-Dexter Sports
12:41 PM
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Hey Y'all. I know I haven't updated in a while, and there is a good reason for it. Throughout the years, if you haven't noticed, my true passion in baseball is the Detroit Tigers. Of Course, I still love the prospects, story lines and other things that happen during the MLB Season. So, from now on, Dexter-Sports will not be updated as much as before. I will be spending a lot of time at my new Tigers Blog, Motor City Bengals. So come on over and check it out, I think you will enjoy it.

For now, I will still post special essays, Fantasy Sports news and other analysis pieces on this blog. I hope you enjoy the upcoming Tigers news on Motor City Bengals, and don't worry, I will still be analyzing the complete game I love right here.

-Dexter Sports
6:30 AM
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It was a rough year for Detroit ace Justin Verlander. After starting the season 2-8, many wondered what was wrong with the young ace. His fastball dipped in velocity. He couldn't hit his marks with the curve ball. Many fantasy owners were baffled with the season that Justin Verlander gave them (including yours truly). At some point Jim Leyland and Chuck Hernandez (the former pitching coach) were busy like mad scientests, trying to figure the perfect formula to get Mr. Verlander back on track.

Though Verlander began to pitch better down the
stretch, his record didnt show for it, going 3-6 in his last 10 starts. Now, nearly one month after the end of the season, and a new pitching coach (Rick Knapp) in Detroit, many baseball fans have to be wondering if 2009 will be much of the same.

It's time to put the biohazard gloves and dig in. Maybe I can come up with the perfect equation to why Verlander struggled last season.


How can I say that after his earned run average imploded to over a run more than any other season in his short major league history. It's simple. Opponents only hit .254 off Verlander last season. That is more then ten points lower than his rookie campaign in which he won 17 games. He still tallied over 150 strikeouts. And finally, he gave up less homers (18) than he has in his whole career. The Stuff is still there, he just had a hard time harnessing it in 2008.

And though in the games I had watched him start in '08, it looked like he had lost some velocity, I am certain that he still has the stuff to be the Verlander of 2008 and 2007. According to manager Jim Leyland, a lot of the problem had been the command of his fastball. I couldn't agree more. I would even argue that his dependance of it was a downfall.

-Dexter Sports
8:28 PM
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UPDATE(10:29 PM): Todd Jones had his first blown save of the year, and it looked like the Tigers were going to lose this one, but in the ninth, I DID IT AGAIN! I called the following sequence. Heres how I worded it, "Ryan Raburn will walk on four pitches, and Miguel Cabrera is due, he will get a big hit." And that is what happened. A big win for the Tigers tonight, Freddy Dolsi gets the first win of his young career, and the Tigers are now at .500.

I'm just sitting here, enjoying some evening baseball, with my lovely girlfriend. The Tigers and Rockies are on the TV. The Tigers load the bases, with Ryan Raburn at the dish. My Lovely girlfriend decided to say, Get some RBIs Ryan! I replied with, how about four of them. Well guess what? The Tigers are at it again. Ryan Raburn went deep to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead in the 5th. I called the Shot! Thats Right.

Raburn replaced Magglio Ordonez in the top of the second.

The Tigers will be at the .500 mark with a win today. Kenny Rogers will face Greg Reynolds in the series finale.

-Dexter Sports
5:25 PM
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The Tigers have traded pitcher Denny Bautista to the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon.

Due to the impressive performance of youngster Freddy Dolsi, and the return of Joel Zumaya to the pen, The Tigers had to make a choice. That decision was to trade Denny Bautista.

In 19 innings of major league work, Bautista posted a 3.32 ERA. He was acquired by the Tigers from the Rockies in exchange for Jose Cappellan. Bautista should remain in the major league bullpen in Pittsburgh.

The Tigers received RHP Kyle Pearson in the deal. Pearson is currently sporting a 6.85 ERA in split time between Hi A and AA. Pearson projects to be a future closer. In 2007 he had 7 saves in limited innings. Here is a deeper look into the righty.

-Dexter Sports
11:18 PM
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Let's go Around the Horn to check out the latest Injuries, Trade Scenarios and the Columns of the Day. Batter Up!

Injury News:

• Tigers outfielder Gary Sheffield could return to the Tigers' roster as early as tonight in Detroit. Many fans are split on the return. The Tigers have been on a tear without Sheffield in the lineup. Sheffield will most likely take over the DH duties for rookie Jeff Larish. Sheffield only hit .143 in his rehab assignment with Lakeland.

• Seattle ace Felix Hernandez injured his ankle while blocking the plate in his start against the New York Mets. Earlier in the game Hernandez went opposite field against Johan Santana to become the first Mariner to go deep. Hernandez's ankle has a mild strain and according to Hernandez, he will not miss his next start.
• "I'm going to pitch next time. You know I'm not going to come out if it's not too bad. But it was bad. I wanted to pitch. I wanted to stay in the game. I threw one (practice) pitch. It hurt bad. Now I'm fine. I'm going to be ready to throw my next outing."

• Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson could be out for the rest of the season after undergoing wrist surgery. Johnson has been one big injury since coming over to Washington. He missed all of 2007 with a broken leg.
  

• Gerald Laird will be out 4-6 weeks after an MRI determined the severity of his right hamstring injury. This is a blow to the trade hopes of the Texas Rangers. Another blow is the aggravated injury faced to Hank Blalock. There is no diagnosis yet on his bruised right wrist.
  

