Game 97

The White Sox limp back into Chicago after losing 3 straight to the Red Sox, and who do they find? A Detroit Tigers team surely looking to bounce back after losing the weekend series to the Royals. I'd feel sorry for the Sox if Ozzie Guillen weren't in charge. Oh yeah, a Mud Hen is up to play first, but it's not Chris Shelton. Mike Hessman gets the start against the lefty Mark Buehrle. Finally Curtis Granderson gets a start against a lefty. Let's see if the C-Mo comeback tour can extend to game 3. The numbers look good, C-Mo is 3-8 with a HR the last two times he's faced Buehrle.

Line-ups:
Detroit (58-38)
C Granderson CF
P Polanco 2B
G Sheffield DH
M Ordonez RF
C Guillen SS
I Rodriguez C
C Monroe LF
M Hessman 1B
B Inge 3B

Chicago (43-54)
J Owens CF
T Iguchi 2B
J Thome DH
P Konerko 1B
A Pierzynski C
J Dye RF
J Fields 3B
J Uribe SS
A Gonzalez LF

Pitchers:
Tigers - Andrew Miller LHP (5-3, 3.18 ERA)
White Sox - Mark Buehrle LHP (7-5, 2.91 ERA)

Post-game:

Tigers 9 White Sox 6

Well another one under "not pretty, but a win". Andrew Miller was channelling Nuke LaLoosh
with seven strikeouts 5 walks and three wild pitches. After all that, somehow Jason Grilli turned two walks and a hit batter into a win. What was pretty was the Tigers racking up 14 hits on Mark Buehrle. New Tiger Mike Hessman is no Jack Hannahan, he went 2 for4 and drove in the two runs that put the Tigers up for good. 4 Tigers had 3 hit games tonight, but Gary Sheffield of all people was the only starter without a hit. After tonight's game, the Tigers now have half for their starting line-up hitting above .300, and if you throw in Casey and Pudge 7 of 9 have a average above .285. C-Mo added another hit, to bring his monthly total up to 8, 4 of those have come in the past three games.

Tiger Hero:
Curtis Granderson. Now can he start against lefties? Grandy reached base all five plate appearances, with 4 RBIs and 2 extra base hits...all vs. left-handed pitching.

Tiger Zero:
The first six innings of Tiger pitching. The only reason the White Sox were in the game is 8 walks handed out by Tiger pitchers.

Tigers Record:
W - L
59 - 38
1st Place AL Central (Cleveland 2 GB)