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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Detroit Tigers</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:29:02 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:29:02 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
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				<title><![CDATA[Former INF Tom Brookens joins Tigers as coach]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Tigers have named former infielder Tom
Brookens as the team's first base, outfield and baserunning
coach.

Manager Jim Leyland said Monday Brookens is a "perfect fit" for
the staff.

Brookens played 12 seasons with Detroit (1979-88), the New York
Yankees (1989) and Cleveland Indians (1990). He finished his
career with a .246 batting average, 71 home runs and 431 RBIs in
1,336 games.

He spent the past five seasons as a minor league manager in the
Tigers organization, compiling a 310-262 record.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/132519-Former-INF-Tom-Brookens-joins-Tigers-as-coach</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/132519-Former-INF-Tom-Brookens-joins-Tigers-as-coach</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:11:21 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers: OF Thames, C Treanor to become free agents]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Tigers have removed outfielder Marcus
Thames and catcher Matt Treanor from the roster, clearing the
way for both players to become free agents.

Thames, a Tiger since 2004, hit .252 last season with 13 homers
and 36 RBIs in 87 games. Treanor played in four games before
undergoing surgery on his right hip April 30.

The Tigers also said Friday that infielder Michael Hollimon's
contract has been outrighted to Triple-A Toledo. The club
purchased the contract of right-handed pitcher Jay Sborz from
the Mud Hens and reinstated right-hander Joel Zumaya and
infielder Jeff Larish from the 60-day disabled list.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/131864-Tigers-OF-Thames-C-Treanor-to-become-free-agents</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/131864-Tigers-OF-Thames-C-Treanor-to-become-free-agents</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:15:09 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers 3B Inge has surgery on knees]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- Detroit Tigers All-Star third baseman Brandon Inge
has undergone surgery on both knees.

The team said Wednesday the procedure at the Detroit Medical
Center addressed chronic patellar tendinitis that plagued Inge
last season. The procedure on Tuesday involved the repair of the
patellar tendon in both knees.

Inge is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in
February. The 32-year-old native of Lynchburg, Va., hit .230
with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs in 161 games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/131239-Tigers-3B-Inge-has-surgery-on-knees</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/131239-Tigers-3B-Inge-has-surgery-on-knees</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:34:12 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers prospect Sizemore undergoes ankle surgery]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- Scott Sizemore, the Detroit Tigers' minor league
player of the year in 2009, has undergone surgery on his
fractured left ankle.

The Tigers say a surgeon inserted screws Tuesday to stabilize
Sizemore's ankle joint, which was then immobilized. He is to
have the screws removed in January and is expected to be ready
for the start of spring training in February.

Sizemore suffered the injury Oct. 22 in an Arizona Fall League
game.

He combined to hit .308 with 17 home runs, 66 RBI and 21 stolen
bases in 130 games with Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

General manager Dave Dombrowski has said Sizemore likely will be
Detroit's second baseman if veteran Placido Polanco, who's
eligible for free agency, doesn't return.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/129421-Tigers-prospect-Sizemore-undergoes-ankle-surgery</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/129421-Tigers-prospect-Sizemore-undergoes-ankle-surgery</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:12:25 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers 3B Inge to have surgery on both knees]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- Detroit Tigers All-Star third baseman Brandon Inge
will undergo surgery on both knees next month.

The team said Thursday that the Nov. 3 procedure at the Detroit
Medical Center will address patella tendinitis that plagued Inge
throughout this past season.

Inge is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in
February.

The 32-year-old native of Lynchburg, Va., hit .230 with 27 home
runs and 84 RBIs in 161 games.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/128108-Tigers-3B-Inge-to-have-surgery-on-both-knees</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/128108-Tigers-3B-Inge-to-have-surgery-on-both-knees</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:24:00 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers part ways with coach Van Slyke]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[DETROIT(AP) -- First base and outfield coach Andy Van Slyke will
not be returning to the Detroit Tigers.

The team announced Friday that Van Slyke "decided to pursue
other opportunities" and will not come back next season. The
former Pittsburgh Pirates star had been part of Tigers manager
Jim Leyland's coaching staff for four seasons.

Van Slyke played under Leyland in the Pittsburgh outfield for
eight seasons that included consecutive trips to the National
League Championship Series from 1990-92.

The Tigers, who surrendered the American League Central lead and
title with a late-season collapse, invited back five coaches for
2010: Rafael Belliard, Jeff Jones, Rick Knapp, Gene Lamont and
Lloyd McClendon.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125492-Tigers-part-ways-with-coach-Van-Slyke</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125492-Tigers-part-ways-with-coach-Van-Slyke</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:31:50 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers GM Dombrowski was 'upset' with Cabrera]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski spoke to the
media for more than an hour Thursday about last season and next
year.

The first question and many more that followed were about Miguel
Cabrera's infamous weekend.

"We know he made a mistake. He knows he made a mistake,"
Dombrowski said. "I feel confident that he going to address the
issues he needs to address to take care of the problems that he
has. Those issues will remain personal and private."

Cabrera, the slugging first baseman with a $152 million
contract, got drunk enough between Friday night's game and
Saturday morning to have what police said was 0.26 blood-alcohol
reading and a bruised and cut left cheek.

Authorities said he got in a fight with his wife, who called
911. He was taken to a police station, where Dombrowski picked
him up.

Dombrowski acknowledged being angry and sad to get a call at
7:30 a.m. Saturday - in the middle of a key series against
Chicago with the American League Central title largely Detroit's
for the taking - to pick up Cabrera.

Still, he said it wasn't unprecedented in baseball or elsewhere.

"This isn't the first time this has happened, not with him but
with players, it's just that you don't know about the other
ones," Dombrowski told reporters. "I would gather there's
probably somebody out here that has come to work and had a
little bit of a hangover at some time."

Cabrera likely still had some alcohol in his system when he
played the White Sox on Saturday night - going 0-4 with runners
on base for each at-bat - but Dombrowski said the team stands by
putting him in the lineup.

"The feeling was that he was capable of playing in the game,"
Dombrowski said.

The Dombrowski-led Tigers have some key decisions to make in the
offseason.

Closer Fernando Rodney, second baseman Placido Polanco and
shortstop Adam Everett are all eligible for free agency.

"We have some good players that are becoming free agents,"
Dombrowski said. "We still have to sit down with the owner on
what we're going to do there. We have a complicated formula this
year because we have a lot of dollars spent, and some young
players we think are ready to step in and help us."