Trade Winds:

• Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the Phillies have enough to make a deal for starting pitching. Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, and A.J. Burnett all seem like good fits. Salisbury mentions that the outfield depth makes Shane Victorino or Jayson Werth good trade material in return. I really like the Padres as a trade partner in that situation, because they could surely use an outfielder.

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer has yet even more C.C. talk. Dennis Manoloff looks at the situation the Indians are in, and compares it to the Bartolo Colon deal of 2002. If the Indians could get a Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, and Lee Stevens type deal for their ace watch out. The Price might be even more than that (see Bedard and Santana deals). I still have the feeling a deal is not going to get done on this front.
  

• Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski is pretty confident he can deal designated reliever Denny Bautista. The Hard throwing righty has shown a lot of promise this season, but with Joel Zumaya back, the Tigers had to do something. Bautista has a 94+ fastball with a pretty good slider.

The Column of the Day:

• Our column of the day comes from the Miami Sun-Sentinel. Dave Hyde looks at a possible World Series preview in Dolphin Stadium.... Wait, What? Thats Right, The Rays of Sunshine versus the fish not named Dolphin. Is it possible? Either way it's a great look of what could happen in the near future. Even Bill James would pass out if this happened.....
  

-Dexter Sports
12:38 PM
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Back to Back Tigers. I know it sounds lame, but you have to trust our judgment. Look at what it gave you last week. Marcus Thames has been a man possessed. This week we look to the mound at a starter that will log major innings with constant success.

Kenny Rogers has pitched 7 or more innings in his last 5 starts. In that span he has cruised with 1.00 ERA. His control has been sensational as well. His .94 WHIP in that span ranks among the top of the wire.

Rogers is in the same form that led the Tigers to the World Series in 2006. According to utility man Brandon Inge, Rogers' success has hinged on his sinker. And right now, it is on. Inge put it this way, "The only reason he didn't have it together earlier was because he not only didn't have a good sinker, but he wasn't able to spot it. But now that he knows where it's going to end up, he can start it right where someone thinks it's a good pitch and get a groundball."

Rogers had 17 wins in 2006. He is only owned in 3% of ESPN leagues.

-Dexter Sports
11:24 PM
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A lot of news surrounding the Detroit Tigers today. Let's take a look.

• Derek Lowe in a Tiger Uniform? John Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press doesn't like the chances. Lowe, a Dearborn native, is against playing for some major market teams. With a no trade clause, where he plays is in his hands. Add on the fact that he will be owed more than three million for this half of the season, and it almost seems impossible. He would be a great addition to this weak staff though.

• Marcus Thames' tear continues. Pinch hitting in the seventh, Thames went deep for the 14th time this season. In dramatic fashion, his homer gave the Tigers the lead and a comeback win. Thames was our pick up of the week last Monday. I feel like bragging about that one.
  

• The Tigers Clubhouse was livid in San Fransisco when they faced the Giants in their last series. The San Fransisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman called infielder/outfielder Ryan Raburn a "Scrub." Here is what Shulman had to say after the Tigers defeated the Giants on Wednesday. Here is the direct quote:
  

"Adding to the wickedness was the fact that Sanchez was beaten not by one of Detroit's high-salaried thumpers, but a .219-hitting scrub named Ryan Raburn, who pinch-hit for Kenny Rogers in the eighth inning and broke a 1-1 tie with a homer three-fourths of the way up the leftfield bleachers -- Andres Galarraga territory."

Closer Todd Jones answered back in a recent article in the Detroit Free Press. I am just blown away by the fact that a highly regarded journalist would even think about using the word scrub to describe a player. Its not like Ryan Raburn forgot the Irish Spring. Grow Up Schulman. Right now, I'm thinking "scrub" is a good adjective to describe your writing.

• Edgar Renteria does not seem to be the answer long term for the Tigers. With the 2009 free agent most likely moving on to a different team, John Paul Morosi looks at possible shortstops of the future in Detroit.

-Dexter Sports
1:07 PM
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For Marcus Thames, it has always been easy to generate power. In a part time role so far this season, Thames is tied as the team leader in home runs in nearly 150 less at bats. Jim Leyland though, is finally realizing that his bat is needed in the lineup. Fantasy owners, If you need some instant power in your lineup to replace Alfonso Soriano or Albert Pujols, here is your answered prayer.

In the Tigers last series against the LA Dodgers, Thames went yard twice and capped off a week where he saw 5 long balls soar out of the ballpark. With the Tigers rolling, heading into national league play, Thames should get a lot of playing time and is eligible at either first base or the outfield.

It might only be a temporary fix for now, but It could turn out to be a winner. Thames has gone deep in three straight games and projects to be a 30-35 home run talent in a 162 game stretch. Thames is owned in 8% of ESPN leagues.

-Dexter Sports
1:56 PM
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The Panic has set in for Tigers fans across the nation. A team that was assembled to win now is in shambles. The Tigers sit ten games back of the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox and have lost four straight. With the division rival Cleveland Indians in town for a four game series, it is imperative that the Tigers start turning it up a notch. 12 games under .500 has been a shock, but the pitching staff and offense have not clicked at the same time. Justin Verlander is 2-9, but in all reality, if his offense was behind him, he would be at least 5-6. Sluggers Gary Sheffield, Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen have all struggled. Timely hitting has become an extinct species. As manager Jim Leylan put it, "Every pitcher cannot be Sandy Koufax to us." Though it is only early June, we have seen a good sample size to judge what this powerful offense will end up doing. It doesn't look good. But we have seen this before. Just last year, The Yankees were 8 games under .500 and 12.5 games out of first place to start June. This was a team that ended with 94 wins. Lets compare the two teams starts to the season.

