Giving up 11 runs is no way to get through a baseball game, son.

Blake said it in the GameThread as well as anything I could write.  Brian Runge made one of the worst calls at home plate you'll ever see, calling Placido Polanco out when replays showed his foot all the way across the plate before Ramon Hernandez's glove even touched his chest.  He didn't just blow that call, he absolutely destroyed it.

But it never should've come to that.  The Tigers blew two leads in this game.  They handed Nate Robertson a 6-0 lead in the first inning, and he couldn't even make it through three innings, in what was probably (surely?) his most revolting performance of the season.  (Jim Leyland was clearly disgusted with Robertson in his post-game interview.)  And Joel Zumaya and Freddy Dolsi served up two fat first pitch home run balls in consecutive innings. 

Easily the worst loss of the season.  And one of the most repugnant efforts this pitching staff has ever subjected its fans to.

Roll Call

Despite the blown leads that should've made most of us find something else to do, we had a great turnout in the GameThread that kept crackling throughout the evening.

Thanks to spotstarters, wepri31, explosivo2k2, pfuhrmeister, Boney, rock n rye, HavocRox, Zappatista, MSU4LIF, Wingz, skoneyhill, densogirl, MackAveKurt, dettigionswings'stons, Tony K, gf206, and ashmark for setting themselves up for a crashing disappointment.  We'll all need therapy for this.

Nate Robertson (6-8, 5.26) vs. Daniel Cabrera (6-5, 4.33)

Thursday night, the Tigers brought the big boi bats.  Last night, the Orioles swung the big sticks.  If this series continues to follow the rhythm of its first two games, tonight should be the Detroit's turn to knock out some long balls.  And Daniel Cabrera could be just the guy to accommodate such an outburst.

Last time Cabrera faced the Tigers, they hung five runs (four earned) on him in five innings.  And he didn't make things easier on himself by issuing six walks.  What may have been most memorable about that game, however, was the showdown between Cabrera and Gary Sheffield.  Cabrera plunked Sheffield earlier in the game, but Sheff got the last word by hitting a two-run homer.  And it was such a titanic shot that Sheff couldn't help but look at it.

"I was always told by Dave Parker," Sheffield said after the game, "whenever you hit one like that, you have a right to look at it."

Cabrera didn't much care for that, giving Sheff the stink-eye as he circled the bases.  But really, who won bragging rights in that match-up?  Do not poke the bear, Daniel Cabrera.  You'll just make him angry.

Nate Robertson is back to alternating good starts with bad starts, and if that pattern continues, he's due for a good game tonight.  In his last start, the Twins pummeled him for five runs and 10 hits.  Before that, however, Robertson held the Mariners to one run over nine innings.  Last year, he won both of his starts against the Orioles, which boosted his career record against Baltimore to 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA.

UPDATE:  Check out who's playing third base for the Tigers tonight.

Last night, it was the Tigers who created a storm with their bats.  Tonight, all the thunder and lightning came from the Orioles.

When Baltimore wasn't swinging and missing at what Armando Galarraga was throwing, they were knocking most of his stuff all over the field.  That includes the very top of the left field foul pole, which Melvin Mora's deep drive bounced off of for a two-run homer in the sixth inning.  Also taking Galarraga out of the park were Aubrey Huff (who almost had one off Todd Jones last night) and Luke Scott.  Even Kevin Millar hit a drive to left that was caught at the fence by Matt Joyce.

But Scott wasn't done with the long ball after his shot in the second inning.  In the eighth, he put the game out of reach with a two-run blast off Bobby Seay.  And Seay didn't exactly keep Scott guessing as he threw six straight breaking balls (MLB.com Gameday had them all as curveballs).  On the FSN Detroit telecast, Rod Allen pointed out that Pudge Rodriguez was apparently calling for a fastball on that home run pitch, but Seay shook him off.  How'd that work out? 

Unlike last night, the Tigers' offense couldn't bail the starting pitching out.  Detroit did bang out 14 hits, creating plenty of opportunities to score, but shot themselves in the foot by grounding into three double plays (two of them by Magglio Ordonez).

This knocks Detroit back to .500, a level they just barely seem to get their nose above.  They'll have to get better pitching to create some breathing room.

Armando Galarraga (7-3, 3.27) vs. Jeremy Guthrie (5-7, 3.49)

After a night in which the Orioles may have run themselves out of a comeback, the Tigers look to extend their winning streak to three games this evening on a humid night in Charm City.

Armando Galarraga is winless in his last four starts, though in terms of runs allowed, he's pitched well enough to earn a victory in at least two of those games.  What has been a concern in his last two appearances, however, is his control.  Galarraga has issued seven walks in his last two starts (11 2/3 innings), something that hasn't been a problem for him for most of the season.  On the road, Galarraga is 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA.

Jeremy Guthrie is tied for the AL lead in quality starts, according to MLB.com, but obviously doesn't have the record to show for it.  His last start provides a good example of that, as Guthrie only allowed one earned run (and four hits) in seven innings against Toronto.  He was ready to take the win before the Orioles' bullpen imploded for four runs in two innings.  At home this season, Guthrie is 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA.

