Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 8-9-11

--DH Victor Martinez is expected to return to action Tuesday night in Cleveland after sitting out Detroit's game Sunday in Kansas City due to a left knee injury. "I think so, but I can't swear to it," manager Jim Leyland said. "The only thing that ever takes care of injuries is time, and I don't think it will take much time." Martinez is hitting .342 in his last 63 games, including .556 with runners in scoring position since July 17.

"I got a good feeling about it when I saw him walking to the bus (Sunday) morning," Leyland said. "It was pretty much normal. The biggest test was the first step to get on the bus, and that was pretty normal, too. I expected more stiffness than I saw as he came out of the hotel."

--RHP Jose Valverde can set a new Detroit record if he converts his next save opportunity, which would be his 33rd in a row. Valverde is currently tied with LHP Willie Hernandez, who didn't blow any of his 32 save chances while winning the MVP and Cy Young Award for the 1984 Tigers. Manager Jim Leyland was asked if there were any similarities between the two. "Good under pressure," Leyland said. "One was left, the other is right, so that's a difference, but there is a similarity in getting the job done, that's for sure -- I hope that continues."

--OF Andy Dirks has performed well for Detroit, and manager Jim Leyland likes his all-around game. Leyland has spot-played him and used him as a pinch runner. "He leans toward the aggressive side, which I like," Leyland said. "I think in his career he is going to get picked off at first a couple of times, but that's OK. If you're stealing and get picked off, that's sometimes acceptable. If you're not stealing and get picked off, that's not acceptable. He gets a little hyper at times, but he's pretty instinctive. He's helped us win a couple of games."

--LF Brennan Boesch will continue to bat in the second spot in Detroit's lineup, probably for the remainder of the season. Boesch began the season as a support hitter to 1B Miguel Cabrera and DH Victor Martinez in the sixth, sometimes seventh spot in the order. Manager Jim Leyland had a chance to move Boesch down to third Sunday but kept him second, where he has hit since 2B Carlos Guillen returned to the roster after the All-Star break.

"Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone," Leyland said. "He'll be playing long after I'm gone, so I don't know what'll happen eventually. But at the same time, I think if it's not broke, don't fix it. Right now, he seems to feel comfortable in that spot, and he has had a track record of doing pretty good against lefties. So why mess with it? Let the kid settle in there."

--RHP Max Scherzer continues to progress as a pitcher, but manager Jim Leyland says the right-hander still has a couple of things he needs to do. "You've either got to be able to get ahead more often with your fastball, so it gives you the option to go different ways if you need to or want to, or you have to get to the point where you can throw something besides a fastball for a strike when you get behind," Leyland said. Scherzer allowed three runs in one inning and a solo home run later in absorbing a 4-3 loss Sunday in Kansas City.

"It was just one of those outings that kind of got away from me," he said. "I fell behind in a few counts where they made me pay for it. There were a couple fastballs I left in the middle of the plate that they were able to get extra-base hits on."

BY THE NUMBERS
9 -- Place on Detroit's all-time strikeout list held by RHP Justin Verlander after fanning eight in earning his 16th victory of the season. Verlander has struck out 1,151 batters in his six full seasons (plus two 2005 starts) in the majors. He'll need 49 more to replace RHP Dizzy Trout for eighth place on the list.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Who knows if I'm going to be able to face him again. Is he going to have a job next year?" -- Angels RHP Jered Weaver's cold response when asked why he didn't just wait until next season to get back at Detroit 2B Carlos Guillen, who hot-dogged a home run off Weaver on July 31, prompting the pitcher to throw a pitch above the head of the next batter, C Alex Avila, and get ejected from the game. Weaver was suspended for six games for his action.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.