NewsRobertson to start in hostile territory
Detroit (82-71) at Chicago (74-80), 7:05 p.m. ET
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
09/26/09 1:22 AM ET
CHICAGO -- When Nate Robertson was asked earlier this season about the toughest places to pitch on the road, he didn't hesitate to mention U.S. Cellular Field. "I hate giving them credit, but they're just a rough crowd," Robertson said. "There's things that are said that shouldn't be said sometimes. I guess that goes for every place." With the White Sox out of contention, the crowd might not be as big, but they're not exactly soft, either. Yet given the circumstances, Robertson wouldn't miss a start like this for the world. Detroit's loss Friday night combined with a Minnesota win whittled the Tigers' lead in the American League Central to just two games, the same margin at which it stood before Robertson's last start Sunday at the Metrodome. He beat the Twins to halt their momentum and restore a buffer zone in the standings. This marks the first time since then that the lead crept back to two. Robertson now has to try to repeat his performance. He hasn't exactly thrived at U.S. Cellular Field in his career, but he's thriving lately. If he can have the same bite on his slider that he produced on Twins hitters, then the White Sox could be in for a tough night. If not, Robertson's battle won't be with just the ballpark. The veteran left-hander stands by his belief that it's a tough place to play, though it's about more than the crowd. The home run totals, the lineup and the atmosphere all make for an unfriendly combination for pitchers who get the ball in the air. "It's not a park laid out for pitching, that's for sure," Robertson said. "Their lineup, since I've been here, it seems like they've always had a big-bopper type of lineup, especially in the middle of the order. The only time that they didn't seem like they had that much of a focus on that was in '05, when they won it all. "And the fans, they're a little rough. There's a major contrast between the fans at Wrigley and the fans on the South Side. But it probably seems that way because we play there so many times, since it's within the division. I think we've had our share of misfortune there. They play well there." Another loss here would be potentially more misfortune, depending on how the Twins fare in Kansas City. It would also be their 11th loss in 16 games on Chicago's South Side since the start of last year. Pitching matchupDET: LHP Nate Robertson (2-2, 5.13 ERA)
The odd man out of the Tigers' rotation at the end of Spring Training is a starter again just in time to provide Detroit with a left-handed boost. While his five innings with two runs allowed Sunday at Minnesota don't sound like a major accomplishment, the outing met the challenge of holding down the Twins offense long enough for the Tigers to pull ahead and salvage a game in a key series. His slider is back to resembling its old bite, and his control has rounded back into shape. CWS: RHP Freddy Garcia (2-3, 4.01 ERA)
Make it six straight quality starts for Garcia, who held the Royals to two runs on five hits over eight innings on Sunday. Garcia also struck out three and walked one, needing just 94 pitches. Unfortunately for Garcia, the offense could not support him during a 2-1 setback, his seventh straight loss to Kansas City. Garcia, who pitched for the Tigers last year but whom Detroit did not want to bring back, has a 15-5 career record against Detroit with a 3.63 ERA. Tidbits
Look for Gerald Laird to get back behind the plate for Robertson. He had Friday off while Alex Avila worked with Eddie Bonine, his teammate at Triple-A Toledo this summer. ... Placido Polanco is batting .500 (13-for-26) in his past six games. ... Aubrey Huff is 9-for-21 (.429) off Garcia for his career with three doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. ... Jermaine Dye is 14-for-42 (.333) off Robertson with six doubles, five home runs and nine RBIs. Tickets
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• Sunday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 13-7, 3.25) at White Sox (Daniel Hudson, 0-1, 3.38), 2:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Tigers (Rick Porcello, 14-9, 4.14) vs. Twins (Nick Blackburn, 11-11, 4.18), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 17-9, 3.41) vs. Twins (Brian Duensing, 5-1, 3.33), 7:05 p.m. ET
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
