Sheffield is really back!

After nearly six hours of baseball including a rain delay of more than two hours, Gary Sheffield drilled a single to right center field and the Tigers walked off with an 8-7 victory. The bottom of the ninth inning started with a double by Clete Thomas off the left field wall. One out later, Sheffield had his fourth hit of the game and his fourth line drive of the game. He seems to be swinging the bat better than he has at any point since injuring his shoulder last summer. Last night , he hit a homer. Yesterday, I wrote that "Sheffield is back" in the line-up. Today, I can say that he seems to be really back.

It's late but here are some other notes about the game:

• The game was tied 5-5 in the fifth before the long rain delay. Todd Jones entertained the crowd during the delay by putting on an Magglio Ordonez wig and reenacting the home run in the 2006 playoffs. He also apparently passed out sunflower seeds and other things to the crowd.
  

• Armando Galarraga was not sharp tonight allowing two homers in the first inning to Skip Schumaker and Rick Ankiel and another to Ankiel in the fifth. He allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.

• Joel Zumaya was wild again tonight walking three including a bases loaded base on balls in the seventh.

• Jones pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and got credit for the victory.
  

• Sheffield was not the only Tiger with a four hit game. Carlos Guillen also had four hits including a three run homer.

• Curtis Granderson had two more hits including a solid single in the eighth off lefty reliever Randy Flores. He now has a 13 game hit streak and has batted .373 during that stretch.

• The White Sox lost to the Dodgers 5-0 so the Tigers are now just 5 games out. The Twins are a half game out of first after beating the Padres 9-3 for their eighth straight victory.