2007 New York Yankees: 2008 Detroit Tigers:

Month Wins Losses RS Month Wins Losses RS

April 9 4 131 April 12 15 158

May 13 15 137 May 12 21 120

Though the numbers aren't identical, they tell the story. The Yankees had a hard time mustering offense. Their pitching couldn't win them ball games. Until a man named Joba Chamberlain emerged, the bullpen was blowing games left and right. One of the things that eventually propelled this team to the top was bringing in Roger Clemens. He only tallied six wins and had a 4.18 ERA, but he was able to eat 99 innings in a shortened season. The Tigers have failed to do that in the past years. Dave Dombrowski and company have gone to the minors to find a spark. In 2007, after a world series run the year before, Detroit released now Twins DH Craig Monroe and brought up top prospect Cameron Maybin to try and catch a spark in the offense. Though he had a homer off Clemens and the Yankees in his pro debut, his offense didn't pan out. The Tigers went home for October, and the Yankees went on to win the wild card.

The 08 Tigers have tried many things to get this offense going. He has moved prized off-season acquisition Miguel Cabrera to first and has placed Carlos Guillen at Third and in left. When Gary Sheffield was healthy, Leyland was even willing to stick him in the outfield to give the team some kind of energy. It hasn't worked. Now Detroit has brought in minor leaguers Brent Clevlen, Michael Hollimon, and Jeff Larish in hopes of a turn around. In reality, if the goal is to win now, why not go get someone out of the organization that has proved to be major league ready?

Especially with Jeremy Bonderman hitting the shelf for the rest of the season, it is time to make something happen. Go get someone like Matt Holliday, Rich Harden, Adam Dunn, or heck even Barry Bonds now that the court room is out of the picture for the rest of the season. Something needs to happen or this team will fail to make it back to the playoffs for two straight seasons. Dave Dombrowski took a chance when he tore apart the minor league organization. Now its time to fix the rip, or pay the price, which could happen if this team doesn't succeed in 2008.

-Dexter Sports
2:08 PM
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The Phillies and the Cubs are going for six straight today. How good was Arizona's start? They have lost five straight and eight of ten, but they still hold the NL West by 2.5 games. They will look to get it going against the Nats later on tonight. We have some great baseball in front of us, let's take a look at the best mound battles of Saturday.

Today's Match ups:

Justin Verlander (2-7 5.16) vs. Felix Hernandez (2-5 3.60): Verlander has finally turned around his season after an unrealistic start to the season. Verlander's fastball is back up to 98 MPH and in his last two starts he has dominated. The only issue is the Tiger run support behind him. Verlander has one of the lowest in the league at 3.44 runs per start. Verlander though is undefeated in his career against Seattle. Hernandez has been strong all year in spurts, but just hasn't been able to put together a whole game. Hernandez though is 2-2 with a 3.86 in his career against Detroit.

Javier Vazquez ( 5-3 3.52) vs. Scott Kazmir (4-1 1.50): The Rays have enjoyed every second that Scott Kazmir has been off the DL. Kazmir struck out ten in his 4th win against the Rangers. Kazmir has located his fastball very well in his last few starts and that has made his slider that much better. Vazquez has slowly put together a good campaign so far. He has given up three runs or less in 3 straight starts and is second in the AL in strikeouts. Vazquez will look to get his second straight victory against the Rays this season.

Shaun Marcum (5-3 2.64) vs. John Lackey (1-1 2.05): Marcum has had a very strong start to the season. In his last outing, he went 7+ and gave up only two runs on five hits. Marcum will be opposed by the nearly unhittable John Lackey. Lackey, fresh off the DL, got beat via the walk off in his last start. Look For Lackey to come back strong with another great outing.

Here are some of the better pitching probables this Saturday, Now let's go Around the Horn.

• Tigers Manager Jim Leyland is moving Miguel Cabrera to the sixth spot in today's game against the Mariners. Leyland was straight to the point, stating that he doesn't mind if it bothers people. With Gary Sheffield on the DL, Leyland is also considering playing Carlos Guillen in Left and making Brandon Inge the full-time third baseman.

• Joba Chamberlain will make his highly anticipated debut on Tuesday. The Yankees will go with a six man rotation for the time being. It seems that Kyle Farnsworth and Latroy Hawkins will fill in the set up role for now. Russ Ohlendorf could also get a shot at it. Tigers lefty Dontrelle Willis will make his first start since coming off the DL on tuesday as well. So is New York Mets starter Pedro Martinez.
  

• Slugger Travis Hafner is finally making his way to the DL. The Indians have known of his shoulder problems for quite some time, but they have been reluctant to give him a rest. Hafner could come back healthy, but in all likeliness, we can call this an off year for the slugger. Hafner was hitting .217 with 4 homers.

• Arizona's Eric Brynes has suffered tears in both of his hamstrings. Originally it was thought that they were just sore. The next step for the energy induced Brynes the 15 day DL. This could be an oppurtunity for Trot Nixon to make his way back to the majors.

• According to the Mercury News, San Fransisco relievers could be dealt sooner rather than later. Of all the relievers, it only seems that Brian Wilson is the untouchable. Vinnie Chulk, Tyler Walker and Jack Taschner could all be solid options for those with pitching needs. The Tigers, Rockies, Mariners and Indians might all be options.
  