"We are not going to be able to keep all of our players,"
Dombrowski added. "But I'm not ready to declare who we are and
who we are not going to pursue."

The clutch-hitting, strong-fielding Polanco hopes to return to
play for the Tigers, but he might have to go elsewhere for more
than a one-year contract.

"I would love to come back, but I do not control the situation,"
Polanco said Thursday in a telephone interview with The
Associated Press. "I had a great time on and off the field with
the Detroit Tigers."

Dombrowski said if Polanco isn't back, prospect Scott Sizemore
likely will be Detroit's second baseman.

The Tigers aren't sure if they have a player in their
organization who could be a closer next year, but they might not
be able to afford to keep Rodney after he had 37 saves in 38
chances.

"It only takes one club to give a tremendous deal," Dombrowski
said.

The Tigers had a seven-game lead with less than a month left in
the season and became the first team to miss out on the playoffs
after having a three-game lead with four games left. Detroit's
season ended Tuesday night at Minnesota with a 6-5 loss in 12
innings in the division tiebreaker.

Dombrowski said he never thought the 2009 Tigers were a
powerhouse, but acknowledged it was tough to come so close to
winning the division.

"When you're in first place from May 10th and you lose on the
last day of the season, it's heartbreaking," Dombrowski said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125297-Tigers-GM-Dombrowski-was-upset-with-Cabrera</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125297-Tigers-GM-Dombrowski-was-upset-with-Cabrera</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:00:43 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers GM Dombrowski was 'upset' with Cabrera]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says he met
with Miguel Cabrera following the season to address the
slugger's decision to get drunk in between games last week.

Dombrowski said Thursday that Cabrera "knows he made a mistake,"
adding he's confident Cabrera is going to address the issues
that led to problems.

The first baseman with a $152 million contract got drunk enough
after Friday night's game. Police say he got in a fight with his
wife, leaving him with a bruised and cut face and a trip to a
police station, where Dombrowski picked him up.

Dombrowski says he was "upset" when he had to go get Cabrera,
but said that wasn't the first time he had do that in his 20
years as a GM.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125222-Tigers-GM-Dombrowski-was-upset-with-Cabrera</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125222-Tigers-GM-Dombrowski-was-upset-with-Cabrera</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:46:17 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers' Leyland says 'shame on us' for not winning]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Tigers earned an unwanted place in
baseball history, becoming the first team to miss out on the
playoffs after having a three-game lead with four games left.

"We have nobody to blame but ourselves for not wrapping it up
last week at home," Jim Leyland said Wednesday in a telephone
interview with The Associated Press. "Shame on us."

That doesn't change how Detroit's manager felt about a key
moment in the 163rd game of the season.

Replays appeared to show that Brandon Inge's jersey was grazed
by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 12th inning at
Minnesota, but the umpire didn't put him on first to force home
a go-ahead run. The Twins went on to score in the home half of
the inning to win 6-5 Tuesday, breaking a tie in the division to
advance to the postseason and start the Tigers' offseason.

"I'm really upset that it ended the way it did, having Brandon
get hit by a pitch because that totally changes that game,"
Leyland said. "I can understand how the ump didn't see the pitch
hit him, but to say video was inconclusive upsets me because
everybody in America saw that it did.

"I think the head of the umpires or the league office should
come out and say the umpire missed that call," Leyland said.

It doesn't sound like that's going to happen.

Home plate umpire Randy Marsh said he did not see a replay that
showed the ball hit Inge and Major League Baseball's vice
president of umpires stood by Marsh.

"I understand and respect Jim's call for accountability because
umpires should acknowledge when they miss a call," said MLB's
Mike Port, who said traveling has prevented him from seeing the
pitch in question. "But if Randy Marsh, who has worked about
4,000 games, said the replays he saw were inconclusive, then I
would have to agree with his assessment at this point.

"I spoke to people today with more than 100 years of experience
who saw replays and none of them would bet a large sum of money
that it was conclusive one way or another," Port added.

Even though the Tigers took issue with the call that didn't go
their way, they missed other opportunities to win the game - a
recurring problem late in the season.

Detroit hosted the Twins in the finale of a four-game series on
Thursday with a three-game lead and a chance to clinch the
division, and lost 8-3.

The Tigers then were at home against the slumping Chicago White
Sox, who had nothing at stake, and could have avoided a
tiebreaker by winning two of three games during the last weekend
of the regular season.

Alas, Detroit won only one game in the series with the White Sox
- on the final scheduled day of the season - and it was forced
to deal with a distraction created by star Miguel Cabrera.

The first baseman with a $152 million contract got drunk enough
between Friday and Saturday's nights games - with the White Sox,
authorities were told - to have a 0.26 blood-alcohol reading.

Cabrera got into a fight with his wife, leaving him with a
bruised and cut face and a trip to a police station, where
Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski picked him up.

That overshadowed what had been a strong season for Cabrera, who
ranked among AL leaders with a .324 batting average and 34 home
runs.

Dombrowski will have another chance on Thursday, when he meets
with reporters, to address the choices Cabrera made along with
the ones he has this offseason.

Key players such as closer Fernando Rodney and second baseman
Placido Polanco are eligible for free agency and Justin
Verlander, who won 19 games, might be due for a long-term
contract.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125037-Tigers-Leyland-says-shame-on-us-for-not-winning</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/125037-Tigers-Leyland-says-shame-on-us-for-not-winning</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:00:22 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Cabrera tells Tigers he's sorry for being drunk]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) -- Detroit star Miguel Cabrera apologized to his
teammates for being drunk last weekend while the Tigers were
trying to clinch the AL Central title, then delivered two big
hits in Tuesday night's tiebreaker loss to Minnesota.

The slumping Cabrera had a double his first time up, then hit a
two-run homer that put the Tigers ahead 3-0 in the third inning.

But it wasn't quite enough. He had two groundouts and a walk the
rest of the way and was thrown out at home plate by Twins second
baseman Nick Punto in the 12th inning of Detroit's 6-5 loss that
gave Minnesota the division championship.

"He made a great play," Cabrera said. "If he doesn't make a good
throw, I'm safe, no problem. I don't know what to say right
now."

Before batting practice, Cabrera told reporters he was sorry for
his actions and the stress he caused the organization. He
insisted the alcohol consumption - between two games the Tigers
lost - didn't negatively affect his performance.

"No, no, no. I was good. I was focused," Cabrera said.

