2009 Spring Training Schedule

Earn those multimillions, CC!

03/13/09 3:50 PM ET

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Jackson shows Tigers his long game
Starter hurls four-plus frames; Everett hits first spring homer

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

METS 9, TIGERS 3
at Lakeland, Fla.
Friday, March 13

Mets at the plate: Cory Sullivan and Jose Valentin opened the Mets' scoring with back-to-back home runs to start the fourth inning before Valentin's fifth-inning sacrifice fly was part of a four-run rally to take command of the game. Omir Santos and Daniel Murphy drove in one run apiece in the surge. Rene Rivera added a two-run homer in the eighth. Sullivan, Murphy and Nick Evans had two hits each.

Tigers at the plate: Jeff Larish's opposite-field double leading off the second set up a Timo Perez sac fly before Adam Everett led off the bottom of the third with his first home run of Spring Training. Brent Clevlen continued his success at contact in the sixth, when his ground ball off an 0-2 pitch drove in Scott Sizemore.

Mets on the mound: Starter Freddy Garcia gave up two hits over 2 1/3 innings against his former club, though both were hit hard. Bobby Parnell followed with 2 2/3 hitless innings and two strikeouts before Darren O'Day gave up one run in the sixth.

Tigers on the mound: Not only did Edwin Jackson become the first Tiger this Spring Training to last four innings, he pitched efficiently until the fifth. He retired the first nine batters he faced in order before the back-to-back homers. Once he came back out for the fifth, Jackson struggled to find his form, walking consecutive hitters to set up the Mets' command rally with four hits off Freddy Dolsi. Bobby Seay continued his scoreless spring with another inning before Brandon Lyon gave up an unearned run on two hits in the seventh.

Grapefruit League records: Mets 6-7-1, Tigers 4-9.

Coming up: The Tigers have a doubleheader of sorts going on Saturday. First, Jeremy Bonderman, Joel Zumaya and Kyle Bloom will pitch in a 10 a.m. ET simulated game on the back fields at Tigertown in an outing that manager Jim Leyland calls "huge." The regular game will feature Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson against the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at Joker Marchant Stadium. Chris Lambert will also pitch for Detroit, which will face Casey Janssen and former Tiger Mike Maroth among others slated to pitch for Toronto. The game will be broadcast on WXYT-AM 1270 in Detroit and online via MLB.com's Gameday Audio.

The Mets are back in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Saturday for a 1:10 p.m. matchup against the Nationals at Tradition Field. Mike Pelfrey is scheduled to start for the Mets, followed by Livan Hernandez, Brandon Knight, Connor Robertson and Carlos Muniz. Shairon Martis, Justin Jones, Terrell Young, Jason Bergmann and Jesus Colome are slated to pitch for Washington.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/14/09 3:51 PM ET

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Tigers rally from four down to top Jays
Willis gives up four runs on four hits over three innings

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

TIGERS 10, BLUE JAYS 4
at Lakeland, Fla.
Saturday, March 14

Blue Jays at the plate: Russ Adams reached base and scored in each of the first two innings without a base hit. Adam Lind plated him in the first inning with a two-run triple before Aaron Hill doubled in Adams in the second. Timo Perez's drop of a Lyle Overbay sinking liner led to another run in the first.

Tigers at the plate: Timo Perez opened Detroit's scoring by doubling in Ryan Raburn in the second inning before Gerald Laird's two-run homer in the fifth drew the Tigers within a run. Will Rhymes put Detroit ahead in the sixth with a two-run triple to the fence in center field. Mike Hessman capped a four-run seventh inning with a two-run homer.

Blue Jays on the mound: Perez's double accounted for the only scoring against starter Casey Janssen, who escaped trouble when the Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the third. Janssen retired Laird, but Detroit scored five times on former teammate Mike Maroth, the last on a passed ball.