-Dexter Sports
8:56 PM
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Kenny Lofton could again become one of the best pickups for a team near the trade deadline. This time, he will be looking to come back to a game that he has seen nearly a 1/3 of a season pass by. There is no doubt that Lofton could be used. At 40 years of age, (we will be nice Kenny, We know your birthday is tomorrow) Lofton still has speed, the intangibles and great clutch hitting that has many teams interested in his services. Let's look deeper.

Lofton's career was given life again last season, as the Indians, yet again called on his services to help their team in a playoff run. Lofton, then with Texas, wasn't struggling at the dish, but it seemed that the highest active stolen base leader and 4 time gold glover's career was about to end. Then the Indians gave him a chance to fill in for the injured David Dellucci. After seeing him perform in clutch at bats, teams with injuries or in need of a boost are looking to Lofton to help them get over the hump.

Lofton is a career .299 hitter with a .372 OBP. Everyone knows that he can run, field, hit and scrap in any way to get on base. Soon enough someone will give Lofton a chance. Here are a list of teams that should do it as soon as possible.

Detroit Tigers: Why not? The Tigers let go of Jacque Jones and have now platooned youngsters Matt Joyce and Clete Thomas alongside slugger Marcus Thames. I think that bringing in Lofton in left could be a spark that this team needs. Considering Curtis Granderson has a hard time getting on at the lead off spot, Lofton could be that one hitter that gets on base and creates havoc at the top of the order.

Colorado Rockies: Though Clint Hurdle feels that Wily Taveras is producing with speed and getting on base, in all reality it is quite the opposite. Taveras is hitting a lowly .245 and though he has 20 stolen bases, it wouldn't hurt to platoon Lofton to get on base a bit more.With Brad Hawpe on the DL, Lofton could fill in for now.

Houston Astros: Michael Bourn has been fun to watch and he is a stealing machine, but Bourn is clearly not taking the first step to the stolen base; getting to first. Bourn has a .276 OBP, which is nothing to brag about. Lofton could come in and get on base a bit more, and though he might not steal a base every time he is on, Lofton can still hold his own on the base paths. It will take Ed Wade admitting that Bourn wasn't as ready for the bigs as he thought in November. Just imagine the offensive production that we could see from Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman, and Miguel Tejada if they had someone on base in front of them.

Cleveland Indians: The organization made the decision after their playoff run not to bring back Lofton, but now they might be who they call on to help spark their offense. The sexy option is to go after Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, but this seems a bit more realistic. If David Dellucci continues to stink it up or Ben Fransisco slows down his hot start, The Indians could be calling real soon.

New York Mets: With Moises Alou unable to stay away from the DL, the Mets might be forced to bring in someone that can fill the void in left field. Though Ryan Church has been a pleasant surprise and Angel Pagan looked good in spring training, it is time for the Mets to do something. Everyone is talking about firing Willie Randolph. How about picking up for the slacking Jose Reyes and oft-injured Luis Castillo by signing Kenny Lofton.

-Dexter Sports
6:39 PM
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Who would have thought that Dusty Baker and Corey Patterson would ever depart on such a quick notice? I have to admit I am a bit surprised. More about that later but first lets take a look at the best pitching match ups tonight.

Wednesday's Best:

Derek Lowe vs. Carlos Zambrano: Carlos Zambrano has not lost his last 8 starts and is starting to turn into the Cy Young favorite. Derek Lowe has hit a low spot. He is winless in his last 6 starts and looks to turn it up for the struggling Dodgers. Look for Lowe to pitch well and hope that he gets enough run support.

Roy Halladay vs. Rich Harden: This could be a rubber match to remember. Harden has looked good after coming of the DL and Halladay already has 5 complete games for the Jays. The most interesting of this match up is the fact that neither has much success against the opponent. Halladay is 4-4 with a 5.35 against Oakland and Harden is 0-3 with 5.59 in 5 starts against the Jays. I'll take Halladay and the Jays offense in a battle of the slacking offenses.

Tim Wakefield vs. Erik Bedard: The Mariners, fresh off a win could of either got the best draw, or the worst possible in facing Wakefield. If on, Wakefield could send that horrid offense into a slump. If not, he could propel them to a winning streak. For the Sox, the strategy is simple. Swing on the first pitch. Bedard has a 38.12 ERA when the count is 0-0. That shows that Bedard is pressing a bit. Bedard is also horrible at holding runners in scoring position. He has a 10.66 ERA with RISP. Bedard gets even worse with two outs and RISP. 14 Earned runs have come from 2 outs and RISP.

Around the Horn:

• The Reds have demoted center fielder Corey Patterson to make room for infielder Andy Phillips. Phillips has 5 HRs and 22 RBIs in AAA Louisville. Now, I still do not believe this move is permanent. If it was, the Reds would have released the slumping outfielder. Patterson was in an 0-18 slump after being promoted. Patterson's demotion is overshadowed by the 3-3 debut of Jay Bruce. Don't be shocked when Patterson makes his way back to the parent club quickly.

• The Tigers added lefty Jeff Larish to the roster after placing Gary Sheffield on the DL. Larish has a lot of power from the left side. An Arizona State alum, Larish tied the record for homers in a season by a Sun Devil in his senior campaign. The Tigers Drafted Larish in the 5th round of the 2005 Draft. Larish has shown a lot of power in AAA Toledo. Larish could be the left handed spark the Detroit offense needs to make a run at a winning streak.
  