Cabrera went 0 for 4 and stranded six runners in a 5-1 loss to
Chicago on Saturday, a game that started about 12 hours after
Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski picked him up at a police
station following a fight with his wife - apparently over his
late arrival from a night out.

Police said Cabrera's wife, Rosangel, called 911. Both of them
had marks on their faces when officers arrived, but they were
minor and no charges were filed. The 26-year-old Cabrera
registered a 0.26 blood alcohol content, three times above
Michigan's legal driving limit.

Cabrera, who hit .324 with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs this year,
is in the second season of an eight-year, $152.3 million
contract. He went 0 for 11 over the weekend while the Tigers
lost two out of three games to the White Sox - and was hitless
in his last 14 at-bats overall - and let the Twins catch them in
the standings.

"I want to focus on the game right now," Cabrera said, sitting
solemnly in front his cubicle in the visitor's locker room at
the Metrodome on Tuesday afternoon. There was a bruise and a
scratch still visible on his face, but they were faded.

Cabrera said he learned a lesson from the situation and insisted
he was able to fully focus on baseball and not this
off-the-field problem.

"This is a big game," Cabrera said. "Hopefully we play good."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124832-Cabrera-tells-Tigers-hes-sorry-for-being-drunk</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124832-Cabrera-tells-Tigers-hes-sorry-for-being-drunk</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:44:39 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Twins complete comeback, 6-5 over Tigers in 12th]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) -- The Metrodome erupted in a jet-like roar as
Carlos Gomez zoomed home with the winning run to finish off an
AL Central race - and a thrilling tiebreaker - that didn't want
to end.

Minnesota wouldn't quit, while the Detroit Tigers finished their
historic fade. And there was little time for the Twins to
celebrate, because the New York Yankees were waiting.

Alexi Casilla singled home the winning run with one out in the
12th inning and the Twins rallied for a 6-5 victory Tuesday
night, completing a colossal collapse for the Tigers.

"This is the most unbelievable game I've ever played or seen,"
Twins shortstop Orlando Cabrera said.

How was that for bonus baseball?

As Gomez scored from second - well ahead of a late throw from
right field - Homer Hankies spiraled. The Twins celebrated and
scrambled: They had 21 hours to get ready for Game 1 of the AL
playoffs at Yankee Stadium against New York ace CC Sabathia.
He'll face rookie Brian Duensing.

The Tigers will head home instead. They became the first team in
history to blow a three-game lead with four games left.

"I guess it's fitting to say there was a loser in this game
because we lost the game, but it's hard for me to believe there
was a loser in this game," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.
"Both teams played their hearts out. You can't ask for anything
more than that."

The Twins overcame a seven-game gap in the final month, went
17-4 to pull even on the final weekend and won their fifth
division title in eight years.

"We just feel like we have nothing to lose, man," outfielder
Denard Span said.

Both teams had chance after chance to end it earlier, and each
club scored in the 10th. Casilla was thrown out at the plate to
end that inning by left fielder Ryan Raburn after tagging up.

The Tigers thought they'd taken the lead in the 12th. But with
the bases loaded, plate umpire Randy Marsh ruled that Brandon
Inge was not hit by a pitch by Bobby Keppel. The replay appeared
to show the pitch grazing Inge's billowing uniform.

"I did not have the ball hitting him. We looked at replays, too,
and the replays we've looked at, to be honest with you, were
inconclusive," said Marsh, the crew chief.

Said Inge: "No matter what we did, it seems like it wasn't meant
to be. This is the best game, by far, that I've ever played in
no matter the outcome."

It was the first AL tiebreaker to go to extra innings, making up
for Minnesota's disappointment last year when it lost 1-0 in
Chicago to the White Sox in an AL Central tiebreaker. Had the
Twins lost, it would've been the final baseball game at the
Metrodome. Instead, the Twins get the Yankees - New York was 7-0
against Minnesota this season.

"We're not afraid. I can guarantee you that," Twins manager Ron
Gardenhire said.

Said Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "We're not going to have to
face questions like 'Can you beat them?' like we've had to
answer during the course of the year. Once the playoffs start
though, it's a new series and we know the importance of each
game. You can pretty much throw everything else out the window."

A day after Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green
Bay Packers at the Dome - "Monday Night Football" is what
delayed this tiebreaker for a day - the Twins pulled off a
Tuesday Night Frenzy.

Gardenhire and Leyland made so many moves for defense and relief
that the lineups and pitching staffs were depleted by the end.

Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney (2-5) worked his longest
appearance of the season, getting the last two outs of the
ninth. But he didn't have enough to get out of the 12th. The
Twins rushed out of the dugout in celebration even before Gomez
reached the plate, and their comeback from a seven-game gap with
20 to play was complete.

Joe Mauer, who heard thunderous "M-V-P!" chants from the largest
regular-season baseball crowd in Metrodome history throughout
the game, led his team on a sprint around the warning track as
they slapped hands with fans in the first rows.

"One of the best games I'll ever play in," Mauer said.

Keppel, Minnesota's eighth pitcher, loaded the bases with one
out in the 12th. After the non-call on Inge, second baseman Nick
Punto then scooped Inge's grounder and fired home in time to get
the runner on the force. Then Keppel struck out Gerald Laird to
squelch that rally.

Twins closer Joe Nathan found trouble in the ninth when
consecutive singles put runners at the corners, but he got a
strikeout and a line-drive double play to end that threat. The
four-time All-Star gave two huge pumps of his right arm as he
spun to thank his defense and run to the dugout, preserving the
tie.

Inge's two-out double in the 10th gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead,
but Michael Cuddyer sliced a triple past Raburn in left and
scored on Matt Tolbert's bouncing single through the middle in
the bottom of the inning.

On the potential winning sacrifice fly, though, Casilla strayed
a bit too far from third and was thrown out by Raburn trying to
score to end the inning. The split-second Casilla needed to
retouch the base might have cost him the run.

He more than made up for that mistake later.

According to sports researcher STATS LLC, only three teams since
1901 have blown a three-game lead in the standings with four
games left. The Houston Astros lost three straight games to Los
Angeles in 1980, but they recovered to defeat the Dodgers in a
tiebreaker game for the NL West. Milwaukee lost three in a row
to Baltimore in 1982 to force a tie, but beat the Orioles in the
final regular season game to win the AL East.

After splitting four in Detroit last week - a loss in the series
finale Thursday would've given the division to the Tigers - the
Twins came home for the final scheduled series in the bubble
needing a sweep of the Kansas City Royals and did just that.