Tigers on the mound: Starter Dontrelle Willis seemed headed for a quick exit after a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a two-run triple to start the game, but he eventually settled down to pitch three innings with four runs allowed. Nate Robertson gave up a leadoff single and a fielding error to start the fourth, but retired the next nine batters in order.

Grapefruit League records: Blue Jays 7-6-1, Tigers 5-9


Coming up: Alfredo Figaro will start in place of Rick Porcello on Sunday when the Tigers visit the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium at 1:05 p.m. ET. Clay Rapada, Zach Simons and Fu-Te Ni are also scheduled to pitch for Detroit. Collin Balester, who baffled Tigers hitters on Feb. 26, gets a rematch when he makes the start for Washington. The game will be available online via Gameday Audio, and over the air in Detroit on FM 97.1 and AM 1270.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

goodBYE Dontrelle!

They did not mention it, but Bonine went 3 scoreless innings also!

Detroit	IP--	H-	R-	ER-	BB-	SO-	HR-	ERA
Willis	3.0	4	4	4	2	1	0	12.00
Robertson (W, 1-1)	3.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	5.14
Bonine (S, 1)	3.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1.13

We ALL make expensive mistakes. And we get chances to correct them!

Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tigers 10, Blue Jays 4
Dontrelle Willis struggles, Nate Robertson shines in latest audition for Tigers' rotation
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis had another rough outing Saturday for the Tigers, but Nate Robertson rebounded -- each pitched three-inning stints in a 10-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Willis allowed four runs on three hits, walked two, hit a batter and struck out one in a 57-pitch performance that indicated the 27-year-old left-hander is no closer to finding his way back into manager Jim Leyland's rotation.

Robertson, 31, was much sharper. The left-hander allowed no runs, was touched only for a leadoff single, struck out a batter and issued no walks. His velocity, which had appeared to be down dramatically in earlier outings, was better as it approached 90 mph, a significant boost from his last start when he peaked at 86 mph.

Gerald Laird and Mike Hessman hit each hit a two-run home run, and infield prospect Will Rhymes' two-run triple in the sixth inning put the Tigers in the lead after they had fallen behind, 4-0. Manager Jim Leyland's team ran its Grapefruit League record to 5-9.

The Tigers were down 4-0 before scoring a run in the second on Timo Perez's RBI single. They added two more runs in the fifth on Laird's two-run home run, his first homer of the spring. And they took the lead, 5-4, in the sixth on a single by Alexis Gomez, a walk and Rhymes' triple. Rhymes later scored on a passed ball.

All of Detroit's runs in the fifth and sixth came against former Tigers left-hander Mike Maroth.

You can reach Lynn Henning at lynn.henning@detnews.com

03/15/09 4:04 PM ET

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Ramirez's clutch single paces Tigers
Outfielder knocks in club's first runs; staff blanks Nats in victory

By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

TIGERS 3, NATIONALS 0
at Viera, Fla.
March 15, 2009

Nationals at the plate: Anderson Hernandez had two hits, while Nick Johnson and Josh Willingham had a hit apiece. In the eighth inning, the Nationals had the bases loaded with no outs, but Tigers left-hander Clay Rapada struck out Lastings Milledge and Freddie Bynum, and induced Kory Casto to fly out to deep right field to end the inning.

Tigers at the plate: Detroit scored two runs in the sixth inning to break a scoreless duel. Wilkin Ramirez had a bases-loaded single, driving in Jeff Larish and Don Kelly. Ramirez scored the third run of the game on a throwing error by left-hander Wil Ledezma

Nationals on the mound: Right-hander Collin Balester pitched three innings without giving up a run, while left-hander Gustavo Chacin gave up two runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Tigers on the mound: Right-hander Alfredo Figaro pitched three scoreless innings. Relievers Juan Rincon, Fernando Rodney and Casey Fien pitched a combined four shutout innings.

Grapefruit League records: Nationals 7-7-2; Tigers, 6-9.

Up next: The Tigers return to Lakeland, Fla., to play the Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. ET on Monday. Right-hander Zach Minor will be on the mound for Detroit.

