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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics 7/1/2009</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:22:25 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:22:25 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Cust, Giambi lead A's past Tigers]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif.(AP) -- Jason Giambi and Jack Cust know that if
they both start hitting more consistently, it could do a lot for
Oakland's chances heading into the second half.

Giambi and Cust broke out of funks with two-run homers, Dallas
Braden ended a four-start winless stretch and the Athletics beat
the Detroit Tigers 5-1 on Wednesday.

"Hopefully we'll start to get hot," Giambi said. "Hopefully it's
coming around. I've been kind of waiting."

So have the A's faithful, accustomed to Giambi's powerful stroke
during his first stint with the franchise from 1995-01. He won
the AL MVP in 2000 with a career-best 43 home runs, then left
for the New York Yankees after the '01 season.

Giambi's drive in the sixth off Justin Verlander (8-4) was home
run No. 407, tying him with Duke Snider for 43rd place. The
38-year-old Giambi, who has been dealing with sore legs and
entered the game with an American League-low .197 batting
average, was in a 2-for-28 stretch before the homer after
striking out in his first two at-bats.

Cust struck out in the second - his 80th of the year - before
connecting with two outs in the fourth for his team-leading 14th
homer. That put Oakland ahead 2-1. He had been 4-for-24 with 13
strikeouts in his previous seven games.

"It'd be big, obviously," Cust said of getting improved
production from him and Giambi. "The more guys you have going in
your lineup the better you're going to be. His average isn't
where he wants it to be. My average isn't where I want it to
be."

Gerald Laird hit an RBI double in the second for the AL
Central-leading Tigers, who had won nine of 12 but were
punchless in the series finale.

Braden (6-7) pitched seven strong innings to win for the first
time in five starts since beating Baltimore on June 5. He had
gone 0-2 during the winless stretch. Brad Ziegler and Andrew
Bailey each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

"I thought we looked a little sluggish and a little tired,"
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We didn't do too much.
Hopefully a day off will perk them up a bit."

Verlander allowed runners in all but two of his six innings. The
hard-throwing right-hander allowed six hits and four runs,
struck out six and walked one. He reviewed tape of the home runs
and thought they were good pitches, saying, "So I can't be too
disappointed."

Orlando Cabrera had two of those hits. He extended his hitting
streak to 14 games with a first-inning single, then added
another in the third. His hitting streak is the longest by the
A's this season and one away from matching his career high,
accomplished in 2003 and '07.

Oakland bounced back with a winning series following a five-game
losing streak that included getting swept at home by the
Colorado Rockies last weekend.

"It's nice to see the hits come when we really needed them,"
Braden said. "It's a great turnaround. This is the kind of
baseball we know we can play."

The A's avoided falling 13 games under .500 for the first time
this season. They won for only the second time in eight games
and for just the fourth time in their last 12 games at the
Coliseum. Oakland went 3-6 on this homestand.

Kurt Suzuki added an RBI double for Oakland in the eighth and
Travis Buck also had a double in his first start since being
recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday.

The Tigers are 15-6 against the AL West this season, including
4-2 versus the A's. The clubs face off again next month in
Oakland for their last three meetings of 2009.

NOTES: A's 2B Mark Ellis will join the team late Friday in
Cleveland. He is staying back in the Bay Area during Thursday's
off day for the birth of his second child, a girl, with wife
Sara. ... Cust struck out again in the eighth, his 81st of the
year. ... Giambi came in 1-for-16 against the Tigers this
season. ... Cabrera hasn't walked during his hitting streak, the
second-longest such stretch in Oakland history. ... Detroit is
20-8 in day games. ... Oakland manager Bob Geren plans to rest
starting C Suzuki more regularly in the second half and give
backup Landon Powell additional starts. ... Verlander was called
for his third balk of the year, matching a career high. He has a
5.47 ERA over his last four starts.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105026-Cust-Giambi-lead-As-past-Tigers</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/105026-Cust-Giambi-lead-As-past-Tigers</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:25:15 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tigers-Athletics Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDY LEFKOWITZ
STATS Editor

Detroit (43-34) at Oakland (32-44), 3:35 p.m. EDT

Winning at home has been easy for Justin Verlander this year as
he continues his turnaround from an ugly 2008 season. The hard
part has been duplicating those performances on the road.

After a wild outing away from home in his last start, Verlander
takes the mound for the first-place Detroit Tigers on Wednesday
when they wrap up their three-game series with the last-place
Athletics in Oakland.

Verlander's dominance at Comerica Park is a big reason why the
Tigers (43-34) have a four-game lead over Chicago in the AL
Central, as he's 4-0 with a 1.11 ERA in six starts in Detroit.

The right-hander hasn't been nearly as effective away from home,
going 4-3 with a 4.88 ERA in 10 appearances.

Verlander fared poorly in Houston on Friday, walking four in 5
1-3 innings and giving up three runs and seven hits in a 5-4
loss. He didn't get the decision.

"Our (ace) wasn't really sharp and we couldn't throw strikes,"
manager Jim Leyland said.

After posting a career-high 17 losses last year to match his
total from 2005-07, Verlander (8-3, 3.40 ERA) is tied with
rookie Rick Porcello for the team lead in wins. He'll be making
his first appearance in Oakland since striking out 10 over 6 2-3
innings of a 6-1 victory Sept. 1, 2007.

Verlander is 3-2 with a 2.61 ERA in six starts against the A's,
and 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA in four starts in Oakland.

A's cleanup hitter Jason Giambi, stuck in a 12-for-79 slump
that's dropped his average to an AL-worst .197, is 3 for 10 with
a homer against Verlander.

Dallas Braden (5-7, 3.26) looks to avoid losing his third
straight start and notch his first win since June 5 for the A's.

Since beating Baltimore nearly a month ago, the left-hander is
0-2 in four starts despite a 2.84 ERA. Facing Colorado on
Friday, Braden gave up four runs - two earned - in 5 1-3 innings
en route to a 4-2 loss.

"Poor to quite poor," Braden told the team's official Web site
about his performance. "This was a good example of what happens
when you don't locate your pitches."

His worst outing of the year came against the Tigers on May 16
when he surrendered six runs in five innings of a 9-1 defeat.
Braden is 1-2 with a 9.13 ERA in five starts versus Detroit.

The Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak in Oakland with a
5-3 victory Tuesday. Placido Polanco homered after Curtis
Granderson drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the game, giving
Detroit a quick 2-0 lead. Polanco added an RBI single in the
ninth to make it 5-1.

"One of those teams, man," said Polanco, batting .389 in his
career against Oakland. "I've never been part of an ugly win.
Every time you win, it's a beautiful win."

Mark Ellis, playing in his second game after missing two months
with a strained calf, hit a two-run homer off closer Fernando
Rodney in the ninth for the A's (32-44), losers of six of seven.

The homer was Ellis' first since Aug. 18.

Orlando Cabrera had an infield single in the seventh and is
batting .333 (17 for 51) during a 13-game hitting streak. He's 6
for 26 (.231) versus Verlander.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/104921-Tigers-Athletics-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/104921-Tigers-Athletics-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:36:02 GMT</pubDate>
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