So with 54,088 fans in attendance, the place was erupting with
noise and excitement. The chants for Mauer, who wrapped up his
third batting title, were deafening. Leyland even told his
players before the game to think of the loudest experience of
their life and multiply it by four to anticipate the decibel
level for this game. Dome ball came in handy again, on a day
when the city was drenched by cold rain.

Rookie starter Rick Porcello pitched well beyond his 20 years
for the Tigers, and Miguel Cabrera made up for a miserable
weekend - on and off the field - with a two-run homer against
Scott Baker in the third inning that made it 3-0. The crowd
chanted "al-co-ho-lic" right before Cabrera went deep, a rude
reference to the first baseman's fight with his wife after he
came home late and drunk.

The Twins crept back, though, and Orlando Cabrera's two-run
homer in the seventh gave them a brief lead that Magglio Ordonez
ended with his leadoff homer in the eighth.

"We were dead and buried a couple times, and our team just kept
coming back," Twins general manager Bill Smith said.

NOTES: This was the ninth tiebreaker game in baseball history,
and the third straight year with a 163rd game. Only two of them
went to extra innings. ... Seven members of the Metrodome's
cleaning and maintenance crews were honored on the mound before
the game for the work of those groups in converting the field
back and forth from baseball to football in light of Monday's
Packers-Vikings game.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124925-Twins-complete-comeback-6-5-over-Tigers-in-12th</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124925-Twins-complete-comeback-6-5-over-Tigers-in-12th</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:35:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers blow game, division against Twins]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) -- The Detroit Tigers' brush with the AL Central
title was fleeting.

Brandon Inge insists that a pitch grazed his jersey with the
bases loaded in the 12th inning against Minnesota on Tuesday
night, which would have scored the go-ahead run in this
back-and-forth tiebreaker.

Home plate umpire Randy Marsh thought otherwise, ruling that
Bobby Keppel's pitch did not hit Inge.

"It hit my shirt. Period," Inge insisted after Detroit's 6-5,
12-inning loss to the Twins that cost them a spot in the
playoffs. "I want to hit as much as the next guy, but when it's
that important ... It hit my shirt. I don't lie about things
like that."

Inge followed with a bouncer to second base that Nick Punto was
able to scoop up and throw home to force Miguel Cabrera, another
opportunity down the drain.

Misplayed flyballs, poor baserunning, squandered at-bats. Jim
Leyland's team made a season's worth of mistakes, all in one
game, a fitting conclusion to a historic collapse.

"The ball did hit Inge, it hit his jersey. That's a shame,"
Leyland said. "No excuses, but the ball definitely hit him. You
don't know if that changes anything, so there's no blame to be
put on umpires or anything. It's a shame because it did hit
him."

Trying to win their first division title since 1987, the Tigers
held a seven-game lead on the Twins on Sept. 6. But they limped
to an 11-16 finish that made them the first team in Major League
history to miss out on the playoffs after holding a three-game
lead with four to play.

They had countless chances - in the last month and in this
one-game playoff for the Central crown - to put away the Twins
and they blew every one of them.

"We had it won maybe four or five times, easily," second baseman
Placido Polanco said. "We came out after 162 games and we had
our chances and didn't get the key hits. We got nothing."

The Tigers had the bases loaded with one out in the 12th,
runners at the corners with nobody out in the ninth - and still
somehow came up empty both times.

In the 12th, replays appeared to show Bobby Keppel's pitch
grazing the billowy part of Inge's jersey. Leyland came out for
a brief argument and Inge seemed set to head to first base, but
Marsh told the manager to go back to the dugout and told the
batter to get back in the box.

"I did not have the ball hitting him. We looked at replays,
too," Marsh said. "And the replays that we've looked at, to be
honest with you, were inconclusive. I did not see a replay that
showed that it hit him."

Punto then made a nifty stab and throw home to get Cabrera and
Keppel struck out Gerald Laird swinging to end the inning,
setting up Alexi Casilla's game-winning hit in the bottom of the
inning.

In the ninth, the Tigers had Adam Everett on third base and
Curtis Granderson on first with nobody out against Joe Nathan.
Polanco struck out looking and Granderson's lean off of first
base allowed shortstop Orlando Cabrera to double him off first
base on a line drive to end the inning.

"That's a mistake," Granderson said. "There were a lot of them
made today."

The Tigers took a 5-4 lead with a double by Inge in the 10th,
only to have Ryan Raburn give it back in the bottom of the
inning with an unnecessarily aggressive play on a sinking liner
from Michael Cuddyer.

Rather than try to protect the lead and keep the ball in front
of him for a base hit, Raburn went for the "SportsCenter"
highlight and attempted a sliding catch. The ball squirted past
him and rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Cuddyer to make
it to third, a Dome triple if there ever was one.

"It was one of those unfortunate things that happened," Raburn
said. "I was right on it until it went in the lights."

Cuddyer scored on a single by Matt Tolbert, though Raburn atoned
for his miscue later in the inning by throwing out Casilla at
the plate to keep this heart-pounding game of inches going.

Rookie Rick Porcello was strong in the start for the Tigers, but
his errant pickoff attempt in the third inning allowed Tolbert
to score the Twins' first run of the game.

The Tigers' 7-2 victory over the Twins at Comerica Park on Sept.
30 gave them a three-game lead with four to play, getting about
as close to wrapping up their first division title since 1987 as
a team can get.

But they dropped the first two games of the final series of the
season to the floundering White Sox at home, allowing the Twins
to tie them atop the division and setting up this thrilling
163rd game of the season.

"This game," Raburn said, "is always going to be in the back of
our minds."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124929-Tigers-blow-game-division-against-Twins</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124929-Tigers-blow-game-division-against-Twins</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:34:09 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tigers-Twins Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

Detroit (86-76) at Minnesota (86-76), 5:07 p.m. EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --  The Minnesota Twins seem to think that 162
regular-season games aren't enough.

The Twins will host the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday in a
tiebreaker for the American League Central title and a trip the
playoffs. It is the second straight season that the Twins have
needed a 163rd game to finish the season, a first in league
history.

One year after losing a 1-0 heartbreaker in Chicago to the White
Sox in a one-game playoff, the Twins will get the homefield
advantage this time around as they look to cap their remarkable
September rally.

"It's like deja vu," second baseman Nick Punto said. "Last year,
same thing. A lot of these guys have been through this, though.
I think that's the best part about it. That breeds confidence
just knowing you've been in a position like this before. It's
fun. We're having fun."

