Open Thread - Game 100: Tigers (59-40) at White Sox (45-55)

Kenny Rogers (3-2, 3.77) vs. Jose Contreras (5-12, 5.76), 8:11 p.m. EST

Okay, I'm not having a good week.  Have I really been posting game threads that had the White Sox at the Tigers?  (I went back and fixed them.)  Then there was that botch of the White Sox lineup yesterday.  That's what I get for being lazy and cutting-and-pasting.  Anyway, maybe it doesn't matter to anyone, but I'm kind of embarrassed and apologize for the sloppiness.  It's been like the Tigers' pitching in this series thus far.  I'll try to get it right this time.

Let's start with the big news first: If you haven't heard, Gary Sheffield is out for tonight's game with a sore shoulder.  And if he has to take a cortisone shot for it, he'll be out tomorrow night, too.  It's been all about Ol' Sheff today.

Kenny Rogers hasn't been very good in his last two starts, giving up five runs in each of those games.  Considering this is the early part of his season, maybe he's getting a little tired out.  This could be the pick-me-up that he needs, however.  Last season, Rogers went 3-1 with an 0.82 in five starts vs. the White Sox.  

Jose Contreras might as well have "trade bait" stitched on the back of his jersey instead of his last name, but he's been pitching so badly that no one's interested.  He was a total disaster in his last start, giving up 10 runs on 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings at Boston.  In his last four outings, Contreras has coughed up a total of 27 runs in 24 2/3 innings.  U-G-L-Y, he ain't got no alibi.  

Are we really 100 games into this season?  Man, it's been blowing by so fast...

Short Hops:

▪▪  Ozzie Guillen is sounding strangely like Matt Millen lately.  He's not going to quit!  (But I shouldn't even really compare the two.)  

▪▪  Today's Chicago Tribune has a piece on the Tigers trying to avoid a World Series hangover.

▪▪  Andy Van Slyke, Sean Casey, and Gene Lamont are quoted in this article about Rockies 1st base coach Glenallen Hill deciding to wear a helmet, in lieu of the Mike Coolbaugh tragedy.