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Detroit Tigers Team Notes Over 3 Million Views!!! Thankyou!

For the second time in five days, the Tigers started Miguel Cabrera at designated hitter Thursday. If it works out as manager Jim Leyland hopes, it'll be the last time for a while.

"I think if I can get him off his feet one more day, we can pretty much be over the hump with that [sore left] ankle," Leyland said Thursday morning. "It's still pretty sore. So that's why I had to make that adjustment."

The sore ankle came from a foul ball off Cabrera's left shin, which caused drainage to his ankle. He was the DH on Sunday against Cleveland in a similar scenario, with a day game after a night game.

That game featured a lefty starter for the Indians and a righty-loaded lineup for the Tigers. Thursday, the Tigers faced right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, and Leyland used an outfield composed of all left-handed hitters -- Quintin Berry in center, Andy Dirks in left and Brennan Boesch in right.

Austin Jackson got a day out of the starting lineup for the first time since he returned from the disabled list two months ago.

"He's getting a well-deserved rest," Leyland said. "We're going to Texas. It's going to be hot. I'm getting Berry in there. He's done a good job."

Jackson came into the day with an 11-game hitting streak, but he was just 3-for-14 with six strikeouts over the first three games of the four-game set with the Yankees.
from the Tigers official site
 
Coke's progress partially allays Leyland's concern.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland chose his words carefully Wednesday night when asked if he was worried about left-hander Phil Coke's struggles.

"Obviously, we need to get him going, so I would say that ... Concerned? A little bit. But in a panic mode? No," Leyland said. "But we've got to get him going. He's very important for us, because our other two lefties are very inexperienced. So it'll be important to get him going. It's just a matter of him getting the ball where he's trying to get it."

Leyland expounded on those comments Thursday.

"I thought his velocity was better [Wednesday]," Leyland said. "He's just having, up to this point, a funny year. But we've got to get it changed, because he's very important for us. [Duane] Below's really not an ideal specialist lefty guy. He's a long guy and a good one."

"Up here, the bottom line is the bottom line. It's about results. But I do think Cokey threw the ball much better [Wednesday], and he had a tough confrontation with [Eric] Chavez, who did a heck off a job."

The Chavez at-bat lasted 11 pitches, including seven foul balls, before Chavez slapped a ground ball to second for an RBI groundout. The vast majority of those pitches were curveballs.

Coke threw 25 pitches, 21 of them for strikes. Just two of those strikes, however, were swings and misses. That might be a statement about his breaking ball more than his velocity or command.

"I see some that are sharp and some that aren't," Leyland said. "That's just an observation from the bench. When you see the one that's got the late bite, they usually miss it. And you see the one that just kind of goes, they foul it off. And that's what Chavez did."
from the Tigers official site
 
Leyland wants callups to be able to help club.
The Tigers haven't made any decisions yet on September callups. The serious discussions won't come until the next week or two. Still, the question is bound to come up about the Tigers' top remaining prospects, Nick Castellanos and Bruce Rondon.

Manager Jim Leyland knows it, because it's coming up in interviews. He leaves the decisions to team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski and assistant Al Avila, but Leyland goes back to his rule of thumb on September callups: If they can't help the team, they shouldn't be here.

"I don't want to get my boss mad at me, but somebody asked [in an interview] if you just bring him up here to see what it's like in the big leagues," Leyland said. "No, I don't think you do that. That's just my opinion. I think you bring him up if you think he can help the club. And that's the way I feel about anybody. I don't want the clubhouse getting all cluttered up. I never have.

"Sometimes you look for specialists, like a speed guy or a defensive guy, but we're already talking about six outfielders that I can only play four. If we have somebody down in the Minor Leagues that's better than the six we've got, they should probably be here now. I don't think that's the case."

It's a slightly different scenario for a pitcher, who can eat innings in a blowout. Still, Leyland indicated, that difference isn't drastic.

There's a good chance, Leyland indicated, they'll bring up an extra catcher as a backup for situations such as last Sunday, when Gerald Laird's ejection left Alex Avila as the only catcher available. Bryan Holaday, who spent a stretch in Detroit earlier this season when Avila and Laird were injured, would appear to be the likely candidate for that. Danny Worth has at least a decent shot to return as an extra infielder.

After that, however, Leyland is leaving the decisions to the front office.

"Dave and Al do a very thorough job at that," Leyland said. "They've always been very good with me about that. They know my feelings on it. I don't like to bring 10, 12 guys up here because there's just too much going on and your concentration and preparation is for the game, trying to get involved in the playoffs and stuff. But I do think you use common sense."
from the Tigers official site
 
http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2012/08/detroit_tigers_doug_fister_1.html
Detroit Tigers' late rally comes up short; bullpen collapses in loss to New York Yankees.
from Mlive

http://www.freep.com/article/201208...igers-new-york-yankees-recap?odyssey=nav|head
New York 4 - Detroit 3: Yankees split series with back-to-back homers off Benoit.
from the freep

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/...ck-Joaquin-Benoit-for-2-homers-in-Tigers-loss
Yankees 4 - Tigers 3 : Tigers blow golden opportunity in ninth, split with Yankees.
from the detnews
 
http://www.blessyouboys.com/2012/8/9/3231713/yankees-4-tigers-3-blown-opportunity-to-take-3-of-4
Yankees 4 - Tigers 3: Blown opportunity to take 3 of 4.
from blessyouboystigersblog

http://walkoffwoodward.com/?p=4880
Benoit Blows Tigers Attempt to Pay Off Entire Umpire Crew.
from WalkoffWoodwardTigersblog

http://walkoffwoodward.com/?p=4882
Tigers vs Yankees Series Recap.
from WalkoffWoodwardTigersblog

http://www.foxsportsdetroit.com/08/...anding_tigers.html?blockID=773367&feedID=3701
from DetroitFox

http://www.thedetroitsportssite.com...ho-edge-detroit-tigers-with-late-homers/22160
Joaquin Benoit Serves Up Win to Yankees, Who Edge Detroit Tigers With Late Homers.
from the detroitsportssite
 
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