Edgar Renteria is back in the lineup, despite his sore hamstring bothering him last night.  Carlos Guillen is still back in Detroit, however, as his wife is still hospitalized.  So Brandon Inge will again be showing off his magic glove at third base.

Life is really all about the little victories, isn't it?  Getting that nice parking space at the grocery store.  Nabbing the last chocolate chip cookie at the coffee shop.  Finding a five-dollar bill in your pants pocket.  And Dontrelle Willis not walking any batters in his latest outing. 

The D-Train was back on the mound in Lakeland yesterday, getting the start for the Flying Tigers against the St. Lucie Mets.  Willis pitched three innings, giving up one run on four hits, but most importantly, he did not walk a single batter.  26 of his 32 pitches were thrown for strikes.

Here's what Flying Tigers pitching coach Joe Coleman said to the Lakeland Ledger after the game:

"Chuck Hernandez and I have been working with Dontrelle to get him to throw the ball to zones rather than trying to hit spots.

"Tonight's outing was a very positive step toward Dontrelle's return to Detroit."

In five innings of game action in Lakeland so far, Willis has allowed two hits, two runs, one strikeout, and three walks.

When Ramon Santiago took over for Edgar Renteria at shortstop in the eighth inning last night, it looked like he was coming in as a defensive replacement.  Apparently, I should've been watching more closely.  Renteria appeared to have tweaked his aching hamstring while trying to beat out a double-play ball in the top of the inning and had to come out of the game.  Here's more from Jason Beck:

He left the game after aggravating his left hammy, the same injury that sidelined him before the break.  You could see him struggling to get down the line on that double-play ball in the top of the eighth, even a little bit on that second-inning double.  It wasn't any particular play that tweaked it, he said, but it simply got worse as the game went on.  He hopes to be available tomorrow, but we'll see.  If he's still feeling it after resting for a week, that isn't promising.

Jim Leyland rested Renteria quite a bit in the week leading up to the All-Star break, so it's definitely a concern if he's still hurting there.  But hamstring injuries are often the type of thing that never go away during a season; they just hurt less. 

So it could be an all-reserve left side of the infield tonight in Baltimore, if Carlos Guillen remains back in Detroit to help take care of his wife.

The figurative second half of the Detroit Tigers' season started off looking much like the first half did.  It wasn't easy, but somehow the Tigers squeaked out a win.  And they did win, so it's looking half full tonight.

Gary Sheffield put any talk of benching him on ice almost right away with a two-run homer in the second inning, and would've had another one in the eighth, if not for Jay Payton's over-the-fence catch to rob him.  But Sheff wasn't the only Tiger with shaky job status that looked good tonight.  Edgar Renteria went 2-for-3 at the plate, while also making some nice plays at shortstop.  Using the lineup card as a motivator seems to have worked well for Jim Leyland - at least for one night. 

Also bringing the thunder and lightning were Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames, and Kenny Rogers needed every bit of it because he did not have it tonight.  Yet thanks to some scoring from his lineup, and scoreless pitching from the middle relief, he somehow snuck off with the win.  It needs to be emphasized, however, that it was the middle relief that saved the game, because the guy that's supposed to do the saving, to close out the win, once again showed he's probably not capable of handling that job full-time anymore.

Todd Jones wasn't helped by an error from Ramon Santiago (who was in the game for his glove), but Jonesy was close to going off the rails yet again.  A leadoff double by Luke Scott and a walk to Nick Markakis sandwiched the error, thus loading the bases and putting the Tigers' lead in serious jeopardy.  Jones then allowed a deep fly ball to Aubrey Huff that took Curtis Granderson to the warning track and brought a run in.  And if not for Inge's aggressive play at third (he looked great there tonight), Kevin Millar might have legged out an infield single to tie the game.

Can we hope that reducing Jones's workload begins tomorrow night, if the Tigers have a lead to protect in the ninth? 

Roll Call

The GameThread started off a bit slow tonight, but hey, we're coming off a three-day break.  It picked up as the game went on, and the Tigers finally got a lead they could hold onto.

Thanks to Wingz, Zappatista, JIMDALE, rook34, Boney (Have fun tomorrow night), rock n rye (welcome back), pfuhrmeister, skoneyhill (Welcome!), dettigionswings'stons (t-shirt's on the way), PBURGTIGER, tbliggins, gf206, and Xeifrank for keeping the room buzzing tonight.

Kenny Rogers (6-6, 4.55) vs. Garrett Olson (6-4, 5.65)

Jim Leyland may not like getting just three days off, when roughly 75% of the other major league teams gets four, but Detroit's All-Star break comes to an end tonight in Baltimore.  The Orioles and Tigers will be the only two American League teams playing tonight.

