante, SS
  Dmitri Young, LF
  Bobby Higginson, RF
  Dean Palmer, DH
  Carlos Pena, 1B
  Eric Munson, 3B
  Brandon Inge, C
  Ramon Santiago, 2B
  Mike Maroth, P

• 2009 – The Tigers stunned just about everyone when they released DH Gary Sheffield — who was one homer shy of 500 — and ate his $14 million contract.

The Score: Twins 8 – Tigers 3

The Gist: Wasted opportunities. Sure, the usual ones — stranded runners, untimely hitting — but also new and exciting storylines. Like, four errors by the Twins, a bizarrely mediocre Joe Nathan and…oh, what’s the difference? Nate Robertson pitched well enough to not lose but not much better. Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez overreacted again, issued warnings, ejected Jim Leyland, Jeremy Bonderman and Gerald Laird, watched benches clear. You know, the usual playoff atmosphere.

The Quote: “Really, what is there to say?” — Yours truly.

The Stat: 0 – As in 0 for 5 for Ramon Santiago on the day, suggesting that perhaps Leyland chose the wrong day to give Placido Polanco a breather. Santiago was 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded chance in the fourth when he popped out to the catcher. The catcher.

Magic/Tragic Number: 2 – Still two.

Up Next: White Sox @ Tigers

Edwin Jackson (13-8, 3.36 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (8-6, 3.75; 2-0 with the Sox)

Follow The Daily Fungo on Twitter: @DailyFungo

1. Dan Gladden made an interesting point on the pre-game interview with Jim Price Wednesday evening. The Twins don’t have a Latin coach on their big-league staff and Orlando Cabrera has helped calm some of the club’s Latin players. I wonder what impact the Tigers’ infield coach Rafael Belliard has had on Miguel Cabrera, Ramon Santiago, et al? We know he worked wonders with Cabrera’s defensive work at first base. How much did the language thing play into it?

2. The last Tigers’ division champion relied on contributions from several rookies including Scott Lusader, Jim Walewander, Matt Nokes and Mike Henneman. This year’s club has Rick Porcello, Alex Avila and Ryan Perry. At this point, 1987 wins on contributors and championships. For now.

3. From the moment I saw the Tigers’ 2009 schedule, I didn’t like them playing the White Sox to end the season under any circumstances. Now the Tigers have to win two of three if they want to guarantee a championship. The weekend starts by facing Jake Peavy on Friday night, and then the Tigers are counting on Alfredo Figaro on Saturday? Yeah, things are certainly aligning nicely for Detroit.

Finally, Happy 63rd Birthday, 1968 Tiger Jon Warden.

Celebrate Nate! I might be the only person in the Tigers Fan Universe looking forward to Robertson’s return to the rotation. Ian?

Today’s Walewanders are fueled by Almighty Blend coffee from Ann Arbor’s Mighty Good Coffee Roasting Co., sent along by the aforementioned Mr. Casselberry.