• Indians DH Travis Hafner could be headed to the DL.Hafner has been out for three straight games. I don't think the move would be bad. They have many options to fill the void offensively. I bet the Indians are wishing they didn't deal Ryan Ludwick right about now. The Indians are 8-13 on the road this season.

• Sammy Sosa might be the next to hang up his MLB cleats. Sosa could retire after playing in this year's World Baseball Classic. Sosa will be most noted for his 600 + homers in the steroid era. There might be some team that goes after him after the classic, but I extremely doubt it. Who is next on the list? Could it be Barry Bonds? Possibly, if his court proceedings continue.
  

-Dexter Sports
2:54 PM
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The Tigers are up 7-2 in the top of the sixth. Matt Joyce and Brandon Inge have both gone deep in this game as the offense has scored in 16 of the 21 innings of this series. Jeremy Bonderman has pitched out of two jams so far, and his slider has been just plain nasty. In the top of the 6th Bonderman has thrown 88 pitches and continues to cruise. The real question is has the tigers pitching improved and the bats come alive, or is it just the lowly Seattle pitching and struggling offense. Matt Joyce just makes a diving play to end another run by the Seattle offense. Going to the bottom of the sixth, It looks like the Tigers will cruise to their third straight victory. The Tigers will move to 20-27 with the victory.

-Dexter Sports
7:15 PM
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This just in about an hour ago, Jason Beck of MLB.com is reporting that Dontrelle Willis will return to the Detroit Tigers after a return session in the Bullpen. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, but makes sense simply because of the great pitching from Armando Gallaraga (3-1 3.06 ERA). Willis will look to fine tune a bit more from the bullpen and the coaching staff will pick his spots for him. Willis will replace injured lefty Clay Rapada. Willis might become a specialty lefty for his time in the pen, especially if the Tigers don't trust Bobby Seay in tight situations. Willis was not as sharp as management hoped in his last Rehab start in AAA Toledo. One issue is his walk to strike out ratio. He has walked 9 Batters in his 5 innings with Detroit this season.

-Dexter Sports
3:03 PM
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Nobody has to look at the standings in Major League baseball to know that the Detroit Tigers have dug a hole in last place. Who would know that Justin Verlander would have more losses than wins (2-7) and that the rest of this pitching staff would be this bad. For the Brewers, It has been much of the same story. The Brewers started off well, and for once this far in the season we see Ben Sheets pitching and not on the DL. Young ace Yovani Gallardo has landed on the DL and bullpen issues have kept them from being the powerhouse of the NL Central. These two teams are some of the biggest upsetting teams in the Major Leagues. Here are a list of "contenders" at the beginning of the season and how I believe they will end up this season.

Seattle Mariners: Many has this team slated in a battle with the LA Angels to win the AL West crown. The addition of Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva was supposed to propel this rotation to the top. Bedard has started most of the season on the DL and Silva, who gave up 7 runs last night to the Tigers has been on and off and plainly this offense just stinks. The Brad Wilkerson signing failed, Richie Sexson still doesn't know how to hit a baseball and the rest of the young infield has continued to struggle. Ichiro at the top still gives them a pretty good top of the order, but nobody is driving him in. The Mariners are 23rd in RBIs and cannot muster any offense. It seems that Adam Jones and Jose Guillen could have been better options. Add the horrid start by this bullpen and it doesn't look good for the Mariners

My Prediction: I Do not think this team has enough to put a rally together to get back in this thing. The offense is just horrible and the pitching is having a hard time staying in ball games as of late. Last Year, this teams good start is what propelled them into playoff contention. This team will finish near the bottom of the AL West.

San Diego Padres: This team was a game away from the playoffs last year and in the off season, we only saw this team get better. Though they lost Milton Bradley and Mike Cameron, they were able to bring in a couple pitchers that possibly had a lot of success in Randy Wolf and Mark Prior. We also saw the pads reach out and bring in Tad Iguchi to play second base, in what I believed was a good move. This pitching staff was going to carry the light offense. I bought into the idea that the Padres would compete in the NL West. Boy was I wrong. The Padres are a major league worse 17-30.

My Prediction: The Padres do not have what it takes to compete on the field and that has been apparent so far this season. I think sooner rather than later we will see a Padres fire sale that could see anyone go beyond Chris Young, Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez. This team is just a bit too old, lacks just too much talent and also needed a hot start to make a move in the NL West.

New York Yankees: The Yankees are one of the interesting teams in the league that has seen it all so far in 2008. They have seen a young rotation falter (Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes) yet the veterans they were hoping on have pitched well (Petitte and Mussina). The offense has been slowly pulling out of slumps but still is no where near the caliber they need to be. At 20-25 there could be a lot worse things to worry about. Yet again, who knows what this bullpen will do throughout the season, especially if Joba Chamberlain becomes a starter.

My Prediction: Last year, we saw this team in the same situation throughout the first half and many were more worried than they are now. Granted they had a great manager in Joe Torre, and the emergence of Roger Clemens helped a lot, this team still has the staff and players to get back in a playoff run. If this team adds a pitcher at the deadline they are in the hunt for the wild card. If not, Hank will have fits and the Yankees could rebuild with big cash and free agents available.

Colorado Rockies: Many thought that this team was not ready to compete everyday because of their young everyday players. Analysts stated that last years run to the World Series was just that, a run that just happened to carry them. Though I agree to some extent, I went into this season feeling this team would compete. The Rockies didn't make too many free agent moves but they still had a great lineup. Now with an 18-28 record, many believe the rebuilding is about to begin. Some of the losing has to be credited to the slow offensive start. Not bringing back Kaz Matsui might have stung just a bit. He was a major spark that is clearly missing off that roster. Either way things can only go better for the Rockies.

