The Detroit Tigers don’t have much going for them this season other than some promising young pitching.

What they do have is a friendly groundskeeper at Comerica Park who has tailored the infield to help their sinker ball pitchers.

Not since the days of Candlestick Park in the early 60’s, when the Giants watered the basepaths to stop speedster Maury Wills, have I seen an infield that has been designed to stop the opposition offense like they are trying to do in Detroit.

First, the ground around home plate is so soft that any ground ball which strikes the area six feet or less in front of home plate immediately is slowed by the loose soft dirt.

Then the fun begins. The grass in the infield is so high that any grounder turns into an adventure for the fielder attempting to make the play. By the time the fielder is in position to stop the ground ball, the ball has virtually come to a halt in front of his outstretched glove. Each play is now made on the run in bang bang fashion on the throw to first.

The A’s worked two walks from Mike Maroth in the fateful seventh, then with two out Miguel Tejada scorched a Steve Sparks knuckleball over the head of Detroit’s stunned left fielder clearing the bases and giving the A’s a 3-1 lead they never relinquished.

Until that point both teams consistently pounded the ball onto the infield dirt leading to a 1-1 score heading into the seventh frame.

Wednesday night Tim Hudson, a sinker baller with a ground ball to fly ball out ratio thisd season of 109:45 goes for Oakland. This park is tailor made for Hudson who will be digging worms with his diving sinker all night.

The Tigers throw Gary Knotts, a finesse ground ball pitcher, his ratio is 50:34 ground ball outs to fly ball outs, so much of the same may be expected.

More to say click below!The Giants have fallen into the same abyss that dragged them through the early summer in 2002. Lack of smart timely hitting. Double plays have become routine, trying to muscle up in every at bat, poor situational hitting with less than two outs, and much more.

Combine that with a pitching staff that is showing signs of inexperience and weariness in May, it leads to a slow down on the way to duplicating their fantastic April record.

The Giants now officially miss Jeff Kent in their batting order, it is becoming very obvious that they lack that one big stick behind or in front of Barry Bonds. Kent is an MVP candidate with Houston as he gives the Astros line up credibility just as he did with the Giants.

SF looks to Jesse Foppert Wednesday night in an attempt to salvage one game of the series from the Expos.

The Mets blew a 7-1 lead in Coors Field as the bull pen couldn’t get any key outs during a furious Rockies rally in the seventh and eighth innings.

Mike Piazza applied the final gaff when he absolutely butchered his feeble attempt to stop a wild pitch with the leading run on third base and two out in the eighth inning.

Tom Glavine’s fine pitching once again in Coors Field goes by the boards.

The Yankees are struggling. Tuesday it was John Lackey who kept them off the board long enough until Scott Spiezio could put NY away with his bat.

Now David Wells, absolutely lights out throughout his career in Yankee Stadium, goes against the enigmatic Kevin Appier.

Seattle looks to Freddy Garcia for a good game in Cleveland. Why not? Well, Freddy is one of those pitchers that seems to have one bad inning then everything falls apart. Cleveland doesn’t score very much so they better not waste any chances.

Even though the A’s aren’t pounding the ball, they make every at bat count and drive the pitch count up from their very first at bat of the game. When was the last time Mark Ellis had less than a five pitch at bat to start a game. It all adds up to making the offense go and it is so noticeable that other teams just don’t approach their at bats the same way.

Frank Menechino keyed the winning rally working a base on balls from Maroth which unnerved the lefty so much that he walked Ellis next, setting up Tejada’s heroics.

As good as Vladimir Guerrero is and believe me he is good, he has no idea what to do when he goes to bat. His natural talent takes over, but he is swinging at anything he can reach whether or not it is in the strike zone. The A’s just don’t do that and they make lesser pitchers pay with their patience at the plate.

As I said earlier, John Smoltz is the icing on the cake for the Braves. Once Atlanta gets into the 9th with a lead, it is all over ala Eck.

The Braves are getting better each day and now look very scary in the NL East.

Anyone watching the Reds lately? When Ken Griffey Jr comes back let’s see if they stay in the race, I guess it must be their offense and their bull pen, because their starters are unremarkable.

Rick Reed has been a disappointment for Minnesota, he tries to do something against the Royals and Runelvys Hernandez in the rubber game of an enjoyable three game series in the Metrodome.

If the Tigers grow the infield grass any higher the shortstop might as well play on the edge of the pitchers mound to have a chance at throwing fast runners out.

Take a look if you have a chance, it’s good baseball gamesmanship.

Plus it’s the only hope Detroit has to keep the game close.