Scott Miller

What you'll be talking about this week: Is Detroit ever going to, maybe, win a game? The only winless team in the majors at 0-6, maybe you think that's a joke. But check out this next stretch of the Tigers' schedule: At Boston for three beginning on Tuesday, at the White Sox this weekend (and Chicago, coming off of a sweep in Detroit, is playing really well), then home for two against Minnesota (ah, perhaps a breather?) then at Cleveland for two and Toronto for three.

The Tigers rank dead last in the American League -- and 28th in the majors -- in runs scored. Read all about it over in the Weekend Buzz.

What you'll also talk about: Guess what? Boston is heading home for its Fenway Park opener on Tuesday. No small statement, either -- the Red Sox have flown more than 15,000 air miles since leaving Florida what seems like two months ago to travel to Japan, California, Toronto and, finally, home again. It's been a 19-day odyssey that has covered three countries and winds up with Boston in last place in the AL East for the first time since April 10, 2005.

Granted, the Red Sox are only two games out, but still. Going into this season, it was clear that survival would be the key to the stretch the Red Sox have just finished. Last place isn't great, but it's early and a two-game deficit is nothing. But, and this is a big but: Will the past three weeks leave the Red Sox gassed for the foreseeable future, or will they recover pretty quickly once they get home? A hangover effect could open the door for Toronto -- whose pitching was terrific in the first week -- among others to establish itself early.

Most pressing thing for Boston right now is to straighten out shortstop Julio Lugo. He committed three errors in Sunday's loss to Toronto after committing another on Saturday. His throwing is nearly as out of whack as Tuesday's Fenway Park opponent, Detroit. The Red Sox get their 2007 World Series rings in a pre-game ceremony Tuesday.

Perhaps this conversation is better skipped: In the throes of a terrible start, the Giants return home for their opener Monday afternoon against San Diego. They arrive reeling with a 1-5 record. Only Colorado (10) has scored fewer than the Giants' 12 runs.

Oh, and when they get home, the Giants will see a de-Bonds-itized AT&T Park. The Giants have scrubbed nearly every reference to the Big Man. But they sure were happy to take your money the past several years through tickets, T-shirts, jerseys, caps, and anything else that could earn them a buck.

What you can't help but talk about: That speculation regarding the brown stuff on San Diego ace Jake Peavy's right hand in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's dominating performance over Los Angeles? Dirt mixed with resin and sweat? Pine tar? Faulty M&Ms that melted in his hand, not his mouth?

Well, tune in for the sequel on Friday night in Dodger Stadium, where Peavy will have a re-match with Los Angeles ace Brad Penny. Gee, what kind of reception to you think he'll get there?

What you should be talking about: Cincinnati at Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Why? Reds rookie Johnny Cueto, who was filthy on Thursday, gets his second start of the season against a very good Brewers' lineup. Cueto's fastball was sizzling in the mid-90s, his slider embarrassing Arizona hitters at 89 m.p.h. or so and from what we saw in one brief outing, this kid is a no-hitter waiting to happen.

What you really should talk about: Pittsburgh outfielder Nate McLouth hit .429 during the season's first week and banged out a base hit in his first at-bat against the Cubs on Monday morning in Pittsburgh. This guy is sizzling and giving the Pirates some hope. Let's watch how the Cubs and Cincinnati pitch him this week.

Likes: All of these day games this early in the season. Nice to have baseball to watch at home during the day -- or anywhere during the day. ... Does anybody in the game have more guts and competitive fire than John Smoltz? Answer: No. ... Will you look at this, Cincinnati is getting some pitching. Johnny Cueto was fabulous last Thursday and Edinson Volquez, the pitcher acquired from Texas in the Josh Hamilton deal, was really good Sunday. The Reds get pitching, they stay in contention. ... Nice to have Jon Miller and Joe Morgan back every Sunday night again. ... Martin Scorcese's look at the Rolling Stones in Shine a Light is terrific. Scorcese or no, there's no groundbreaking stuff on the Stones, so if you're looking for that, change your expectations. But if you like the Stones, it's a very well-done concert film/documentary in which several lesser-known tunes are featured. The blues number with Buddy Guy is great, and Mick Jagger's duet with Christina Aguilera sizzles. She's got some pipes, that girl. ...One Shining Moment -- the song, the video montage, the entire thing. The NCAA title game always makes this one of the best Monday nights of the year.

Dislikes: Aw, you hate to see Colorado open at home over this past weekend celebrating its first NL title, raising the championship banner, receiving NL champion rings ... and get swept by Arizona (Diamondbacks fans, this part doesn't apply to you!)

Rock-n-Roll lyric of the day:

"Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey
"I ache in the places where I used to play
"And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
"I'm just paying my rent every day
"Oh, in the tower of song"

-- Leonard Cohen, Tower of Song

Video killed the radio star, the song goes ... and it may wind up curbing cheating, too. Or, even thinking of it.

