Brandon Inge has been spectacular to start off the year and looked unlike the Inge of 2007. He’s shown great plate discipline through the first couple games, as well as back in Spring Training, and continued to show that he can play nearly any position in the field competently. He’s earned multiple walks and shown power out of the gate, yet Miguel Cabrera is better. This first three-game sweep by the Royals has brought the Inge-supporters out in droves, but nothing has really changed. If anything, Brandon is helping find himself a starting spot elsewhere which can only benefit Detroit later in the season when particular needs are more apparent.

If there is anything to be concerned about it is the one thing that can really hold this team back; injuries. The season has started with many key players out (Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney, Curtis Granderson) and now Gary Sheffield is appearing to have as serious problem. There have been some mixed messages in what has been in the crowd, but as Blake points out, it does not sound good. Miguel Cabrera will take Shef’s place in DH today.

Today Nate Robertson will look to carry his successful Spring Training starts into the regular season. For the Chicago White Sox, Jose Contreras will take the mound. If there is any pitcher that the Tiger bats should come alive against, it is Jose. Detroit took him for 26 hits and 4 walks in 18 IP over the 2007 season and slugged .587. He was just bad in ’07 and didn’t look as if he had straightened out at all this past spring.

Game time is 1:05 PM @ Comerica Park.

Justin Verlander (4-1, 2.76 ERA) vs Brad Thompson (2-0, 4.03 ERA)

Tigers will be going for the sweep today with Justin Verlander on the mound. In Justin’s last outing he received the only win against Boston going 7.2 innings allowing 2 earned runs with 7 strikeouts and no walks. Hopefully he can go deep in today’s game as the bullpen consists of Grilli & Jose Mesa today, Ledezma could possibly pitch as well if needed.

St. Louis is sending Brad Thompson to try and get a win. Thompson started the year in the bullpen and this will be his third start this year. He’s been ok through both starts allowing a total of 4 earned runs in 11.2 innings of work. He’s been good at keeping the ball down and is a ground-ball pitcher.

Nate Robertson (3-3, 3.62 ERA) vs Anthony Reyes (0-6, 5.08 ERA)

Nate Robertson will take the mound to keep the Tigers momentum moving forward after a few rough outings. Nate has allowed 21 hits and 9 runs in his last two outings, both of which were short. With the bullpen in the state it is in I’d love to see him stick in there through at least a full 6 innings which is quite possible with the slumping St. Louis offense.

Reyes will take the mound for the Cardinals. He’s not having a wonderful year but much of his 0-6 record is due to the lack of run support as much as his pitching. He’s been consistent and hasn’t really had a game where he was really troubled giving up at most 7 runs in one outing. He’s known to give up a walk for a few but while giving up 3-4 runs an outing his strikeout rate is still good.

Tigers should be able to walk away from this and manufacture plenty of runs off of Reyes and not require anything spectacular out of Robertson. Then again I thought the same when they faced Taverez.

Andrew Miller (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Braden Looper (5-2, 2.29 ERA)

Andrew Miller is picking up a spot start tonight in place of Jeremy Bonderman who’s still out with a blister. Miller last saw the Major Leagues late last year after he was drafted but has spent this year in Lakeland with one start with the Erie Seawolves. Miller has a 2.92 ERA between both clubs this year after getting off to a few rocky starts at the beginning of the season. Tiger coaches have been very positive on Miller and what he’s showing them so I’m hoping for a good outing and his first big league win.

For St. Louis, Braden Looper will take the mound to help out the struggling Cards. While the Cardinals have gotten off to a disappointing start Looper has had a good year so far. His last start against San Diego saw him go 7 innings allowing only 3 hits and a single walk while striking out 7 batters.

Mike Maroth (3-0, 4.69) vs Julian Tavarez (1-4, 6.60)

The Tigers have a doubleheader in Boston today due to the rain-out of last night’s game. It does look like the weather will cooperate a bit more today though the clouds will stay out but no rain so Maroth will get the chance to take the mound.

Mike Maroth will take the mound for his 8th start still unbeaten. Even though his own record is 3-0 the Tigers are undefeated in all games that were started by Maroth thus far. Hopefully that will continue and it is quite possible with Tavarez out there for Boston.

Julian Tavarez’s best start this year came on May 5th against the Twins where he gave up 2 runs over 6 innings of work. Unfortunatly for Tavarez he was facing Johan Santana so he ended up with the loss. Tavarez faced only two Tigers in 2006 where he gave up a 3-run home run to Magglio Ordonez and struck out Carlos Guillen. Turns out that was Magglio’s only hit in 7 plate appearances though some other Tigers have hit him well:

- Ivan Rodriguez, who started coming out of a bit of a May slump in Tuesday’s game, has hit 7-for-15 with 2 doubles.
- Gary Sheffield is hitting .333 with 2 doubles and 4 walks
- Sean Casey has hit .353 through 17 AB’s with 2 doubles and three walks.