Both teams enter crucial stretches of their season.  Tonight begins an 11-game homestand for the O's, and a successful one could put them back in the AL East race.  And we know what's at stake for the Tigers over the next 10 games.  A nice run puts them squarely in competition for the AL Central.  A bad one could render August and September disappointing, with trade rumors as the juice that keeps things interesting.

July hasn't been very good for Garrett Olson, as he's gotten shelled in his two starts this month.  In his last nine innings, he's given up 13 runs (12 earned) and 15 hits.  However, Olson hasn't lost in Camden Yards this year, going 3-0 with a 4.28 ERA in six starts.  This will be his first time facing the Tigers.

Kenny Rogers hasn't won in his two July starts, either, though he's pitched better than Olson.  Against Minnesota in his last outing, Rogers had to settle for a no-decision after seven innings.  From there, the Twins made the comeback that rocked the Tigers' world, according to Ron Gardenhire.  In 14 career starts at Camden Yards, Rogers has a 4-3 record and 4.22 ERA.

Carlos Guillen won't be in the lineup tonight, as he's back in Detroit to take care of his wife, who just had surgery.  Reportedly, everyone is doing fine.

Camden Chat has your SB Nation opposing view for this four-game series.

Short Hops:

• Jason Beck is reporting that Zach Miner will be the starting pitcher for the Tigers on Monday.
• The Daily Fungo discovered some potentially good news for the Tiger Stadium preservation effort at Senator Carl Levin's website. 

   Over at The Spot Starters, Blake rounded up a few Tigers bloggers for an All-Star break "State of the Tigers" panel.  I joined Kurt of Mack Avenue Tigers, Lee of Tiger Tales, Bill from The Detroit Tigers Weblog, and Blake himself to discuss several pertinent topics including Justin Verlander's second half, the Gary Sheffield dilemma, who could finish the season strong, and which off-season deal to call a Mulligan on.

Thanks to Blake for inviting me onto the panel.

  Lee and Kurt weren't finished talking Tigers with us, however.  They also participated in Life in the Cell's mid-season report on Detroit's baseball team.  Jeeves is doing this for each of the teams in the AL Central.

  I already knew Big Al might be a better man than me, but his willingness to post in-depth mid-season grades (something I just couldn't bring myself to do) for each part of the Tigers' roster confirms that.  You can read the grades for starting pitching, bullpen, infield, and outfield in separate posts at The Wayne Fontes Experience.

And as you should expect, Big Al was far more harsh - and honest - than Jon Paul Morosi was with his grades.  I'm convinced that Morosi either made out those grades in the middle of the clubhouse with the entire team watching, or had each player grade himself.  Though your perspective is obviously different when you cover a team each day.  

  At Take 75 North, Matt examines how the Toledo Mud Hens will be affected by Mike Hessman and Blaine Neal leaving to play with the USA Baseball team in the Beijing Olympics. 

  Christina Kahrl has a Transaction Analysis of the AL Central at Baseball Prospectus ($$), looking at each team's recent big moves, gaping holes and potentially cool (and underrated) moves.

  Finally, two housekeeping items: 

1)  If you have a Facebook account, have you signed up for the Bless You Boys page?  If you're taking any photos or videos from the ballpark that you'd like to share with others, this is a fun place to post them.  Someone added some pretty cool pictures from the recent fan appreciation effort when he and a buddy were able to play catch on the Comerica Park field.

2)  I also just started a BYB Twitter page, which has a feed for each blog entry, but I'm hoping to post items that might be too short to warrant a full post by itself or just pass along some Tigers news and thoughts for the day.

Holy burying the lede, Batman!  (Is that the second time I've made that reference in a week?  Sorry about that.)  In a notebook headlined by second base prospect Scott Sizemore breaking a bone in his hand, the Freep's Jon Paul Morosi casually tosses out this little nugget:

The Tigers appear willing to include reliever Fernando Rodney in trade offers.  The right-hander has been inconsistent since returning from the disabled list.

That strikes me as kind of a big deal.  Maybe a headline item.  Am I wrong here?  Is that how far Rodney's fortunes have fallen in the eyes of the reporters who cover the Detroit Tigers, let alone the organization itself? 

Or perhaps this is a case of the Tigers realizing they'll have to give up something to get something.  Every team is in need of good relievers (including, um, the Detroit Tigers), so dangling a pitcher of Rodney's talent (as opposed to actual production this season) might tempt a team into making a deal.  (In another article, Morosi also points to Luis Marte as a pitching prospect Detroit might be willing to trade.)

Can the Tigers afford to give up bullpen help, especially when Jim Leyland has said that he intends to divide Todd Jones' ninth inning workload among several relievers?  I don't think so, yet acknowledge that Rodney isn't the first guy I would prefer to see come out of the Tigers' bullpen in a key late-inning situation.  And maybe Leyland feels that way, too.  Freddy Dolsi has probably made Rodney expendable, and another reliever (Clay Rapada?) could come up from Toledo to fill that spot in the bullpen.   

So what do you think about this?  Has Rodney become expendable?  Can the Tigers afford to trade a reliever?