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wilkin Ramirez has three hits in Tiger victory
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

VIERA, Fla. -- With a lineup that had but one regular in it, the Tigers rode good pitching and three hits by outfield prospect Wilkin Ramirez to a 3-0 victory Sunday over the Washington Nationals at Space Coast Stadium.

Ramirez had a two-run single, a double and an infield single in four at-bats to lead the Tigers' seven-hit effort

The Tigers held Washington batters to seven singles.

Alfredo Figaro, a 24-year-old right-hander who has been one of the team's more impressive prospect pitchers in spring camp, started for manager Jim Leyland's team and allowed two singles in his three-inning stint. He walked no one and struck out a batter.

Fernando Rodney, Juan Rincon, Casey Fien (two innings), Clay Rapada and Scott Williamson also pitched for the Tigers.

Rick Porcello, the 20-year-old right-hander who was earlier slated to start Sunday's game, was scratched Saturday and will not pitch until Friday after suffering a cut on his right index finger, which occurred while fielding a ball during practice.

The Tigers got a break in the eighth inning when Washington loaded the bases with no outs. Rapada struck out the next two batters before Kory Casto lifted a 3-2 pitch deep to right that minor-league outfielder Brennan Boesch caught while crashing against the fence.

They spelled MinEr's name wrong 2 posts above this. ^^

gdennis59 wrote:

They spelled MinEr's name wrong 2 posts above this. ^^

Yep, they sure did, at least it was not Beck who did it!

03/16/09 4:05 PM ET

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Perez finishes double shy of cycle
Rhymes' walk-off single gives Tigers comeback victory

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

CARDINALS 7, TIGERS 6 (note score backwards-gget)
at Lakeland, Fla.
Monday, March 16

Cardinals at the plate: Albert Pujols struck with a seventh-inning solo home run for his first homer of the spring, but much of the St. Louis damage came in a four-run first inning, capped by a bases-clearing double from hot-hitting Khalil Greene as part of his three-hit afternoon. Skip Schumaker also singled and scored in that inning before hitting the second of back-to-back doubles that put the Cards back on top in the fourth.

Tigers at the plate: Timo Perez fell a double short of the cycle. He and Brent Clevlen led Detroit's charge back with solo homers in the first and second innings, respectively, before Perez tripled in Adam Everett as part of a two-run fourth inning that briefly tied the game. Perez's seventh-inning single fell in front of doubles from Placido Polanco and Jeff Larish to tie the game. Will Rhymes, after being unable to get a bunt down with runners on first and second in the ninth, laced a walk-off single to win it.

Cardinals on the mound: Starter Todd Wellemeyer turned in his second straight five-inning performance, but he gave up four runs on six hits in the process. Four of those hits went for extra bases. Mitchell Boggs pitched a scoreless sixth before the Tigers pounced on him in the seventh. Closer candidate Jason Motte pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out the side.

Tigers on the mound: Much like last Tuesday against the Cardinals, starter Zach Miner had to try to overcome a miserable opening inning -- this one a four-run affair that began with three straight singles and continued with a walk and Greene's bases-clearing double. Miner's sinker eventually induced enough swings and misses for four strikeouts, but he also walked three and gave up five hits.

Grapefruit League records: Cardinals 11-5-1, Tigers 6-9

Coming up: Justin Verlander will try to reverse his series of high pitch counts and low innings totals in his fifth start Tuesday when the Tigers host the Astros at Joker Marchant Stadium. Ex-Tigers hurler Brian Moehler is scheduled to make the start for Houston. Game time is 1:05 p.m. ET.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Quote :

CARDINALS 7, TIGERS 6

wrong! CARDINALS 6, TIGERS 7

Quote :

Grapefruit League records: Cardinals 11-5-1, Tigers 6-9

Tigers record is 7-9, not 6-9!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Quote :

CARDINALS 7, TIGERS 6

wrong! CARDINALS 6, TIGERS 7

Quote :

Grapefruit League records: Cardinals 11-5-1, Tigers 6-9

Tigers record is 7-9, not 6-9!

