Detroit Tigers' Game 51 Preview

• Date: June 3, 2009
• Time: 7:05pm
• Teams: Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers
• Park: Comerica Park
• Weather: 64 and partly cloudy
• Starting Pitchers: Josh Beckett (5-2, 4.60)  Armando Galarraga (3-5, 5.50)
• Records: Boston (30-22)  Detroit (28-22)
• Last 10 Games: Boston (5-5)  Detroit (4-6)

My Two Cents:

The Tigers are officially struggling in my book. In fact, they are on the verge of a minor collapse. 

The Tigers split in Baltimore, but that was only because Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson were able to bail them out. I hate to break to everyone, but odds are Verlander and Jackson will not win the rest of the starts. 

At some point, they will need to get more out of the other fellas. At the front of that pressure is Mr. Armando Galarraga. I’ve made plenty of points here about this ineptitude lately and I won’t do it again here.

We all know the guy is really laboring. Is it possible the rest of the league has just figured him out? Some writer wrote yesterday (I cannot recall who) that the Tigers 1-3 starters are as good as any baseball, but that the rest of the rotation are number five guys, at best. I think that’s looking to be more true with each passing start from Willis/Galarraga/Miner, whoever. 

Tonight is another big start for Galarraga and the Tigers. The Tigers will send Galarraga and the D-Train out there the next two games in hopes of avoiding a series loss to Boston. 

Josh Beckett has only two career starts against the Tigers and he has a win and a loss to show for it. He sports an ERA of 4.15 in those two starts and has struck out more than a batter per inning. Believe it or not, the only current Tiger who has ever homered off of Beckett is Adam Everett, who has a homer in nine career at-bats against the Boston hurler.