Taking Advantage of a Miggy-Less Lineup – Lineups and Game Preview 7/23

Hector Santiago will do whatever you ask of him. His ERA in 23 games, of which about half were starts, is a spiffy 3.30. He misses bats and though he has been using his screwball a little less this season, his ability to strike batters out hasn’t suffered. He’s even reigned in his trademark control issues a bit. In his last 3 starts he’s given up just 5 total runs, walked the same amount, and struck out 21. Not bad for just a shade under 20 innings of work. Of course, the White Sox ended up losing all 3 of those games, but Hector did what was asked of him.

If you know what kind of an outing Rick Porcello is going to have, you’re a step ahead of everybody else in the world and Jim Leyland would probably like to have a chat with you. He’ll step out and deliver 7 innings of 5 hit, no run ball like he did on July 5th against the Indians, or he’ll fail to escape the 5th and allow 7 runs as he did a couple of starts prior against the Angels. There is better, there is worse, and there is a whole lot in between. It could have something to do with being a ground ball pitcher with an infield not known for its range. Being at the whim of BABIP can be tricky.

Today’s Lineup:

1.De Aza – CF
2.Alexei – SS
3.Rios – RF
4.Dunn – 1B
5.Konerko – DH
6.Keppinger – 2B
7.Gillaspie – 3B
8.Viciedo – LF
9.Phegley – C

A repeated lineup! Robin Ventura’s hand is currently more stable than the White Sox ability to perform.

Detroit Tigers Lineup:

1.Austin Jackson – CF
2.Torii Hunter – RF
3.Matt Tuiasosopo – LF
4.Prince Fielder – 1B
5.Victor Martinez – DH
6.Jhonny Peralta – SS
7.Alex Avila – C
8.Don Kelly – 3B
9.Hernan Perez – 2B

Miguel Cabrera’s sore hip flexor will force him out of the lineup for tonight. One less brutal task for Hector, though Don Kelly is putting together the best season of his career.

Where to Watch
Today’s game will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Net and Fox Sports Detroit. 7:10 Central start time.