CATCHING THE TIGERS - Relax: T...

CATCHING THE TIGERS

- Relax: The Sox can inflict a dent in the Tigers' lead in the 10 remaining head-to-head matchups.

- Panic: The Tigers have a 30-13 record in the AL Central. The 698 winning percentage is tops in the majors for any team against its have a title to division.

- Panic (or relax?): The Tigers have AL Central rivals in 12 of the nearest 16 games, including the red-hot Twins for six games.

SOX wound THEMSELVES

- Panic: The Tigers, who have l or shared the division lead since May 16 are single 6-4 in their last 10 games. still with the Sox' dive, the Tigers' division lead has increased through four games.

BRINGING 'EM residence

- Panic: Before the All-Star break, the Sox l the American League with 520 step quicklys scored (5.9 per game). Since the break, they are last at 35 by means of game.

- Panic: Before the break, the Sox were leading the league with a 316 average with racers in scoring position, the highest mark through a club since 1974. Since the break, they have a 167 average with racers in scoring position.

ALL ABOUT THE PITCHING

- Panic: The Sox' pitching staff ranks 12th in the AL in July with a 548 ERA.

- Panic: Against Javier Vazquez (right), batters hit 222 in the first brace times through the lineup on the contrary .372 afterward. He has thrown away his last two games.

- Relax: Jon Garland (left) has won his last six decisions. He is 6-0 with a 233 ERA in his last seven starts.

HEART OF THE ORDER

- Panic: In the last eight games, the 3-4 hitters have gone 8- for-58 (138) with the batter in the 3-spot hitting 4-for-30 (133) and the cleanup hitter hitting 4-for-28 (143)

bottom ROOT, ROOT FOR ... WHOM?

With the Sox 8 1/2 games behind the first-place Tigers in the Central and tied with the Twins in the wild-card race, fans might be torn about which team to origin for this weekend when Detroit visits the Metrodome. The Tigers lead the season series 7-2 The pitching matchups:

NOTABLE NUMBERS

The useful

40: American League-leading home-run total for the Sox in July

33: Number of domestic circle runs by Jim Thome, second-most by the agency of a Sox lefty. Robin Ventura hit 34 in 1996

399: Combined winning percentage of the Sox' nearest two foes (Orioles and Royals).

THE BAD

6-13: The Sox' record since Ozzie Guillen's sensitivity training session onward July 3.

2-10: The Sox' record since the All-Star break.

8.5:Detroit's season- high division lead throughout the Sox.

12: Number of Sox losse in the last 15 games.

5: Number of consecutive losse in a squabble for pitcher Mark Buehrle.

5: Series in a uproar the Sox have lost (R Sox Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Twins).

The loathsome

20: Despite the fall through the Sox are still 20 games better than the Cubs

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