My Predictions: Initially my thoughts were that the Rockies would simply not be able to rebound and go on a run like they did late in 2007. This team just didn't seem to have that spark that it carried into every post season game. Thinking about it more, I just can't deny that this team will compete with the Dodgers to fight for a wild card spot in the NL. Veterans like Todd Helton and Garrett Atkins are a big part of that feeling. Soon enough Troy Tulowitzski will warm up and Matt Holliday is a tremendous talent. Plus, the pitching is young and will continue to improve as we go throughout the year and the bullpen will get stronger. This Rockies team should be in the hunt when it comes down to it, though it will be hard to catch up to that amazing Diamondbacks team.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers have been one of the most interesting teams of 2008. They have seen the offense slump while the pitching was very strong. Now, we are seeing the offense explode while the pitching struggles. It doesn't hurt that they have lost their best pitcher stuff wise and all of their youngsters continue to struggle. Carlos Villanueva has moved to the bullpen and Ned Yost is searching for the stop gap. Seth McClung will get the next chance. Eventually though, this bullpen will straighten out (not that it is bad now) and become shut down. I truly believe that. Soon enough Jeff Weaver will make his way to the Majors and maybe he can be the Weaver of St. Louis. Adding a pitcher or a speedy lead-off hitter wouldn't be bad, but I don't believe that it is necessary.

My Prediction: I still stick to my prediction that this team will find a way to make the playoffs. The Brewers have too good of a lineup and what I believe is the best potential bullpen in all of baseball. The Rotation, though shaky will hold together and we will see Mike Cameron, Corey Hart and Ryan Braun continue their tears and if JJ Hardy doesn't awake his bat soon, we could see a Khailil Greene or Chone Figgins make their way to Milwaukee. I just don't see this team sitting on their hands. Especially after the offensive display last night. This team finds a way to get in the playoffs. I also think we will see the cubs falter down the line (bullpen has no history of logging long innings beyond Bobby Howry). The Cubs just have too many injury prone players to hope they can stay healthy throughout 2008.

Detroit Tigers: The Tigers were supposed to field possibly the best lineup in baseball history this season, but for some reason the offense struggled out of the gates. Then we saw a surge in offense the propelled Detroit to 5th in the league in runs scored. It didn't matter though because the pitching staff was simply horrible. Ranked Last in ERA, this staff has improved, and last night we saw the offense explode. Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman have had good starts back to back and the bullpen is only going to get better with flamethrower Joel Zumaya and change up master Fernando Rodney coming back soon. Jim Leyland has exploded in the clubhouse and recently on the Detroit Radio Network, told Jim Price that he shoulders all the blame, but these players have to be responsible as well. It will be the one heck of a story if this team accepts the responsibility of play so far, and moves on to be the team they are supposed to be.

My Predictions: I left the Tigers for last because they are simply the hardest to gauge. They have been way up and they have been way down. The Offense seems to be awake, but who really knows. I really like the prospect bullpen near the middle of June, when this team will add two of the leagues best relievers to its squad. I still think this team will bust out of the gates and rip a 15 game win streak along the line. This team is just too good to not win the AL Central. They will pull out of this and give the White Sox a run for the money. Though I might be crazy, I still believe this team has what it takes to win it all

-Dexter Sports
11:16 AM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

With interleague match ups under way, we see the beautiful rivalries of cross town, two of the best surprise teams, St. Louis and Tampa gong at it and We also see the Tigers taking on the Diamondbacks in what should of been a battle of two first place teams. With that being said, lets look at what is going on around the league.

• With the Detroit Tigers slumps continuing, a lot of blame has come to the the offense for not performing. Though the offense has slacked, they are still 5th in runs scored and have put up a lot of offense. The pitching though, has not been effective. The Tigers are dead last in the league with a 5.02 ERA. It is so bad that the tigers are 0-22 in games where they don't put up four runs or more.

• Johnny Cueto looked great last night until the six inning. Through five Cueto had not given up a hit. In the sixth, cleveland tagged him for three homers. One home run came from pinch hitter Travis Hafner. Maybe it will be enough to get Hafner back on track. The Reds have won four in a row. Fransisco Cordero came in to close out game one against the Indians.

• Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star looks at the positives and negatives of signing Zack Grienke in a long term deal. He notes that it could be similar to the deal that was signed by Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir. I think it would be a smart move on the Royals part, simply because with a hometown discount, they won't get into a situation such as the Giants are in with Barry Zito.

• According to Tom Haudricourt, Ned Yost will continue to bat Rick Weeks in the lead off spot despite his struggles. Yost is happy with Weeks ability to get on base despite the lack of base hits. Anyways, who else would lead off for the Brewers? Its simply the only option that manager Ned Yost has.

• At this point, It is tough to say who got the better deal this winter when the Rangers acquired Joey Hamilton from the Reds for starting pitcher Edison Volquez. Volquez is fourth in strikeouts and has won six games for the Reds. Joey Hamilton though is the American League leader in homers and RBIs. Either way, it is finally good to see a deal that might work out for both teams.
  

-Dexter Sports
11:29 AM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

Last night's action was some of the best this season. We saw the Brewers blow another lead in the ninth, The Orioles continue their great play, and a circus high-fiving catch by Manny Ramirez had everyone loving mid May baseball. Throw on the fact that the Royals continued their domination of the Tigers this season (now 5-0) and Robinson Cano finally got his average above .200, fans all around can rejoice this Thursday. Especially if your Ryan Braun, who signed a 7 year extension worth a reported 45 million dollars. Welcome to the club Mr. Braun. Here is some news from around the league.