I guess proofreading info is too hard for them these days

03/17/09 3:50 PM ET

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Verlander effective as Tigers tie
Detroit uses Sizemore's solo home run to catch up to Astros

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

ASTROS 1, TIGERS 1, 10 innings (actually 11 innings-gget)
at Lakeland, Fla.
Tuesday, March 17

Astros at the plate: Houston's lone run off Justin Verlander came about after Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee drew back-to-back walks leading off the fourth. Miguel Tejada's flyout advanced Pence to third, where he took off for home once second baseman Placido Polanco took a tumble behind first base on Geoff Blum's popout.

Tigers at the plate: Timo Perez picked up his hot hitting from Monday with a pair of singles in his first two at-bats, but was stranded in scoring position each time. He now has eight hits in his past three games. Scott Sizemore launched a solo homer in the eighth inning.

Astros on the mound: Former Tiger Brian Moehler felt at home again on the mound at Joker Marchant Stadium, tossing five scoreless innings of four-hit ball with a walk and three strikeouts in his best performance of camp. Chris Sampson pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the second time in four days.

Tigers on the mound: After dealing with high pitch counts in each of his last few outings, Verlander turned in the strongest outing of Spring Training by any Tigers pitcher with six innings and the lone run allowed. He retired Houston's first seven batters in order and did the same with the final nine Astros he faced. Just as impressive, he needed just 68 pitches to do it. Casey Fien pitched a scoreless seventh.

Grapefruit League records: Astros 1-14-3; Tigers 7-9-1

Coming up: Most of the Tigers have Wednesday off -- except for a few that will be playing in a intrasquad camp game in the morning on the back fields at Tigertown. Edwin Jackson and Fernando Rodney will pitch in that game, with Matt Treanor catching. The rest of the team will be back in action and back on television Thursday night, when starter Jeremy Bonderman makes his first appearance of Spring Training against the Braves at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in a 7:05 p.m. ET matchup. Dontrelle Willis will pitch in relief.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I don't know what is going on with Jason Beck. This is the second day in a row that he messed up the game recap!

According to the play-by-play tool, and the box score, the Tigers played 11 innings, not 10!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Justin Verlander allows one hit in six innings
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Justin Verlander moved closer to a likely Opening Day starting assignment Tuesday when he pitched one-hit ball over six innings against the Houston Astros, the longest any Tigers starter has gone during 2009 spring training.

The Tigers tied the Astros, 1-1, in a Grapefruit League game called after 11 innings due to Houston's exhausted travel roster.

Verlander, who had control issues in his previous start and who has been working to reduce his pitch counts in 2009, was in his 2006-07 groove Tuesday. He threw 68 pitches in his six-inning stint, including nine pitches in each of the first two innings.

The only hit he allowed was a bunt single in the third. The Astros scored their lone run against Verlander in the fourth on a pair of leadoff walks, a sacrifice fly, and a sacrifice foul pop-up to second baseman Placido Polanco, who lost his balance after making the catch. It allowed Hunter Pence to score from third base.

The Tigers tied the game in the eighth on a home run by infield prospect Scott Sizemore.

gs78 wrote:

I guess proofreading info is too hard for them these days

I see more mistakes in online articles without even trying. They hurry so fast so they can be "first" that they don't care if they are incorrect.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

I don't know what is going on with Jason Beck. This is the second day in a row that he messed up the game recap!

According to the play-by-play tool, and the box score, the Tigers played 11 innings, not 10!

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tigers' Bonderman pitches two scoreless innings; Willis hit hard again
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Making his spring debut after a delay in his recovery from last year's shoulder surgery, Jeremy Bonderman worked two scoreless innings Thursday night in the Tigers' 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

He threw 29 pitches and faced 10 batters in his first start since June 1, allowing a single, double and two walks. Bonderman left with a 1-0 lead, courtesy of a leadoff home run in the first from Brandon Inge off Braves starter Javier Vazquez.

