GDT: 6/24/09 - DET (39-31) vs CHC (34-33) - 7:05 p.m. ET

DETROIT -- The list of pitchers age 20 or younger to win 10 games by the All-Star break since World War II starts and ends with Dwight Gooden. The list of those pitchers to win nine by the break adds in such greats as Fernando Valenzuela, Jim Palmer and Don Gullett, according to baseball-reference.com.

Rick Porcello can join the latter group with a win on Wednesday against the Cubs. A couple wins would put him in the Doctor's company.

Porcello's stretch of seven wins in his past nine starts has put him in position where his age is almost an afterthought. Not only is he tied for the Tigers' lead in wins with potential Cy Young Award candidate Justin Verlander, he's tied for fifth in the American League with Verlander and Josh Beckett. Only Roy Halladay, Kevin Slowey, Zack Greinke and Tim Wakefield are ahead of him.

Porcello has driven in as many runs as a hitter (two) as he has allowed earned runs as a pitcher over his past two starts. With Interleague Play bringing the Tigers back to Comerica Park for this series, he doesn't have to worry about picking up a bat, only keeping Cubs bats from getting to him.

Both Porcello and manager Jim Leyland noted the trouble Porcello had keeping his fastball down in his start on Thursday at St. Louis, but he survived with a change of speeds. That type of mix could help him in the long run, including down the stretch this season.

"He's had a little trouble getting the ball down," Leyland said after that game. "With that good sinker, he's got to get it down a little bit better."

That's what seems to make Porcello's season so unique. He continues to learn on the job, which he has to do with just one season of professional baseball under his belt before this year. Yet he's thriving while doing it.

The reasons are numerous, starting with a maturity that seems well beyond his age and continuing with a nasty sinker that's an equalizing pitch. But pitching coach Rick Knapp also believes that Porcello is learning from the pitchers around him, most notably the frontline starters ahead of him in Verlander and Edwin Jackson.

"I think they all three have kind of rubbed off on each other," Knapp said. "They're differing styles. They've all been efficient. I think that they all kind of feed off each other. But for Rick to maybe look into future and see what kind of pitcher he may end up becoming is also huge.

"How much has Rick learned from Justin and Eddie? Well, he's definitely learned the look, the composure part, the attacking part. They walk up and down the dugout and talk to each other whenever, whoever's pitching. They're constantly [learning from] each other. I think good staffs do that."

Despite the problems at the back end of the rotation, Porcello is helping make this a good staff. His most recent win started the Tigers on their current winning streak after four straight losses. Another win would put Detroit's season-high seven-game winning streak within reach.

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Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Rick Porcello (8-4, 3.54 ERA)
Porcello allowed three runs -- one earned -- in 5 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on Thursday in St. Louis. He struck out three, walked two and turned a one-run lead over to the Tigers' bullpen, earning his eighth victory in 13 starts. He is 2-1 in four starts in June and has allowed just two earned runs in his last two outings.

CHC: RHP Rich Harden (4-3, 5.27 ERA)
Harden wasn't sharp in his last outing against the Indians. He served up two three-run homers among the seven hits he gave up in five innings. The right-hander said he was falling behind in the count. He also has discovered that he can't get away with any mistakes. "It seems that this year, when I'm leaving the ball up, it's cost me," he said. "If you're going to miss, miss in, miss out, but don't miss over the plate. That has to be my approach out there."

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Tidbits

... Magglio Ordonez will be back in the starting lineup Wednesday against Harden. Ordonez went 0-for-2 with a walk Monday in his first start since last Wednesday, showing some better swings in the process.
... Placido Polanco is 5-for-7 lifetime off Harden with two doubles and two RBIs. Gerald Laird is 0-for-6 off Harden with three strikeouts.
... Fernando Rodney's streak of 14 saves in as many opportunities is the longest streak by a Tigers closer in a single season since Todd Jones converted 19 consecutive chances from June 10 to Aug. 30, 2006.
... Triple-A Toledo left-hander Lucas French was named the International League's Pitcher of the Week for the week ending Sunday. French allowed two runs in 16 innings over two starts with 18 strikeouts, including a 10-strikeout, eight-inning performance Sunday.