• Confession: When the Tigers lose, I don’t read the game stories, I don’t listen to The Baseball Today podcast, I don’t seek out game highlights. Frees up a lot of time and I recommend it.
• Today’s game marks the last time the Tigers face the Angels in the regular season. That means you’ll have to wait until next year to hear Rod Allen gush over Torii Hunter.
• While we wait for Aubrey Huff‘s bat to arrive from Baltimore, let’s review the performance of Tigers players that have worn #19 this decade:
  • 2009: Huff, .083, one RBI
  • 2008-09: Jeff Larish, .242, 6 HR, 23 RBI
  • 2005: Exavier Prente Nook Logan, .264, 31 stolen bases
  • 2003-04: Alex Sanchez .304, 63 stolen bases
  • 2002: Worn by hitting coach (and Flint native) Merv Rettenmund
  • 2001: Roger Cedeno, .293, 11 triples, 55 stolen bases
  • 2000: Juan Gonzalez, .289, 22 HR, 67 RBI.
• Brandon Inge‘s tattoos. Methinks he’ll regret that decision when he’s 65. If not sooner.
• I don’t care that Ramon Santiago and Adam Everett are hitting a combined .247. Give me their defense and occasional base hit (or homer, as Everett showed today) over Edgar Renteria.
• Two homers in Oakland or not, I don’t want to see Ryan Raburn batting third ever again. Ever.
• Enough of the Magglio Ordonez bashing already. The Tigers had to overpay players to come to Detroit in 2004 and ’05 and this is the (steep) cost of doing business. Live and learn. Though, the overpaying of Dontrelle Willis makes one believe the “learn” part of the equation needs more attention.
• Speaking of The Baseball Today, on this morning’s episode, host Eric Karabell says he can’t see the Tigers beating the Yankees or Angels in first-round series. It’s beginning to sound a lot like 2006…
• Marcus Thames isn’t on the 2010 Tigers, is he?
• As for the postseason, I’m dreaming of a Tigers/Rockies World Series – my two favorite teams, baby. Well, Tigers/Dodgers would be sweet, too. In fact, even sweeter. Never mind.
• The Porcello/Youkilis Summit seems like a distant memory and for that we should all be thankful. Here are the results of our recent Fungo Pulse Check poll in which readers ranked the brawls. The question: Tale of the Tape: Which Tigers Brawl Ranks as Your Most Memorable?
  • 1982: Dave Rozema’s Kung-Foolery (37%, 10 Votes)
  • 2000: Sixteen Ejected at Comiskey (37%, 10 Votes)
  • 1980: Al Cowens’ Payback to Ed Farmer (19%, 5 Votes)
  • 2009: Porcello v. Youkilis (7%, 2 Votes)

  Reader Ed reminded me in the comments here about the fight in Kansas City (was it 2001?) in which Jeff Weaver plunked Mike Sweeney. That’s when we all realized how much Weav’s teammates loved him…very little.

Finally, Happy 45th Birthday to Chad Kreuter — who also wore #19 (and hit .263 for Detroit from 1992 through ’94).

The Cleveland Clinic: Justin Verlander is once again proving that when his stuff is on, there are few better in the AL… And Edwin Jackson has proved my (and others’) skepticism about this deal unfounded. He seems to be the pitcher everyone in LA and Tampa’s front offices thought he would be.  Score another coup for Dave Dombrowski…Can Curtis Granderson have a better weekend than he did in Cleveland? This one will be tough to top, but it’ll be a blast watching him try.

Rodney Being Rodney: Watching Fernando Rodney is infinitely more nerve-wracking than Todd Jones EVER was! Watching the Tigers game Sunday, I was just about to tell my dad that seeing Rodney come in from the ‘pen didn’t make my stomach hurt as much as it used to.  The he started to do Fernando Rodney things. My favorite is when he walks guys after getting them down 0-2.  He’s a free agent after this year. For the sake of my stomach, and my heart, I hope he tests the market.

He’s My Tiger: Can we please get some love for Ramon Santiago? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Every time he plays, he does something to help the Tigers win a ballgame. Nothing against Adam Everett, but Santiago is more than the fill-in that Jim Leyland and the brain trust see him as. He deserves to be playing most of the time at short.

Tattoo You: Or me. On Saturday, I put my Tiger fandom where my…er…arm…is…

It’s real, folks.  What should my next one be?

The trade route could yield Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh, who has to be better than Renteria defensively. But who would he cost the Tigers? At least a mid-level pitching prospect, most likely.

There are some interesting free agent shortstops out there. Rafael Furcal is probably out of the Tigers’ price range. It’d be a hoot to bring in Renteria’s nemesis, Orlando Cabrera, but his range is comparable to Renteria’s and he’s a Type A who’s been offered arbitration, so he’d cost a draft pick.

I’d like to submit a suggestion: Nick Punto. He’s relatively young (31), which gives him an edge over 3/4 of the FA shortstops out there. He’s versatile, having played 3B and 2B for the Twins, as well as SS. He won’t hit a ton, but he’s a solid fielder with good range, and he has played the past five seasons in a Minnesota system that stresses fundamentals and doing the “little things” that win ballgames. And let’s face it, there isn’t enough of that in the Tigers’ current lineup. And whenever Minnesota has one of those maddening water-torture rallies to beat the Tigers, Punto seems to be right in the middle of it.

They could do worse, and have before.

• Ramon Santiago, 29

• Gabe Kapler, 33
• Hideo Nomo, 40
• Former Tigers coach Boots Day, 61

…and Happy 50th Birthday to a non-Tiger but one of my favorite big-league players: Von Hayes.