"It was fun to get back out there and feel part of the team again," Bonderman said. "I had no pain, no nothing, so I shouldn't have a problem taking another step forward."

Asked how he felt after such a long absence, Bonderman said, "I just want to play. I didn't think of anything. As long as my arm feels good, I'm fine."

Manager Jim Leyland said before the outing that "32-33 pitches would be the perfect scenario" in two complete innings. In that sense, it was almost perfect.

"I hope he can control himself, because I know how he is," said Leyland. "He's going to be pumped up."

Rusty at times, but efficient, Bonderman topped out at 91 miles an hour. Despite facing a first-and-third jam in the first and second-and-third trouble in the second, he got out of both predicaments.

"It wasn't so much being rusty as just a timing thing," he said. "I had butterflies a little bit, but I'll take today and move on. I'll be sore because of the effort I put in. But I'll be fine in five days.

"The more I throw, and the better my timing gets, my arm strength will improve. I have a few more (miles per hour) I can go get if I want. They'll be there if I need them. But there's no reason to reach for it right now."

Dontrelle Willis allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings after replacing Bonderman. Willis had ice on his left hand after the game and said it hurt, the result of a hard shot that hit the palm of his hand, but he didn't think the situation was serious.

"My mechanics were good, and I felt I was around the zone the entire time," WIllis said. "I felt like I was established today. But I need to focus on finishing my innings.

"I was one pitch away from giving up no runs. If it was a two-out game, it would be 0-0.

"But I felt good and I felt confident. Just tough breaks. If I continue to execute pitches and stay battling, things will someday fall on my side."

03/19/09 9:54 PM ET

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Bonderman strong as Tigers silenced
Hurler tosses two scoreless innings in spring debut; Inge goes deep

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com

BRAVES 5, TIGERS 2
at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Thursday, March 19

Tigers at the plate: Brandon Inge hit Javier Vazquez's third pitch of the game over the left-field wall to give the Tigers an early lead. Gerald Laird capped his two-hit night with a one-out single that helped him move into scoring position on a Ryan Raburn sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Jeff Bennett.

Braves at the plate: Matt Diaz's two-run single capped a three-run third inning against Tigers hurler Dontrelle Willis. Greg Norton matched Diaz's two-hit performance with a leadoff single that sparked a two-run fifth inning that included a Jeff Francoeur double. Omar Infante collected a double and a triple against his original organization.

Tigers on the mound: Making his first appearance since June, Jeremy Bonderman worked two scoreless innings while walking two and allowing two hits. Furthering his recent struggles, Willis allowed five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits over 2 2/3 innings.

Braves on the mound: Making his first appearance since Puerto Rico beat Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Vazquez allowed just one run and four hits over 4 2/3 innings. Rafael Soriano allowed the first two hitters he faced to reach safely in the seventh inning, but the veteran reliever responded with consecutive strikeouts and escaped the inning unscathed.

Grapefruit League records: Tigers 7-10; Braves 15-3

Up next: Nate Robertson will continue his bid to win the fifth starter's spot when the Tigers host the Nationals on Friday afternoon. Robertson allowed one hit in three scoreless innings against the Blue Jays on Saturday.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/20/09 3:46 PM ET

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Tigers make early lead stand
Robertson shuts down Nats as offense spreads the wealth

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

TIGERS 5, NATIONALS 2
at Lakeland, Fla.
Friday, March 20

Nationals at the plate: Washington was held scoreless until a two-run seventh brought the Nationals close. Wily Mo Pena doubled in a run, part of his two-hit afternoon, before Jose Castillo singled in another. Nick Johnson added a double.

