Sunday extra

If you want a sign of just how many close games the Tigers have been through already this season, look at the wins and losses: While Fernando Rodney is tied for the Major League lead with four defeats, Wilfredo Ledezma would’ve moved back into a tie for the big-league lead in victories had the Tigers rallied one inning earlier. And Ledezma was a lot sharper on Sunday then he was when he earned his last victory against the Royals on Wednesday.

What stood out today about his performance, to me, was his breaking ball. He has enough confidence in it now that he threw it in a 1-2 count against Pablo Ozuna with the potential go-ahead run on second in the 11th inning, and Ozuna swung and missed.

Todd Jones believes playoff experience is the big difference, but he also said that the breaking call is critical for Ledezma, not just against lefty hitters but against everybody. It’s another way for him to keep hitters off of his fastball. There were actually some situations where it seemed like Ledezma was throwing his fastball to set up a breaking ball.

Another big pitch for the Tigers on Sunday was Justin Verlander’s changeup. His fastball will get some well-deserved attention because it was in the upper 90s, but Mike Rabelo said he thought the offspeed pitch made a major difference for him. Now, Rabelo wasn’t around for most of Verlander’s struggles against the White Sox last year, including the game where it seemed like he was tipping his pitches, but he was going off of what he saw Sunday.

"We went to that changeup more than we probably would’ve [on a normal day]," Rabelo said.

If Verlander can throw it that well in future starts, Rabelo said, that makes three pitches he can throw with above-average quality. That could be a really nasty combination.

Other items of interest Sunday:

• Leyland used Pudge to pinch-hit for Rabelo in the ninth inning, but he didn’t do it when Rabelo came up with runners at the corners and two outs in the seventh. Asked about it afterwards, Leyland said it was an early situation for him to use somebody he wanted to give the day off. "We all do it, and I don’t know whether it’s to cover our [tails] or what," Leyland said. "But to be honest with you, I found out over the years, most of the time, your regulars aren’t worth [anything] pinch-hitting on day games after night games when they think they’ve got a day off," Leyland said. "They’re just not into it. It’s not their fault. It’s just the way it is."
• Rabelo knows he’s not in there for his offense, but he’s becoming anxious for his first Major League hit. He thinks that first hit will help him relax at the plate. He knows it’s going to happen, but he doesn’t know when. "I don’t care where it’s at," he said, "just as long as it’s at a big-league park."
• Leyland was not going to use Gary Sheffield as a pinch-hitter Sunday. To put him at the plate with the game on the line, the way he’s swinging lately, would’ve put even more pressure on him than he feels now.
• For all those who have said the national media has an East Coast bias, I’m pretty sure MLB.com had more writers at Tigers-White Sox today than at Yankees-Red Sox.
• I’m off again for the next couple days (easy living, I know), but the travel schedule would’ve meant a whole lot of flying otherwise. I’ll be back on duty Wednesday at Chicago.