Why wouldn't they be?

A month ago, the Twins were seven games behind Detroit in the
division. Three weeks ago, they lost All-Star slugger Justin
Morneau to a season-ending back injury. Last week, they were
three games down with four to play.

Yet here they are again, thanks to 16 victories in 20 games and
four straight to close the season.

"Everybody wrote off the Twins, it seems like, a long time ago,
especially when Morneau went down," said outfielder Johnny
Damon, whose Yankees are awaiting Tuesday's winner. "A team
needs to keep fighting and they've been one of those special
teams for a long time. It seems like they don't give up. That's
the great thing about baseball. You never know."

The Tigers, who went 11-15 in their final 26 games to let the
Twins back into the race, aren't putting too much stock in the
experience factor.

Manager Jim Leyland is putting 20-year-old rookie Rick Porcello
(14-9) on the mound for the start in front of more than 50,000
fans who will make it deafening inside the Metrodome.

"It's going to be the loudest environment any of these guys have
ever been in, and I can tell you that firsthand because I was up
there for the '87 World Series when they called it 'The Hankie
Dome' and my wife couldn't even hear each other talk," Leyland
said. "But that's OK. Sometimes that works for you, and
sometimes that works against you."

Young pitchers, and even veterans, have been known to get
rattled in the din of the Metrodome, which was supposed to hold
its final regular season baseball game on Sunday when the Twins
played the Royals. The Twins are hoping there is still plenty of
more baseball to be played under the roof before the move
outside to Target Field next year.

Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson isn't worried about his
young starting pitcher.

"He's going to be fine," Granderson said of Porcello, who will
face Tigers' right-hander Scott Baker (15-9). "I don't think
there's any question that he'll be poised and relaxed. He just
pitched against them, and he's pitched there, so this isn't
going to be anything new for him. We're very confident in him."

The Tigers had another concern: Their best slugger, first
baseman Miguel Cabrera, was taken to a police station early
Saturday after what police said was a fight with his wife.
Cabrera's blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit
for Michigan drivers, begging the question of why he went
drinking in the middle of a key series with the division title
up for grabs.

The Tigers have declined comment and Cabrera simply apologized
to his teammates and fans for the "distraction."

Cabrera is hitting .323 with 33 homers and 101 RBIs this season,
but was 0 for 11 in three games against the White Sox over the
weekend that could have wrapped up Detroit's first division
title since 1987.

The game is being played in Minnesota because the Twins won the
season series 11-7, including seven wins in nine games at the
Metrodome. The Twins are eager to get outdoors next season, but
there is no place they would rather play this one.

"The situation is the same, but the setting is different," Baker
said in comparing this game to last year's loss in Chicago.
"There's no way to get around the fact that we're playing at the
Dome and not in Detroit. I think we've seen in the past how well
we play in front of our fans and how much it can affect the
outcome of a game."

---=

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this
story.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124702-Tigers-Twins-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124702-Tigers-Twins-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:08:01 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Police look into fight involving Tigers 1B Cabrera]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER
Associated Press Writer

BIRMINGHAM, Mich.(AP) -- Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was
drunk - three times above Michigan's legal limit for driving,
according to police - between two key games over the weekend as
his team was trying to win the American League Central title.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan first baseman was taken to a police
station Saturday after arriving at his suburban Detroit home at
5 a.m. and getting into a fight with his wife, Birmingham Police
Chief Richard Patterson said.

Cabrera went 0-for-4 and stranded six runners in a 5-1 loss to
Chicago on Saturday night, a game that started about 12 hours
after Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski picked him up at
the station.

On Friday night, Cabrera had gone 0-for-4 and left four runners
on base in an 8-0 loss to the White Sox. Cabrera went hitless in
three at-bats on Sunday, a 5-3 Tigers win.

Detroit finished the regular season tied with the Twins for
first place in the American League Central. The teams will play
Tuesday in Minnesota, with the winner advancing to the playoffs.

Dombrowski had no comment when contacted Monday by The
Associated Press.

"I have had a conversation with Miguel," the Detroit GM wrote in
an e-mail over the weekend. "It is a personal situation, and I
am not at liberty to discuss it further."

Cabrera, who hit .323 with 33 home runs and 101 RBIs this year,
is in the second season of an eight-year, $152.3 million
contract.

"There was an incident that took place on Saturday, and it is a
personal matter," Cabrera said in a written statement released
Monday by the Tigers. "I am sorry this has become a distraction,
and I apologize to the Tigers, my teammates, and all of the
fans. I would appreciate it if you would respect my family's
privacy as I prepare for our next game."

No charges will be filed, and both Cabreras refused medical
attention, Patterson said.

"We determined that they both contributed to the domestic
assault," the chief said. "It was minor in nature. They did have
some marks on their faces. We could not determine who the
aggressor was."

Patterson said Rosangel Cabrera called 911 at 6 a.m. Saturday,
requesting police assistance.

According to a police report, Miguel Cabrera "suffered an injury
to the left side of his face" and his wife "suffered an injury
to her lower lip." Miguel Cabrera's gold neck chain was broken
and a cell phone was damaged.

His wife "was upset when Miguel came home intoxicated, woke up
their child and was talking on the phone," the report says.

Rosangel Cabrera asked that her husband leave the house, so
officers took him to the police station, Patterson said. Cabrera
was administered a breath test by police and registered a 0.26
blood-alcohol reading, the chief said. The legal limit for
Michigan drivers is 0.08.

"Mr. Cabrera was very uncooperative and highly intoxicated," the
police report says.

Cabrera, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, was picked up
at the station by Dombrowski around 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

Patterson said officers also investigated an incident involving
Cabrera earlier this year at the Townsend Hotel, which is a
common destination for visiting professional sports teams.

That time, Patterson said, Cabrera got into an argument with a
young man, telling him he was "overweight and needed to work
out."

Another person at the bar took offense to Cabrera's comments and
called police, who investigated. No charges were filed.

"It was a nothing incident," Patterson said.

---

AP Sports Writer Larry Lage contributed to this report.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124592-Police-look-into-fight-involving-Tigers-1B-Cabrera</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124592-Police-look-into-fight-involving-Tigers-1B-Cabrera</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:35:55 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Tigers extend season with 5-3 win over White Sox]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Tigers did their part Sunday, then
found cozy spots in their clubhouse, cafeteria or manager's
office to root for Kansas City to beat Minnesota.

No such luck.