Tigers at the plate: Gary Sheffield opened the scoring with his third home run of the spring, a first-inning solo shot. Detroit broke open the game with a four-run fifth powered by six singles. Placido Polanco singled in a pair of runs. Marcus Thames went 2-for-2 with a double in his first game since March 10, when he suffered a strained abdominal muscle.

Nationals on the mound: Collin Balester's third meeting with the Tigers this Spring Training saw him fare far worse than his previous scoreless performance. He gave up five runs on nine hits over four innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Ryan Wagner followed with two scoreless innings of relief.

Tigers on the mound: Starter Nate Robertson followed up his previous strong outing by tossing four scoreless innings on two hits with five striekouts, three of them on called third strikes. Both Nationals runs came off reliever Fu-Te Ni.

Grapefruit League records: Nationals 9-9-2; Tigers 8-10-1.

Up next: Rick Porcello gets what might be his best test for the fifth starter race on Saturday, when he takes the hill against the Yankees in what should be a packed house at Steinbrenner Field. Zach Miner will pitch in relief, followed by Fernando Rodney and Clay Rapada. Joba Chamberlain is slated to start for New York. Game time is 1:05 p.m. ET, with the broadcast on Gameday Audio.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/21/09 4:18 PM ET

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Porcello, Tigers fall to Yankees
Fifth-starter hopeful allows pair of runs; Larish goes deep

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

YANKEES 4, TIGERS 3
at Tampa, Fla.
Saturday, March 21

Tigers at the plate: Ryan Raburn drove in Jeff Larish with a second-inning sacrifice fly, cashing in a run after Detroit loaded the bases on three consecutive singles. Gerald Laird singled in his first three at-bats, and Brent Clevlen logged hits in his first two plate appearances. Larish hit a solo home run in the eighth.

Yankees at the plate: Johnny Damon and Mark Teixeira connected on back-to-back RBI doubles in the third inning. Melky Cabrera had two hits, including a double, and Angel Berroa scored a run. Juan Miranda hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

Tigers on the mound: Making his third appearance and second start of the spring, hot prospect Rick Porcello allowed two runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out one, throwing 42 pitches (23 strikes). Clay Rapada recorded two outs in relief and Zach Miner fired three scoreless frames.

Yankees on the mound: Making his fourth start against a big league team this spring, Joba Chamberlain held the Tigers to one run on four hits over 3 1/3 innings. Chamberlain threw 61 pitches (41 strikes), walking one and striking out five. Jonathan Albaladejo worked 1 2/3 innings of scoreless, three-hit ball. Mariano Rivera pitched his third scoreless inning of the spring, striking out two in a 12-pitch frame, though he allowed his first hit.

Grapefruit League records: Tigers 8-11-1, Yankees 14-8-1

Up next: The Tigers are back at home on Sunday, welcoming the Marlins for a 1:05 p.m. ET start at Joker Marchant Stadium. Right-hander Justin Verlander draws the call for Detroit, with right-hander Ricky Nolasco taking the mound for Florida.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

03/22/09 3:53 PM ET

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Verlander shines in no-hit loss
Tigers batters struggle all day vs. Nolasco, Marlins

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

MARLINS 2, TIGERS 0
at Lakeland, Fla.
Sunday, March 22

Marlins at the plate: Brett Carroll broke up a scoreless game in the sixth, when his single drove in Emilio Bonifacio, who led off with a walk. John Raynor added an insurance run with a solo homer to lead off the eighth.

Tigers at the plate: Detroit's lone baserunners were Ramon Santiago, who walked to lead off the game, and Jeff Larish, hit by a pitch in the second. Marlins pitching sent down the next 22 batters in order, with a Santiago fly ball to deep center the most solid hit of the bunch.

Marlins on the mound: Starter Ricky Nolasco not only continued his hot Spring Training, he no-hit the Tigers for seven frames while holding them to the minimum 21 batters. Both of Detroit's baserunners were erased on double plays. Dan Meyer pitched a scoreless eighth to continue the effort and allow Leo Nunez to finish it off.