• John Fay, the Reds beat writer for the Cincinnati Inquirer notes on his blog today that Jay Bruce, undoubtedly is ready for the major leagues. Bruce is hitting .667 with 3 homers and 9 RBIs over the last five games. The only issue at hand is the amount of playing time that the Reds can give him. According to GM Walt Jocketty, there will be some point where they will just have to call him up and he continues to say that Bruce is not going unnoticed. Does this mean that a Griffey Deal is in the works? Not so fast, Jocketty also went on to say that there have been no trade discussions.

• Yankees manager Joe Girardi praises defensive pitching whiz Kenny Rogers in a recent article by the Detroit Free Press. Rogers become the all time pick off leader last weekend when Girardi's Yankees came to Detroit. Girardi says that Rogers is the best double play pitcher that he has ever seen.

• The Baltimore Sun is reporting that reliever James Hoey will be out for the rest of the season after getting surgery to repair some torn cartilage in his right shoulder. Hoey appeared in 23 games for the O's last season and was once considered the closer of the future. The Orioles are comparing the surgery as something similar to Troy Patton's season ending operation at the beginning of the season. The Baltimore Sun's Roch Kubatko also wrote a great piece on prized prospect Chris Tillman, who came to the Orioles in the Erik Bedard deal.

• Jim Edmonds is officially a Cub and will split center field duties with Reed Johnson. Edmonds comes to the cubs after being released from the San Diego Padres. The Cubs will pay Edmonds around 290,000 for his duties. The Cubs will option down young Felix Pie yet again to make room for Edmonds. The Cubs hope that Edmonds will be 100% when he joins the club today. Does this mean that Felix Pie is available for the right price? Possibly but Edmonds is not the long-term solution in Chicago.

• The Dodger outfield woes continue. Last night, with the absence of Shortstop Rafael Furcal, Joe Torre put Juan Pierre at the top of the order and placed Andruw Jones second. Matt Kemp got the start and yet again Andre Either was stuck with the shaft. Joe Torre has to go with Pierre, or he has no speed currently at the top of the lineup. This would not be an issue if the Dodgers didn't blow a lot of money where they didn't need to. Hopefully Either, who has had a far more productive season than Juan Pierre, will sneak some more playing time.

• Yankees GM Brian Cashman is sick of answering the question, "When is Joba going to begin his rehab to become a Starter?" According to the New York Times, Cashman will not articulate on the plan. It seems the Joba, who has been dominant in his setup role, would be better off staying put. The Times notes that his 98 MPH fastball will not be around if he starts and that it is a risk to take such a good piece away from this team, in hope that he will be as dominant as a starter. I completely agree here. Keep Joba in the pen if you want to stay in the hunt Hank. If you love Joba so much, why don't you go find some better starters available via trade instead of wasting your time on the Kei Igawa project.
  

- Dexter Sports
11:58 AM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

What a great day of baseball last night. We saw George Sherill challenging Big Papi and winning, the Rays moved into first place with a walk-off in the 11th and the Tigers continue to lose ball games. Lets take a look at some news from around the league last night:

• Jered Weaver made a very good start for the first time in a while last night against the White Sox. He went seven one hit innings with 6 strike outs. Too bad he couldn't get the win. This means that Weaver might be on track. After an atrocious outing last time out against Kansas City, where he gave up 8 runs in less than 4 innings, Weaver was able to mix his stuff very well. Weaver wasn't credited with the win, but Fransisco Rodriguez got his league leading 16th save. The Angels pulled it out 2-0. Manager Mike Scioscia stated that Weaver's stuff was the best he has seen in two years.

• The Tigers dropped another heart breaker to the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. Soon enough this offense has to break through right? Jon Paul Morosi, writer for the Detroit Free Press, comments on the situation in Detroit, and how even thought he economy is bad, the Tigers are still pulling great attendance numbers.

• The Mets are mixed up their roster quite a bit yesterday. First off the Mets designated pitchers Nelson Figueroa and Jorge Sosa. Replacing those two will be former brewers Matt Wise and Claudio Vargas. Vargas will join the rotation and start tonight against the Nationals. Look for Vargas to try and steal the last spot in the rotation and prove Milwaukee wrong tonight. The Mets also placed outfielder Angel Pagan on the 15 DL and called up Fernando Tatis.
  

• Yankees Vice President Hank Steinbrenner is at it again. In a recent report, Hank has called out the Yankee team saying that they have not been playing the way at the level are capable of. Steinbrenner notes that he thinks it will turn around and if it doesn't by this year than he will make it "by force" next year. The Yankees lost a close one to the Rays last night, when Gabe Gross singled up the middle to drive in the winning run. Heres a news flash Hank, your team isn't going to win with Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada on the DL. It also doesn't hurt that Latroy Hawkins, Andy Pettite were the only free agent acquisitions of last year. Some of the blame has to float your way. Too bad you couldn't seal the deal on Johan. 19th in team ERA in the league isn't going to win you a lot of ball games, even if your offense isn't struggling.

