Sports: Tigers Rained Out; Play at Yankee Stadium

(Source: Michigan Radio Network, Associated Press)

Tigers

The Tigers and Reds series finale game was postponed due to rain on Thursday night. No makeup date has been announced.   Designated hitter Victor Martinez finished his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo and will be back with the Tigers tonight as the team begins a three-game series with the Yankees. In four games with the Mud Hens, the DH went 5-for-17 at the plate with a double and three RBI.  The Tigers can use Martinez bat.  One problem with the Tigers’ offense has been third baseman Nick Castellanos, who is hitting just .221.  Justin Verlander is expected to make his second start of the season tonight in New York. Hear it at 6:40 p.m. on WBCK.

Avila Injury

Tigers’ catcher Alex Avila will catch bullpen sessions during the rest of Detroit's road trip. Avila has been sidelined for the last month with soreness in his left knee.

Bombers

The Bombers beat La Crosse 5-4.  The Bombers play in Wisconsin Rapids tonight and Saturday.

Lions

The Lions have wrapped up their 3-day mini-camp.   On Thursday, Detroit waived cornerback Bill Bentley. Bentley was a third round pick in the 2012 NFL draft and shoulder and knee injuries have limited his playing time with the Lions.   Lions’ defensive end Jason Jones is expected to be ready for training camp in August after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery this week.

Coyotes

The Battle Creek Coyotes football is 2-1 in League play and 3-2 overall. They will be on the road again this Saturday taking on the Grand Rapids Thunder at 6:30 p.m.

CMU Coach Diagnosed with Cancer

New CMU football coach John Bonamego has been diagnosed with cancer. The 51-year old native of Paw Paw informed the football program in a team meeting Thursday morning.  CMU football coach John Bonamego says he is going to fight this cancer, and there's no doubt he'll be ready to coach the team in the fall.  Bonamego discovered a painful lump in his throat in late May while attending his son's graduation in Florida.  Bonamego says it’s highly treatable and will begin radiation treatments in a week or so.

City Baseball

The BC Merchants play HBC Behnke on Friday in a double header at C.O. Brown starting at 6 p.m.

US Open

Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson share the lead after the first day of the U.S. Open. Both shot a five-under 65 in their first rounds at Chambers Bay Golf Course.  Three-time champion Tiger Woods carded a 10-over-par 80, which is his second worst round ever in a major.

Blackhawks Celebrate Cup

The Chicago Blackhawks celebrated their third Stanley Cup title in the last six seasons on Thursday with a brief parade through the streets of Chicago, culminating in a rally at Soldier Field.   Three days after the Original Six franchise won the NHL championship with a 2-0 home victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6, fans lined the streets of downtown to fete their hockey heroes once more.

Tiger Tracker….brought to you by Michigan Tile and Carpet and by Moonraker West.

The Tigers have played 66 games---40 percent of the season, and they’re just two games over .500.   After a great start, they find themselves a whopping 5 ½ games behind first place Kansas City, in third place in the Central division.

There are certainly bright spots for the Tigers:  Gose, Davis and Kinsler are doing the job at the top of the order, and the middle men, Cabrera and Cespedes have been great.  J.D. Martinez is starting to come around, and shortstop Jose Iglesias is hitting .333.   But Nick Castellanos is struggling at .221, and catcher James McCann has cooled off after a good start filling in for the injured Alex Avila.

The starters, Price, Sanchez and Simon have been good, but the Tigers will really be counting on Justin Verlander to come back to solidify things there.   But ask any Tiger fan, this year, last year, or the year before that, and they’ll tell you it’s the bullpen that has them concerned about any chance to repeat as division champs.