[UPDATE] – Billfer was all over this news this morning, but Zach Miner will be starting in place of the sick Mike Maroth. John Lowe @ Free Press has more on this as well.

This will make it 3 starts in the past couple days that were not started by Tiger regulars. This worries me with all the changes but it is probobly just due to being spoiled with a solid rotation through 2006.

Zach Miner started the year off in Toledo very rough but has pulled it together in the last two starts allowing zero earned runs. He’ll need to bring that game to Fenway today.

Chad Durbin (3-1, 5.08) vs Curt Schilling (4-1, 3.63)

The second matchup of the day will see Chad Durbin who has been on-again/off-again throughout this year though lately he has been very much on-again. His last two starts saw him go 13.2 innings allowing 13 hits and 4 earned runs and picking up back-to-back wins. Hopefully this means that he’s settled down a bit and will show a bit of consistency which the Tigers very will might need as they face Schilling.

Curt Schilling saw Detroit twice in 2006 ending with a 0-0 record and 2.77 ERA, walking none while striking out 12. He’s pretty consistantly shut down Tiger batters including the newest Tiger Gary Sheffield who has faced Curt 78 times batting .212/.321/.364, walking 11 times to 14 strikeouts. No other Tiger has seen him nearly as much but their records are all pretty lackluster.

Justin Verlander (3-1, 2.83 ERA) vs Tim Wakefield (4-3, 1.79 ERA)

Second game of a four game series against the Red Sox. The Tigers down offense will face Tim Wakefield who has had an impressive year so far despite his win-loss record. Wakefield has yet to allow more than 3 runs in any of his outings with his shortest game being 5.1 innings w/ 3 runs against the NY Yankees. Magglio is the top hitting Tiger against Wakefield going 13-for-30 lifetime.

The Tigers will send Justin Verlander to the mound attempting to turn the ship around a bit. Verlander lost the only game he started in Fenway and his only game against the Red Sox allowing 5 runs and 7 walks over 6 innings pitched. This is another year though but Justin might need all the run support the Detroit offense can muster.

Nate Robertson (3-2, 3.43) vs Daisuke Matsuzaka (4-2, 4.80)

Nate Robertson will take the mound against the American Leagues best team and one of the most potent offenses. He’ll have his work cut out for him especially with the high-paid Matsuzaka getting the start for Boston. Robertson’s career stats against Boston (6.75 ERA) and in Fenway (8.49 ERA) aren’t on the low side but this has been a career year thus far.

As for Matsuzaka, this will be the first time for any Tiger to face him and it will be interesting how they react to his large variety of breaking balls. He has been fairly inconsistant allowing 6 runs in one outing and 7 in another but keeping the runs low in most of his starts and pitching 7 innings allowing only 5 hits against Toronto in his last start.

Virgil Vasquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs Boof Bonser (0-1, 3.96 ERA)

Virgil Vasquez will make his major league debut on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and help the Tigers go for their third sweep in 4 series. With Jeremy Bonderman sitting this game out due to a blister on his finger Vasquez has been getting ready since last Sunday:

They told me there was a 50% chance I would start on Sunday,” Vasquez recalled Friday, of his conversation with Rojas and Tigers pitching coordinator Jon Matlack. “And that I couldn’t tell anybody.”

Pudge Rodriguez will also be back in the lineup after sitting out last nights game due to a bit of soreness. He and the rest of the Tiger offense will face Boof Bonser who has yet to get a win this year. He has pitched rather well through his last few starts though holding the White Sox to a single run over seven innings while striking out seven. All Tigers have little experience against Bonser seeing him for the first time during the second half of last season when he made a single 7 inning start allowing only 5 hits and a single run.

Mike Maroth (2-0, 5.35 ERA) vs Johan Santana (4-2, 3.40 ERA)

Detroit will face Johan Santana for the second time this year. The first time he faced Mike Maroth and the Tigers walked away with a win on a Brandon Inge home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Santana pitched 6 innings giving up 8 hits including two home runs from Magglio Ordonez and Marcus Thames. Magglio has hit Johan well through his career and is now 15-for-35 lifetime.

Mike Maroth has had a few rough outings his last few starts but was able to keep the runs low in his start against Minnesota relying mainly on flyouts and pitching to contact. The Metrodome isn’t Comerica Park though and his career stats reflect that: at the CoPa Maroth has a lifetime 4.36, at the Metrodome Maroth has a lifetime 5.08 ERA.

Justin Verlander (2-1, 2.75) vs Jeff Weaver (0-5, 15.35 ERA)

This match up, as with yesterdays, looks like it will be in the Tigers favor. Jeff Weaver is off to a pretty horrible start to the season and has been given the loss in every one of his starts. That said he was trouble for the Tigers during the World Series and has shown the ability to get Tiger batters out.

Justin Verlander is on the mound for Detroit after a successful outing against Kansas City. His last start saw him last 7 scoreless innings before getting into trouble in the eighth inning. Justin has faced Seattle only once in his career lasting 7 innings allowing a single run.