Justin Verlander pitched into the eighth inning in the Tigers'
5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox, but the Twins routed the
Royals to force a tiebreaker for the AL Central title Tuesday at
the Metrodome.

"It's going to be fun," Detroit's Curtis Granderson said. "I'm
sure Minnesota is going to be rocking."

Detroit, hoping to win its first division title since 1987, will
start 20-year-old rookie Rick Porcello against Scott Baker.

"He's been young all year and he pitched awful good against
Minnesota the other day," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I
know one thing for a fact - he will not be scared. He'll be
excited."

The slumping Tigers got the pitching performance and offense
they needed - along with a clutch defensive play - in the final
scheduled game of the season to avoid ending the year with a
thud.

Verlander was solid on the mound, Ryan Raburn was spectacular at
the plate with two homers and a rejuvenated Magglio Ordonez
continued his late-season tear with a solo shot as part of a
4-for-4 day.

"I'm awful proud of our team," Leyland said. "Have we been
perfect? No. Do you wish you would've had it wrapped right now?
Do you think you should've? Yes.

"But when you also think that people were picking you fourth in
the division in the winter and spring and after 162 games,
you're tied for first place - that's not bad."

A big catch by Granderson in center helped the Tigers end a
three-game skid and win for just the third time in eight games.

"What a play," Verlander said. "If he misses that who knows? It
could've been a tie game."

After getting a game-ending double play, the Tigers seemed to
know there was still work to do because they celebrated as if it
was just another victory by simply shaking hands on the infield.

"We got one more game and, hopefully, a whole lot more," Raburn
said.

The Tigers, of course, had been watching the scoreboard and saw
that Minnesota took a big, early lead over Kansas City.

"C'mon, keep going!" Leyland shouted at the TV in his office
when Kansas City homered to pulled within four in the sixth
inning. The Twins went on to win 13-4.

Verlander (19-9) was handed a 5-0 lead, then left in the eighth
as it got tense at Comerica Park.

Down 5-3, the White Sox had two on when Carlos Quentin hit a
shallow fly with two outs. Granderson sprinted a long way and
made a fully extended, diving catch to end the inning.

Fernando Rodney got the final four outs for his 37th save in 38
chances.

Verlander set a career high in wins and matched the most any
pitcher had in the majors this year.

The 26-year-old right-hander was dominant through seven innings
- giving up just two hits - before allowing three runs, four
hits and a walk in the eighth.

"I tip my hat to Verlander," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen
said. "That kid went out and did what everyone in the Tigers
organization expected him to do."

Detroit got the strong start it needed to end its skid, which
included a game against Minnesota on Thursday when it could've
clinched the division title.

"We would have like to close it out today, but we've still got a
chance," Verlander said. "We've got Rick going, and he's been
great lately. We're still alive."

Chicago's John Danks (13-11) gave up four runs and seven hits
over five innings, putting him over the 200-inning mark for the
first time in his three-season career.

"It was nice to get to 200 innings, but I would have liked to
get out of here on a better note," Danks said. "I hope there's a
game Tuesday because I wouldn't want my performance today to
decide this."

The defending AL Central champion White Sox finished the season
79-83.

"Our season was very bad," Guillen said.

NOTES: Tigers star Miguel Cabrera said he just wanted to focus
on the game when he was asked Sunday morning about the bruise
and cut on his left cheek. Cabrera was 0 for 3, finishing the
homestand 5 for 26. ... Ordonez, whose fielding blunder in
Saturday night's loss was the picture above the fold on the
front page of The Detroit Free Press on Sunday, collected
newspapers from the clubhouse and filled up a trash can with
them before the game. "Why not?" Ordonez said. "We don't read
that." ... Guillen explained why he didn't argue the Tigers were
off the bag for one of their outs in the ninth inning. "It's the
last day of the season, and I've donated enough money to Major
League Baseball," Guillen said. "That's $500, and I can run my
boat in Venezuela for two months on that."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124454-Tigers-extend-season-with-5-3-win-over-White-Sox</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124454-Tigers-extend-season-with-5-3-win-over-White-Sox</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:38:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers' Cabrera declines comment about cut on face]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- Miguel Cabrera just wanted to concentrate on the
final scheduled game of the season. A bruise and cut on his left
cheek made that difficult.

"I'm focused on one thing - the game," Cabrera said when asked
about the facial injuries Sunday morning.

Cabrera then went 0 for 3 in Detroit's 5-3 win over the Chicago
White Sox. The Minnesota Twins later beat Kansas City, forcing
an AL Central tiebreaker on Tuesday.

Between playing Friday and Saturday nights against Chicago,
Cabrera's face took the brunt of something.

"I have had a conversation with Miguel," Tigers general manager
Dave Dombrowski wrote in an e-mail. "It is a personal situation
and I am not at liberty to discuss it further."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland didn't want to talk about it and
refused to acknowledge the situation was unfortunate.

"Do you want to talk about today's game?" Leyland asked tersely.
"I manage the team on the field. That's my job - to get this
team ready to play today.

"If you want to talk about the game, we'll talk about the game.
If you don't want to, you can excuse yourself."

The Tigers had a seven-game lead less than a month ago and have
been in first place since May 10.

Cabrera ranks among AL leaders in several offensive categories,
but was 5 for 26 during the final homestand. He was hitless in
four-at bats - with a total of six runners on base each - in
Saturday's loss 5-1 loss to Chicago that dropped the Tigers into
a tie.

Cabrera is in the second season of an eight-year, $152.3 million
contract he signed after Detroit acquired him in a blockbuster
trade with the Florida Marlins during the 2007 winter meetings.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124411-Tigers-Cabrera-declines-comment-about-cut-on-face</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124411-Tigers-Cabrera-declines-comment-about-cut-on-face</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:25:24 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[White Sox-Tigers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEFF MEZYDLO
STATS Senior Writer

Chicago (78-82) at Detroit (85-75), 1:05 p.m. EDT

The Detroit Tigers had their chance to make sure the AL Central
wouldn't be decided on the last scheduled day of the season.
They failed to do so, and it may cost them the title.

After falling into a tie for the division lead, the reeling
Tigers look to avoid a fourth straight loss that could end their
playoff hopes when they face the Chicago White Sox on Sunday at
Comerica Park.

One night after being shut out 8-0 in the series opener, Detroit
(85-76) continued its struggles at the plate in a 5-1 loss to
the White Sox on Saturday.

