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Magglio Ordonez hit only .260 in the first half, 50 points lower than his career .310 average.

By Tim Kurkjian ESPN The Magazine

Prince Fielder stole the Home Run Derby show from Albert Pujols, the American League claimed home-field advantage in the World Series (again) … and now we can finally get back to real baseball. It's the second half, when the drama ratchets up as the temperatures eventually head down. And it kicks off with a bang this weekend as the AL Central-leading Tigers travel to face the Yankees.

Fantastic pitching will be on display all around, but New York has its rotation set up slightly better with its top three starters ready to go. A.J. Burnett, arguably the team's best pitcher for the past month, will take the hill Friday, followed by CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain. Both have performed below their potential in recent starts, but Sabathia did have a strong second half last season, remember, and it's hard to imagine Chamberlain won't straighten out some of his issues soon, too.

The Tigers send their ace, Justin Verlander, out Sunday, but will have to rely on youngsters Luke French and Edwin Jackson to get things off on the right foot in the first two games. French, with a 1-0 record and 1.93 ERA in his first two starts, certainly has looked very good, and Jackson's first-half numbers were enough to earn him a spot next to Verlander on the All-Star roster.

These are the Yankees, though, and they've been hitting it better than any other team this year, with a league-leading 496 runs. They're finally playing like the offense we all thought we'd see this year, especially with a healthy Alex Rodriguez back in the lineup. Even though the Angels swept them to close the first half, the Yankees are going to win the wild card -- despite a sure-to-come surge from Tampa Bay.

Featured Series: Tigers at Yankees

FRIDAY Tigers (Luke French) at Yankees (A.J. Burnett), 7:05 ET

SATURDAY Tigers (Edwin Jackson) at Yankees (CC Sabathia), 1:05 ET

SUNDAY Tigers (Justin Verlander) at Yankees (Joba Chamberlain), 2:05 ET

Keep in mind, the Tigers definitely will be throwing some of their best stuff out there, and their bullpen has been slightly better than expected. Ultimately, it comes down to handling the Yankees' lineup.

What will be really interesting to see is where these teams go after this weekend. For now, I'd say the Tigers are going to win the division. With the lead they have now, and the way they rebuilt their pitching and their defense right before our eyes, I think they have the staying power to take that division.

The question is whether Detroit has to go out and get another bat to make sure it wins the Central. And that's exactly what it might do if Magglio Ordonez continues to struggle like he did for the majority of the first half. If Ordonez improves, though, the Tigers should score enough runs to be a formidable team in the second half. Carlos Guillen is expected to return from the disabled list soon, and he'll certainly help, but it's been so long since he played that you just don't know what you're going to get out of him.

This is when all general managers earn their money, though, as they decide whether to make a move at the deadline. Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski is one of the best at getting what he needs. Looking at the rest of the division, the White Sox have started playing better baseball recently and the Twins are the Twins, which means they'll be in it until the end. So if the Tigers lose their lead, Dombrowski will have to go out and get somebody.

Yes, we've made the turn and now we're headed home. It's second-half baseball; let the drama unfold.

Past Baseball Tonight Clubhouses: July 15 | July 14 | July 13 | July 12 | July 9

TOUCH 'EM ALL

Who went deep? Keep track of all the home runs hit each day on "Baseball Tonight" and on the Baseball Tonight Clubhouse page.

For more, check out the Home Run Tracker page.

Home Run Tracker
NAME	HR	OPP	PITCHER	SITUATION
Y. Escobar, Atl	8	NYM	Perez	Bot 2: 2-0, 1 Outs. None on.
G. Anderson, Atl	6	NYM	Perez	Bot 2: 0-1, 1 Outs. None on.
R. Ibanez, Phi	23	Fla	Volstad	Top 2: 2-1, 0 Outs. 1 on.
P. Fielder, Mil	23	Cin	Bailey	Top 3: 1-2, 2 Outs. 2 on.
R. Ibanez, Phi	24	Fla	Volstad	Top 4: 1-1, 1 Outs. None on.
J. Votto, Cin	12	Mil	Looper	Bot 3: 1-1, 2 Outs. 1 on.
D. Lee, ChC	18	Was	Lannan	Top 6: 3-2, 1 Outs. None on.

The complete list of Thursday's homers

ON DECK: WEEKEND WATCH

Red Sox at Blue Jays

Friday's series opener presents an interesting pitching matchup. Ricky Romero was one of the best rookies in baseball in the first half, going 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA. He hasn't lost since June 11. Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz has been posting strong numbers at Triple-A Pawtucket, waiting for his turn. Well, it's finally here, and Buchholz will make his first start of the season.

Mets at Braves

The series got started Thursday, with the Braves taking the opener. Although most of the NL East talk centers on the Phillies, the Braves remain within striking distance, sitting only six games back of Philadelphia. The Mets send their ace, Johan Santana, to the mound Saturday; the Braves send the NL's second-most prolific strikeout pitcher in the first half, Javier Vazquez, out Sunday night.

Twins at Rangers

Texas held the lead in the AL West much of the first half. Was it a one-half run, or can the Rangers be a factor and stay close to the Angels in the second half? Minnesota rests four games back of Detroit at the start of the second half, and the Twins hope to have a healthy Joe Mauer for an entire half, which was not the case in the season's first half.

For the rest of Friday's schedule, click here. To see what's on tap for Saturday, click here. And for Sunday's full slate of games, click here.