• Eric Gagne was back to closing Tuesday night after a one game absence from it. Gagne got the save against the Dodgers, in an outing where he looked pretty comfortable. Here is an audio piece of a post game interview with Gagne. He sounds pretty pumped. Audio courtesy of Sportsbubbler.com. Speaking of the Brewers, for those worried about the middle of the order, the last few games are a sign of things to come. Ryan Braun has busted out the whooping stick, with 4 dingers in the last three games, also tagging a blazing double last night. Braun is in the zone and it looks like Prince Fielder is about to heat up as well.

Todays Transactions:

• The Pirates placed catcher Ryan Doumit on the DL today. This will give Ronny Paulino a great opportunity to make a case to be traded to a team in need of a catcher. The Pirates called up Raul Chavez from AAA Indianapolis.
  

• The Reds placed Shortstop Jeff Keppinger on the DL as well today. To fill the roster spot the Reds called up Paul Janish from AAA Louisville. This could be a great opportunity to call up youngster Homer Bailey to make a spot start, considering the Reds could fill the short stop vacancy in different ways. This is the second shortstop to go down with a broken left knee. Alex Gonzalez started the season on the DL with a bum knee.
  

• Marlon Byrd will join the Rangers tonight after being reinstated from the DL. Byrd could be the lead off spark the Rangers have been looking for all season. The only question is who he will be replacing in the lineup. With Joey Hamilton in center and Brandon Boggs killing the ball, the only spot seems to be right field, where he would replace David Murphy.
  

-Dexter Sports
9:28 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

Josh Beckett looks to have returned to his old form, at least for one start as he is dominating Tigers hitters as we speak. His Changeup has been moving well at 88 mph tonight and his curve has fooled everyone, especially Curtis Granderson this evening. Justin Verlander had the stuff to compete but gave up 5 runs pretty quickly. Verlander's struggles continue and it looks like he will get the loss. Anyone who watched this game though would note that Beckett's stuff was his best of 2008.

-Dexter Sports
3:59 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox

We have some really good match ups in front of us tonight. Lets take a look at what is in front of us tonight in the six night games.

• Detroit vs. Boston 7:05 ET: Clearly the best pitching match up as Justin Verlander will take on Josh Beckett in a battle of what was thought to be Cy Young hopefuls at the beginning of the season, has not panned out that way. Verlander is 1-5 (hard to believe) with a 6.28 ERA so far, this year and his career numbers against Detroit don't get better. In 2 starts he is 1-1 with a 4.61 ERA. Detroit busted out of it's losing streak last night, and will continue to push for more victories. Josh Beckett takes the hill for the Red Sox. Beckett is 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA. Part of the Red Sox's success is due in major part to their pitching staff. They are tied for first in in wins, lead the league in shutouts, and have a solid team 4.10 ERA, despite giving up 150 walks so far this season. That is good enough for the second highest in the league.

• Tampa Bay vs. Toronto 7:07 ET: The Story of the game will be if the Jays offense can continue to improve after a slump to start the season. Edwin Jackson (2-3 4.98) will take on Jessie Litch (4-1 4.32). The Jays will be without shortstops David Eckstein and John Mcdonald. Marco Scutaro will make the start for the Jays. The Jays have won six of seven and the Rays have went 5-5 in the last ten games. Litch's only loss came against the Rays this season. The middle of the order will look to improve it's horrid 0-10 in Wednesday's game to give Edwin Jackson some support to get him back on track. I like Tampa's bats in this game.

• Milwaukee vs. Florida 7:10 ET: Though the pitching probable is nothing worth talking about (Villanevua vs Hendrickson) the mix up for the brewers lineup is. Joe Dillion will hit third in the lineup, as Prince Fielder will get a look from the bench. Milwaukee's bats have contiued to struggle. Gabe Kapler will also be inserted to give a spark of the bench. The Marlins have won 4 of their last 5 and has seen recent success from Dan Uggla, who started cold this season. Uggla is a career .324 hitter off Milwaukee with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs. Ned Yost is hoping his new lineup can show up the struggling starters.
  

• Washington vs. Houston 8:05 PM ET: The Nationals are one game away from getting swept by the hot Astros lineup that has seen Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee turn it up another notch and Youngster Micheal Bourn take better pitches and get more accustomed to major league pitching. The Astros will send Brandon Backe (2-3 4.42) to the mound to face John Lannan (2-3 3.74). I think this Houston Astros club is showing that at least their offense deserves to be talked about as contenders in the NL Central.
  

• Baltimore vs. Kansas City 8:05 PM ET: The Orioles look to get back to winning baseball after a tough season with Oakland. The Orioles send Daniel Cabrera (2-1 4.06) to the mound to oppose Luke Hochevar (2-1 4.86) in a game that could be high scoring. That is if the Orioles offense can get going. Five of the Orioles previous seven games they have only scored one or two runs. The Royals scored nine runs in their last game against the Angels. That is a season high. The Royals offensive effort has been team oriented, with David Dejesus Leading RBIs, Alex Gordon leading HRs and Billy Butler leading average. Look for the Orioles to return to the plate in this game against the young righty.

• Texas vs. Seattle 10:05 PM ET: The bottom of the NL west will take on each other tonight as the Mariners will send Felix Hernandez (2-2 3.04) to the mound to face Kevin Gabbard (1-0 2.18). Both team's pitching has been atrocious, especially the Rangers who rank near last in almost every pitching category. Texas though has won 5 of the last 7 in May and the pitching staff has been a big part of it. The Mariners will look to continue to warm up the bats. They have lost 7 of the last 8 and have posted .128 average in the last 23 innings. I think we will see a Mariner wake up call. I will predict a home run from Richie Sexson.