The result dropped the Tigers - losers of six of nine - into a
first-place tie with Minnesota, which won its third straight
earlier Saturday when it beat Kansas City 5-4.

The Tigers are in danger of becoming the first team to be in
first place on May 10 and stay atop a division until losing the
title in the last week. Detroit, which had been alone in first
place since play ended July 24, led Central by seven games less
than a month ago.

"If we don't win, shame on us," said Detroit manager Jim
Leyland, whose team missed a chance to wrap up the division when
it split a four-game home set with the Twins prior to this
series.

If the Tigers and Twins remain tied after Sunday, a one-game
playoff will be played Tuesday at the Metrodome.

"We've played 161 games and it's amazing to see it come down to
one day like this," Detroit catcher Gerald Laird said.

The Tigers will have the benefit of sending ace Justin Verlander
(18-9, 3.45 ERA) to the mound for this contest. They may need
it, as they're batting .172 in their last three games while
being outscored 21-4. Placido Polanco had two hits and Detroit's
only RBI on Saturday.

Verlander allowed four runs and struck out eight in eight
innings of a 6-5 win over Minnesota on Tuesday to match his
career high for victories, set in 2007.

"I thought Verlander was the horse that he is," Leyland told the
Tigers' official Web site. "He showed it."

While the right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.97 ERA in 16 career
starts against Chicago, he's 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA in two this
season.

"You always feel good with Justin pitching, but we have to score
some runs," Leyland said.

Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera is batting .325 for the season,
but he's 1 for 12 in his last three games. He's batting .308
lifetime against Chicago's scheduled starter John Danks (13-10,
3.69).

The 24-year-old left-hander, who is 1-1 with a 1.35 ERA in his
last three starts against Detroit, gave up one run and three
hits while striking out seven to record his first career
complete game in a 6-1 win at Cleveland on Monday. He also
established a new career high for wins.

"Hopefully this is the first of many complete games to come,"
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

Chicago got four hits and three RBIs from Alex Rios on Saturday
en route to its fifth win in six games both overall and against
the Tigers. Carlos Quentin added his 21st homer, giving him four
home runs and 10 RBIs in his last five games.

The White Sox (79-82) needed to beat Minnesota in a one-game
playoff to win the Central last season.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124350-White-Sox-Tigers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124350-White-Sox-Tigers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:39:14 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Tigers lose, tied with Twins for AL Central lead]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- The Detroit Tigers' once-cozy cushion in the AL
Central is long gone.

If things do not go Detroit's way on the final scheduled day,
its season will be over.

The Tigers dropped into a first-place tie with Minnesota,
looking listless Saturday night in a 5-1 loss to Freddy Garcia
and the Chicago White Sox.

Detroit is in danger of becoming the only team in baseball
history to be in first place on May 10 and stay atop a division
until losing the title in the last week.

The Tigers had been alone in first place since play ended July
24 and had a seven-game lead less than a month ago. Minnesota
hasn't been in first - alone or tied - since May 14.

"If we don't win, shame on us," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said
hours before gametime.

Then, the Twins beat Kansas City 5-4 and their 85-76 record now
equals Detroit's in the race for the only playoff spot a team
from the division will earn.

"We've played 161 games and it's amazing to see it come down to
one day like this," Detroit catcher Gerald Laird said. "If
you're not nervous, why are you even here?"

The Tigers allowed a season-high six stolen bases, and lost for
the fifth time in seven games.

If the Tigers and Twins are still tied at the end of the Sunday,
there will be a one-game playoff Tuesday at the Metrodome and
Leyland said he would start rookie Rick Porcello if that game is
necessary.

Garcia said the Tigers - who have lost three straight and six of
nine - are playing uptight.

"They got to play more relaxed," said Garcia, who played for the
Tigers last season. "If you can't relax in a situation like
this, you're not going to make anything happen."

Leyland has encouraged his team to enjoy its pressure-packed
games, but suggested another tact might work better.

"I hope they get tight," Leyland said. "Maybe if they tense up,
they'll do better."

Detroit will start ace Justin Verlander (18-9) against John
Danks (13-10) on Sunday.

"You always feel good with Justin pitching, but we have to score
some runs," Leyland said.

Detroit star Miguel Cabrera was hitless in four at-bats with
runners on base and the light-hitting team simply could not
overcome his lack of production.

Placido Polanco's RBI single pulled Detroit within three runs in
the eighth, ending a 17-inning scoreless streak. But two on and
no outs, Magglio Ordonez lined out and Cabrera hit into an
inning-ending double play.

"You want your big boys to step it up," Leyland said.

Leyland made two pitching changes in the second inning, but
Detroit's bats were a bigger problem than its arms.

Garcia (3-4) gave up one run, six hits and struck out seven in
seven-plus innings.

"Freddy always kicks it up a notch in big games," Chicago
manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Even if this wasn't big for us, it
was big for baseball."

The Tigers used three pitchers in the first two innings and six
total.

Alfredo Figaro (2-2) made the third start of his career - first
since June 27 - and got just four outs. He gave up two runs on
three hits and two walks over just 1 1-3 innings.

"I don't know how tough he is," Guillen said. "But that was one
of their biggest games in years and they had to throw him out
there."

Carlos Quentin hit a leadoff homer in the Chicago second.

NOTES: Garcia pitched at least seven innings and allowed one or
fewer runs for the first time since 2006. ... Ordonez extended
his hitting streak to 11 games and since Sept. 1, he has an
AL-best .416 batting average. ... Quentin has hit homers in four
straight games vs. Detroit. ... Polanco's 72nd RBI extended his
career high. ... Chicago combined to pitch 27 straight scoreless
innings until Detroit scored in the eighth. ... Cabrera had an
abrasion on his left cheek, but Leyland said he didn't know the
first baseman had a cut on his face. ... The six steals were the
most allowed by Detroit since 2003.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124316-Tigers-lose-tied-with-Twins-for-AL-Central-lead</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124316-Tigers-lose-tied-with-Twins-for-AL-Central-lead</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:30:51 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[White Sox-Tigers Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

Chicago (77-82) at Detroit (85-74), 7:05 p.m. EDT

With a once-comfortable division lead whittled down to one game,
the Detroit Tigers are turning to a rookie spot starter as they
attempt to keep control of the AL Central in the season's final
weekend.

Alfredo Figaro takes the mound for Detroit when it continues a
three-game series with the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Figaro (2-1, 5.74), who has made two starts this year, will take
the ball for the division-leading Tigers (85-75) following their
8-0 loss to the White Sox (78-82) on Friday. Jake Peavy pitched
eight innings for his third win since joining Chicago, while
Edwin Jackson allowed eight runs in five innings to take the
loss.

