Tigers In Hunt For Home-Field Advantage In First Round

Walking both sides of the fence at the same time isn't easy, but Jim Leyland is trying.

It helps when the fence gets shorter, as it is becoming with the season winding down to its last three regular-season games.

What the Tigers' manager is trying to do is win enough games to eke out home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

He is simultaneously auditioning pitchers for his bullpen and getting his bench and platoon players into solid game shape for their postseason roles.

This means on occasion he is using players in roles that they would not normally occupy before the division title was clinched. Detroit waded through those tasks in a 10-6 win over Baltimore, using five relievers and 12 position players (including two DHs).

"I want the home-field advantage," he said. "Our fans deserve it. So does Mr. Ilitch (club owner Mike).

"If we don't get home-field advantage, it won't be the end of the world. We didn't have it in 2006 and we had to go to New York (to start the playoffs). We did all right that year."

He feels his team has done a nice job not letting distractions intrude upon the job of winning games.

"We've been able to roll with the punches," he said. "We're just going about our business. When the playoffs start, hopefully we'll be fine."

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