The Tigers are leading the Twins as the game enters the seventh inning stretch.

Can Detroit break its losing streak with a much-needed win, or will there be much gnashing of teeth for the next 20 hours?

Stay close to your gamethread, BYBers!

Jarrod Washburn is not looking much different than he has in most starts, and a three-run homer in the second inning separates the teams. LAA 3, Tigers 1.

Keep chatting. We'll leave the lights on for you!

Tigers over the Angels 10-4 at the seventh inning stretch!

Tigers lead 9-4 in the 8th!

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Even Miguel Cabrera, left, wants to join the Cult of Clete.

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The Cult of Clete can rejoice!  Not only did the Tigers announce earlier today that outfielder Clete Thomas was called up from Triple-A Toledo -- having made his way back to the majors after Tommy John surgery -- but the Bless You Boys fan favorite batted third and very nearly hit for the cycle. The Tigers and Jim Leyland both shook things up. Detroit made a couple roster moves, calling up Thomas and infielder Jeff Larish from Toledo, while sending lefty reliever Clay Rapada back to Toledo and placing Carlos Guillen on the disabled list with a sore shoulder.  Thomas was said to be surprised when he looked at the lineup card and saw his name next to the third slot, but Leyland said he was trying to mix things up a bit in an attempt to spark what has become a low-scoring team recently.

It obviously worked, not the least because of Thomas. In his first three at-bats, he hit a double, a triple and a single to set up the attempt at the cycle. He grounded out and walked in his final two at-bats of the game to fall short, but helped the Tigers jump out to a 6-0 lead after two innings and 9-0 lead after four.

Almost lost is the stellar showing by Tigers rookie Rick Porcello. He pitched what you expect to be a typical Porcello outing when he settles into his career. The sinkerballer forced 14 ground balls -- resulting in three double plays -- and struck out three for his first win in front of the Comerica Park fans. He bounced back beautifully from a pair of downright ugly games.He dropped his ERA to 4.71 from 6.23.

With the win, the Tigers avoided the two-game sweep, and leave for an eight-game road trip that begins in Chicago, then continues in Cleveland and Minnesota.

Roar 

There are so many details in today's game, as you'd expect. Two more to note: Miguel Cabrera hit a 440-foot "moon shot" to left field for two runs. He came a triple away from the cycle. Unlike Thomas, he never came to bat in the eighth inning, because Leyland chose to pinch hit Larish. ... Curtis Granderson, debuting in the fifth batting slot, hit a home run as well, his ninth. Grandy is now tied for second in the AL in home runs, two behind former Tiger Carlos Pena with 11. ... This is the Tigers' third shutout of the season and second by a 9-0 score.

Whimper

I can't find any whimper for the Tigers, so I'll whimper for the Twins tonight. They played defense uncharacteristic of a team with such good fundamental. They were charged with three errors and made multiple miscues on balls that fell in for hits as well. It was refreshing to see a team do what the Tigers have typically done this year: looked ugly in the field and gave up the crooked inning to get knocked out of the game. Two errors in the second helped Detroit score five in the frame.

Turning point

Tigers catcher Gerald Laird walked with two outs in the second inning to start it all. The Tigers scored five runs. Ramon Santiago's double, Josh Anderson's single, Thomas' triple and Cabrera's single all knocked in runs.

Comment of the night

The culties were all happy with Clete's play today.  wepri31 said it first:

The cult rejoices!

Ian will be back Wednesday! Now..

LET'S GO WINGS!

Kurt of Mack Avenue Tigers served as your guest blogger while Ian was in Seattle.

VS.

Tigers rookie Rick Porcello will take the rubber tonight looking for his first win since April 19 (and the second of his career.) He's allowed 10 earned runs, five walks and three home runs over the past two games, so he'll need to turn all of those storylines around if he wants to keep the Tigers from being "swept" in this two-game series with the Twins.

Toeing the rubber for the Twins will be Nick Blackburn, who doesn't miss a lot of bats but doesn't miss the strikezone much, either. How's he win? Keeps the ball in the park, for one, having allowed just one home run in about 31 innings of work.

Finally, Ian will be returning to the Great Lakes State tonight, and will be back blogging here Wednesday. I've enjoyed my time guest-blogging. Hope you've all enjoyed it, too!

Kurt of Mack Avenue Tigers is guest-blogging while Ian is in Seattle.

As I mentioned earlier, the Tigers made some shuffling in their 25-man roster today to address some key problems -- notable outfield defense being horrible, and Carlos Guillen being sore. So the moves today:

• Carlos Guillen to the 15-day DL
• Clay Rapada optioned back to Triple-A Toledo
• Left-handed infielder Jeff Larish recalled from Toledo
• Left-handed outfielder Clete Thomas called up from Toledo.

The lineup has been shaken up as well. I think this was a good idea by Leyland. Although we know your leadoff batter being able to hit home runs is no problem -- and we saw Curtis Granderson's Cleveland counterpart, Grady Sizemore, is leadoff as well. We know Tigers superslugger Miguel Cabrera wasn't getting enough protection as the cleanup batter, as he could be pitched around to, to get to the injured Guillen, who very well might hit into a double play.

Leyland told reporters:

“We’re trying to shake it up, trying to get something going," Leyland said. "I, obviously, tried to get a little speed up top. One thing I know, there is some energy (at the top). They might run into some outs, but it will be because they’re running.”

Tonight's lineup looks something like this, though I imagine the day-to-day lineup would involve Adam Everett playing at shortstop, rather than Ramon Santiago. What I like about this is the improved defense in the corner outfield spots. Thomas has always been a solid outfielder. What I don't like isThomas batting third, as he has never been real exciting with the bat. I assume Leyland did this to keep the pitcher looking at different sides of the plate, as he's mentioned that as a desire in the past.

1. Anderson lf  (LH)
   
2. Polanco 2b (RH)
   
3. Thomas rf (LH)
4. Cabrera 1b (RH)
5. Granderson cf (LH)
6. Ordonez dh (RH)
7. Inge 3b (RH)
8. Laird c (RH)
9. Santiago ss (S)

More reading:

• Oakland Press beat writer Jim Hawkins' blog (This has the most information and quotes)
  
• Beck's blog
• John Lowe at the Freep
• Billfer at Detroit Tigers Weblog

So does this stink of desperation to you? Does it make sense? Do you have a better idea? Let's here it.