The defeat, combined with Minnesota's win over Kansas City,
dropped Detroit's division lead to one game with two to play.
The Tigers held a seven-game lead Sept. 6, but have gone 10-14
since. They could have clinched the title with a win over
Minnesota on Thursday, but instead lost 8-3.

They managed only three hits off Peavy and reliever Scott
Linebrink in the opener of this series, leading to a smattering
of boos from the home crowd.

"For the last day or so, they've been disappointed," Detroit
manager Jim Leyland said. "Most people when they're
disappointed, they express their disappointment in the form of
boos. There's nothing wrong with that."

The Tigers, forced to shuffled their rotation after a rainout
Monday, now must call on the 25-year-old rookie Figaro. Rick
Porcello, who would have taken the ball, pitched Tuesday.
Detroit is opting to start Figaro instead of Porcello on
shortened rest.

"We think he's the best guy," Leyland told the Tigers' official
Web site. "That's what we've got. That's how we're going."

The right-hander's previous two starts came against Milwaukee
and Houston in June. He's made two relief appearances this
month, including 2 2-3 innings of scoreless work to earn a
victory over the White Sox on Sept. 26.

"I know it's an important game," Figaro said. "I'm not nervous.
I'm a little bit excited."

With a magic number of two, the Tigers still control their
destiny and would clinch the Central with wins in their final
two games. If they lose one, their best hope for a Minnesota
loss may come Saturday when the Twins face Cy Young contender
Zack Greinke.

Chicago, meanwhile, will continue to try and play spoiler. The
White Sox have won four of five. Scott Podsednik and Carlos
Quentin each homered Friday, while Jermaine Dye and Mark Kotsay
drove in two runs apiece. Chicago, which was coming off a 1-0
win over Cleveland on Wednesday, scored five runs in the sixth
after being held to one run in each of the previous two games.

White Sox starter Freddy Garcia (2-4, 4.78), who went 1-1 with a
4.20 ERA in three starts for Detroit last year, will oppose
Figaro. The veteran right-hander struggled against his former
club last Saturday, giving up seven runs and 10 hits - both
season highs - in 6 1-3 innings of a 12-5 loss to the Tigers in
Chicago.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124086-White-Sox-Tigers-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124086-White-Sox-Tigers-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:21:07 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[AL Central-leading Tigers lose 8-0 to White Sox]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- Jake Peavy delivered the kind of performance the
Detroit Tigers desperately need.

Peavy delayed Detroit's chance to move closer to the AL Central
title, pitching the Chicago White Sox past the slumping Tigers
8-0 Friday night.

Detroit's lead was cut to one game by Minnesota, which beat
Kansas City 10-7. Both teams have two games left.

The Tigers, who couldn't take advantage of an opportunity
Thursday to win the division with a win over Minnesota, heard a
smattering of boos during their series opener against the White
Sox.

"For the last day or so, they've been disappointed," Detroit
manager Jim Leyland said. "Most people when they're
disappointed, they express their disappointment in the form of
boos. There's nothing wrong with that."

The Tigers but got off to a bad start when Scott Podsednik hit a
leadoff home run and wound up losing for the fourth time in six
games.

Peavy (3-0) pitched eight scoreless innings and Carlos Quentin
also homered. Out for three months because of an injured right
ankle, Peavy gave up just two hits and showed the form he had as
the 2007 NL Cy Young winner.

"I still don't feel 100 percent," Peavy insisted.

Edwin Jackson (13-9) gave up a career-high eight runs and seven
hits over five-plus innings.

"The one thing you have to have when you pitch against a guy
like Peavy, your pitcher has to pitch good," Leyland said.
"(Jackson) just made way too many bad pitches in the middle of
the plate."

If the Tigers fail to hold off Minnesota, they will become the
first team in major league history to lead a division on May 10
and stay atop it until losing the title in the last week of a
season.

Detroit still has an opportunity, though, to win the AL Central
without any help from the last-place Royals. With a magic number
of two, the Tigers can wrap up the division by beating the White
Sox the next two days.

"We're just trying to win theses games," White Sox catcher A.J.
Pierzynski said. "We don't have a vendetta or anything because
it's Detroit or Minnesota."

The Tigers are set to start Alfredo Figaro (2-1) on Saturday
night against Freddy Garcia (2-4) and the White Sox.

"I know it's an important game," the 25-year-old Figaro said
quietly on the eve of the third start in his career. "I'm not
nervous. I'm a little bit excited."

If the Tigers need to win Sunday to clinch the division, they
plan to put Justin Verlander (18-9) on the mound against John
Danks (13-10).

Podsednik sent Jackson's third pitch into the right-field seats
for just his sixth homer of the year and his first to lead off a
game since 2004. Detroit had its best hitter, Miguel Cabrera, at
the plate in the first with two on and one out and Peavy struck
him out and got Aubrey Huff to fly out.

"We had a shot in the first inning, but we didn't do it and his
ball was darting all over," Leyland said.

After Placido Polanco hit a one-out single against Peavy in the
first, Detroit didn't get a base hit off him until Al Avila
singled to lead off the eighth. The Tigers, among the AL's
lowest-scoring teams, have been shut out six times this season.

"I've been puzzled all year why we haven't hit better," Leyland
said. "It's simple - we have to score runs. If we don't, we'll
get beat."

Peavy had a sensational start even though he said his slider and
offspeed pitchers weren't sharp, relying on fastballs low in the
zone.

"I was able to get ground balls when I needed them," he said.

Jackson, who lately has not looked like the All-Star he was at
midseason, let the game get out of reach in a five-run sixth.

"It's definitely one of those games you just try to forget
about," Jackson said.

If the Tigers waste their lead, that won't be easy to do.

NOTES: Peavy threw seven scoreless innings last week against
Detroit and is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts for the White
Sox. ... Magglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to 10
games. ... Pierzynski's 150th hit tied his own team record for
hits by a catcher. ... Detroit's Gerald Laird matched a career
high by throwing out a 39th runner attempting to steal, and
extended his lead in that category in the majors.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[mlb]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124016-AL-Central-leading-Tigers-lose-8-0-to-White-Sox</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/mlb/news/124016-AL-Central-leading-Tigers-lose-8-0-to-White-Sox</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:42:11 GMT</pubDate>
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