Sunday's notes

Is it just me, or did Sunday’s loss have the feel of an NBA game? Teams falls behind big early, makes a run in the middle of the game, gets close enough to have a chance at the lead, then runs out of gas.

There were rumblings after the game about home-plate umpire Tim Timmons’ strike zone, but to me the question is moot. Just like how the great players in all sports get the benefit on some calls, young pitchers with a reputation for falling behind hitters can’t be expected to get the calls on close pitches, more often than not. Falling behind in counts has been an off-and-on bugaboo for Miner for a while, but the Tigers hoped that his "physical" pitching last time out against the Twins had taken care of it. The woes resurfaced this time, and unlike other outings, he didn’t have his changeup to throw when he had to throw a strike. The Tigers will go to a six-man rotation when Mike Maroth is ready, but after that, it’s not hard to see Miner as vulnerable when Jim Leyland goes back to five.

Other items of interest from Sunday …

• Leyland and Nate Robertson both called Carlos Guillen’s play in the first inning one of the best they’ve ever seen from a shortstop. For what it’s worth, Guillen said that he has practiced that throw once or twice during infield work before games. Funny how it comes a day after the message boards were calling on the Tigers to make him a DH because he supposedly couldn’t field his position anymore. Look, I like Omar Infante, but I don’t think he makes that play.
• Ivan Rodriguez said his eighth-inning ejection had less to do with frustration over the series and more to do with what he thought was an inconsistent strike zone from Timmons. "He was missing a few pitches with us, and he was giving a few pitches to the other guys," he said. "I never argue balls and strikes. I have a relationship with the umpires. But that was completely a ball outside."
• Leyland used most of his bullpen Sunday, which was interesting with a three-game series at Fenway coming up. Granted, Todd Jones was the only reliever to have a lengthy outing, but it still could be intriguing if the Red Sox knock out Nate Robertson early Monday and Jeremy Bonderman is counted on to go deep Tuesday.
• Suffice it to say, if someone was going to try to steal on Pudge this weekend, my only guess would’ve been Podsednik, not Brian Anderson. I still remember Rodriguez throwing out Podsednik trying to steal third late last year, giving a little fist-pump after the out.
• I noticed someone on the blog mentioning that while the Tigers head to Boston this coming week, the White Sox have four at home with the Royals. Before anyone whittles the Tigers lead down to 4 1/2 just yet, keep in mind that KC is 4-8 against the Sox this year and swept a three-game set from Boston last week before a debacle of a weekend in Cleveland. I’m not suggesting the Royals are going to shock Chicago, but I would be surprised with a four-game sweep.