Not that San Diego Cy Young winner Jake Peavy was doing anything of the sort in his brillitant, complete-game win over Los Angeles on Saturday, but somebody saw some brown stuff on his right thumb, index and middle fingers on the postgame Fox television broadcast while Peavy was shaking hands with his teammates, posted the zoomed-in photos on the Internet and, voila. Dirt smeared with resin and sweat? Pine tar? Maple syrup left over from breakfast?

The unanimous Cy Young winner found himself answering questions Sunday that probably won't disppear until after his next start.

Which, as fate would have it, is Friday in Dodger Stadium in a rematch against Brad Penny.

Peavy, manager Bud Black and the Padres say the brown stuff on Peavy's hand Saturday was dirt, plain and simple.

"I laugh, to be honest with you," Peavy said. "Anybody that wants to check me, feel free. There's nothing on my hand that's not supposed to be. I laughed. I thought it was funny."

"You play baseball, your hands get dirty," Padres manager Bud Black said, noting that Peavy often reaches for the resin bag and that the powdery substance is designed to make the hand a bit sticky (to grip the ball better) and, when mixed with sweat, said that dirt can adhere to it.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre acknowledged the possibility that it could be pine tar during his pre-game meeting with reporters Sunday but mostly downplayed the situation. Torre said that if somebody appears to be doing something illegal in a game it should be checked but said that he does not favor "undressing" an opposing pitcher -- that is, asking the umpire to go out and search the pitcher on the mound.

"They're more than welcome to," Peavy said of the prospect of the Dodgers asking the umpires to check him Friday night. "I hope they're worried about my hand. Anytime Joe wants to check me, he can."

The Peavy situation is similar to one involving Detroit's Kenny Rogers during the 2006 WOrld Series. Then, however, television cameras picked up on Rogers' dirty hand during the game and broadcasters were openly talking about it as play continued.

Peavy's dirty hand wasn't noticed until after the broadcast, by someone who apparently saw it on digital video, photographed his television and then sent the photos to a Web site.

And the photo came after the game. If Peavy's hand was dirty during the game, there's apparently no evidence.

Peavy saw the photo when someone showed it to him before the game and, during a conversation after San Diego's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday, expressed surprise -- and skepticism where the photo was concerned -- that his hand was that stained.

"I can't imagine my hands would be that dirty," Peavy said. "But my hands aren't that clean (during a game). I pick up the resin bag, I hit. ..."

The season is only a few days old, but San Diego already is expecting a reinforcement in time for Saturday afternoon's game with Los Angeles. Center fielder Jim Edmonds, following a brief, two-game injury rehabilitation stint at Class A Lake Elsinore, will be activated and manager Bud Black hinted that he will be in the lineup.

Edmonds, who batted only .252 with 12 homers, 53 RBI and a career-low .325 on-base percentage last year in St. Louis, has been nursing a strained calf since early this spring. The Padres sent Edmonds to Lake Elsinore, about a two-hour drive north of San Diego, essentially for a two-game dress rehearsal. They wanted him to get some at-bats, run the bases and field in game conditions before turning him loose in Petco Park.

How Edmonds' early leg problems will play out undoubtedly will be one of the keys to San Diego's season. He's 38, and he's got a lot of ground to cover in one of the league's largest outfields.

Odd man out to make room for Edmonds? Outfielder Jody Gerut is expected to be optioned to Triple-A Portland. The other candidate would be Paul McAnulty, but he was hitting .455 entering Friday night's game and he's out of options. Plus, he's played his way into the Padres plans. For now, at least.

-- Strange to think about now, but there was a time this spring when new Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter was concerned about starting the season in Minnesota. He really was afraid he was going to be the target of boos and catcalls after leaving the Twins as a free agent. Instead, he was exhausted leaving Minnesota for the Angels' home opener Friday night because of all of the attention he received.

The Twins presenting him with his Gold Glove award on the field before the second game of the series was a class move, as were the several standing ovations Hunter received. It hasn't always been that way in the Metrodome for Twins who have left. Let's just say Minnesotans are world class at distinguishing between the phony and the real (well, other than when they elected Jesse Ventura as governor).

-- Don't pay too much attention to that fancy save Miguel Batista picked up for Seattle in closer J.J. Putz's absence the other day. Not to disrespect something the Mariners really needed after losing Putz to the 15-day disabled list, but it essentially was like throwing on the side in between starts for Batista.

Because he will not be removed from the rotation: He's still on schedule to start Saturday's game against Baltimore. Batista closed for Toronto in 2005,  but while Putz recovers from a rib cage strain, right-handers Mark Lowe and Sean Green and lefty Eric O'Flaherty will share the eighth and ninth innings.

-- Did you see Alfonso Soriano flip back to second base in the ninth inning Friday against Houston? For one inning, and it figured: First ball in play is a grounder to Soriano, who hadn't played second in two years. He fielded it cleanly, after which he flashed a wide grin. He wound up with two assists in the inning -- two of the three Astros to bat grounded to him.

-- Was going to be in Anaheim for the Angels' home opener Friday night against Texas, but Kenny G was going to play the national anthem and Kenny G is just something I can't stomach. See you soon, Angels.