Tigers on the mound: Justin Verlander continued the efficiency from his previous outing with five scoreless innings on two hits with four strikeouts. The game's first run came off relief prospect Ryan Perry, who gave up two walks and Carroll's hit in his first wild outing of Spring Training. Juan Rincon continued his scoreless camp by pitching the seventh.

Grapefruit League records: Marlins 9-11-1; Tigers 8-12-1.

Up next: The Tigers head to Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday for a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Red Sox. Edwin Jackson will make the start, with Eddie Bonine among those pitching in relief. Brad Penny, Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito and Javier Lopez are scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Sunday, March 22, 2009
Spring Training: Marlins 2, Tigers 0
Marlins pitchers combine to no-hit Tigers
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers not only lost Sunday, in a game that was on both television and radio, they were no-hit.

The Marlins beat them, 2-0, at Marchant Stadium.

Starter Ricky Nolasco worked the first seven innings for the Marlins, walking Ramon Santiago in the first and hitting Jeff Larish with a pitch in the second.

Justin Verlander was sharp for the Tigers, just not as sharp as Nolasco. Verlander pitched five shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks.

After six scoreless appearances, however, rookie Ryan Perry allowed his first run on a walk-sacrifice-walk-single sequence in the sixth. Bobby Seay gave up a home run to outfielder John Raynor in the eighth for the Marlins' second run.

The Tigers didn't come close to getting a hit the first eight innings. Santiago's flyball to center in the seventh was probably their hardest-hit ball, but former Tiger Cameron Maybin was able to haul it down easily.

With the no-hitter on the line in the ninth, Leo Nunez retired Alexis Gomez on a flyball to center for the first out. Third baseman Andy Gonzalez robbed Mike Hessman of a hit for the second out -- and after a walk to Don Kelly and a long foul ball to right by Santiago, the game ended with Santiago taking a called third strike.

Are all the Benezuelans back?

they better get their butts back!

pssst... Ricky.... please show Andrew how to pitch

03/23/09 4:10 PM ET

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Jackson spotless, but Tigers fall
Right-hander tosses four scoreless frames in loss to Red Sox

By Ian Browne / MLB.com

RED SOX 7, TIGERS 6
at Fort Myers, Fla.
Monday, March 23

Red Sox at the plate: Boston accomplished the rare feat of belting four consecutive homers in the bottom of the sixth inning. Mike Lowell, Jason Bay, Chris Carter and Ivan Ochoa did the honors against Brandon Lyon. It brought back memories of April 22, 2007, when the Red Sox accomplished the same thing in a regular-season game against the Yankees.

Tigers at the plate: A day after Detroit was no-hit by the Marlins, it was again quiet offensively. Gerald Laird, Ryan Rayburn and Ramon Santiago had singles.

Red Sox on the mound: Brad Penny, making his first Grapefruit League start, was dominant, firing three no-hit innings. The righty walked one and struck out three, throwing just 33 pitches. Closer Jonathan Papelbon struck out two in his inning of work. Takashi Saito gave up two hits but no runs in his inning.

Tigers on the mound: Edwin Jackson went four innings, allowing two hits and no runs. Fernando Rodney was touched up for three hits and three runs over his inning of work. Lyon's forgettable day consisted of just the one inning and the four hits -- all solo homers.

Grapefruit League records: Red Sox 13-10; Tigers 8-13-1

Up next: Boston will take a two-hour bus ride to Tampa, Fla., to face the Yankees on Tuesday night at 7:15 ET. Veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield makes the start for the Sox. He will be opposed by A.J. Burnett. David Ortiz, Jed Lowrie, Jacoby Ellsbury and Rocco Baldelli will be among the position players on the trip.

The Tigers have a camp game at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, with Jeremy Bonderman and Dontrelle Willis both scheduled to pitch. Detroit will resume Grapefruit League action on Wednesday with a game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., against the Mets at 1:10 p.m.

Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.