• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Tigers getting healthy, eye sweep of Rangers

Apr 24, 2008 - 12:46 PM Texas (7-15) at Detroit (9-13) 1:05 pm EDT

DETROIT (Ticker) - Little by little, the top of the Detroit Tigers' lineup is starting to get healthy and the offense is clearly benefiting from it.

The Tigers eye their eighth win in 11 games on Thursday when they attempt to complete a three-game series sweep of the Texas Rangers.

One day after witnessing the successful season debut of leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson in a 19-6 rout of Texas, the Tigers expect to welcome back second baseman Placido Polanco, who finished third in the American League with a .341 batting average last season.

Granderson, who became one of only four players in major league history with at least 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 20 triples and 20 stolen bases, returned in style on Wednesday, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. He had two hits and scored twice in the Tigers' 11-run sixth inning.

The team also expects designated hitter Gary Sheffield to return by Friday, which would get the top three hitters in the lineup together for the first time this season. Even without a healthy lineup, Detroit is averaging 7.8 runs over its last 10 games - a stretch in which it has gone 7-3.

Jeremy Bonderman (1-2, 4.37 ERA) will take the mound in the finale, hoping to rebound for a poor outing in his last start. In Saturday's 3-2 loss to Toronto, the righthander surrendered three runs and five hits with six walks over five frames.

His counterpart will be Scott Feldman (0-0, 4.50 ERA), who is expected to be recalled from Class AAA Oklahoma City on Thursday.

In what will be his his second career start, Feldman tries to help the Rangers snap a six-game slide.

The righthander permitted three runs and eight hits over six innings in a 5-4 loss to Toronto on April 13 in his debut.