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Up next (Probable Pitchers)

• Thursday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 3-7, 5.62 ERA) vs. Cubs (Ted Lilly, 7-4, 3.04 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Friday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 8-3, 3.31 ERA) at Astros (Wandy Rodriguez, 6-6, 3.18 ERA), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Tigers (Alfredo Figaro, 1-0, 3.60 ERA) at Astros (TBD), 7:05 p.m. ET

STARTING LINEUPS:

Chi Cubs
1. Soriano, A, LF
2. Theriot, SS
3. Lee, D, DH
4. Hoffpauir, M, 1B
5. Bradley, RF
6. Fox, J, 3B
7. Fukudome, CF
8. Soto, C
9. Fontenot, 2B

Tigers
1. :curtis: Curtis Granderson, CF
2. :placido: Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
4. :thames: Marcus Thames, DH
5. Don Kelly, LF
6. Brandon Inge, 3B
7. Magglio Ordonez, RF
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Adam Everett, SS

better find a new pic for him!!

Maggs new look! According to FSN Facebook Page

Dolsi "The Tigers' Barber" is back, wonder if he did it???

hair or no hair...muy caliente

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Alfonso Soriano grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.


B:2 S:2 O:2 -
Ryan Theriot grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.


B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Derrek Lee grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

Bottom Half

B:3 S:3 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson on foul tip.


B:4 S:2 O:1 -
Placido Polanco walks.


B:2 S:2 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera flies out to center fielder Kosuke Fukudome.


B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Marcus Thames flies out to right fielder Milton Bradley.

0-0 after 1 inning

Inning 2
Top Half

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Micah Hoffpauir singles on a line drive to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Milton Bradley walks. Micah Hoffpauir to 2nd.

B:1 S:2 O:2 - Jake Fox grounds into double play, third
baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Placido Polanco. Micah Hoffpauir
out at 3rd.

B:0 S:3 O:3 -
Kosuke Fukudome swinging.

0-0 after 1.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Don Kelly flies out to right fielder Milton Bradley.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Brandon Inge flies out to center fielder Kosuke Fukudome.

B:0 S:1 O:3 -
Magglio Ordonez lines out to right fielder Milton Bradley.

0-0 after 2 innings

Inning 3
Top Half

B:3 S:2 O:0 -
Geovany Soto doubles (8) on a line drive to left fielder Don Kelly.

B:0 S:0 O:1 - Mike Fontenot reaches on a fielder's
choice out, second baseman Placido Polanco to third baseman Brandon
Inge. Geovany Soto out at 3rd.

B:1 S:2 O:3 - Alfonso Soriano grounds into double
play, third baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Placido Polanco to
first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Mike Fontenot out at 2nd.

0-0 after 2.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Gerald Laird strikes out swinging.

B:0 S:2 O:2 -
Adam Everett grounds out, third baseman Jake Fox to first baseman Micah Hoffpauir.

B:1 S:0 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a line drive to right fielder Milton Bradley.

B:2 S:1 O:2 -
With Placido Polanco batting, Curtis Granderson steals (13) 2nd base.

B:3 S:2 O:3 -
Placido Polanco flies out to center fielder Kosuke Fukudome.

0-0 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half


B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Ryan Theriot singles on a ground ball to third baseman Brandon Inge.

B:4 S:1 O:0 -
Derrek Lee walks. Ryan Theriot to 2nd.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Micah Hoffpauir flies out to left fielder Don Kelly.

B:1 S:3 O:2 -
Milton Bradley swinging.

B:0 S:0 O:3 -
Jake Fox grounds into a force out, third baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Placido Polanco. Derrek Lee out at 2nd.

0-0 after 3.5 innings

Bottom Half

B:2 S:1 O:0 -
Miguel Cabrera homers (15) on a fly ball to left center field.
DET 1, CHC 0

B:2 S:0 O:1 -
Marcus Thames flies out to center fielder Kosuke Fukudome.

B:1 S:0 O:2 -
Don Kelly grounds out, first baseman Micah Hoffpauir to pitcher Rich Harden. (great play, otherwise an extra base hit)

B:3 S:2 O:3 -
Brandon Inge grounds out, third baseman Jake Fox to first baseman Micah Hoffpauir.

DET 1, CHC 0 after 4 innings

Inning 5
Top Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Kosuke Fukudome grounds out, second baseman Placido Polanco to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:2 S:1 O:1 -
Geovany Soto homers (6) on a line drive to left field.
CHC 1, DET 1

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Mike Fontenot grounds out, shortstop Adam Everett to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.