2009 DETROIT TIGER SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

DET. TIGERS 2009 REG SEASON SCHEDULE & SCORES



ESPN Tiger Game Link

All times Eastern Time

All games except those listed as FSN+, and FOX will be shown on FSN-DET

Click Score for ESPN RECAP and box score.

Mon, 4/6 at Blue Jays - Lose 5-12 (LP:Verlander)
Tue, 4/7 at Blue Jays - Lose 4-5 (LP:Lyon)
Wed, 4/8 at Blue Jays - WIN 5-1 (WP:Miner)
Thu, 4/9 at Blue Jays - Lose 2-6 (LP:Porcello)
Fri, 4/10 Rangers - WIN 15-2 (WP:Galarraga)
Sat, 4/11 Rangers - WIN 4-3 (WP:Robertson)
Sun, 4/12 Rangers - WIN 6-4 (WP:Lyon) SWEEP
Mon, 4/13 White Sox - Lose 6-10 (LP:Miner)
Tue, 4/14 White Sox - Postponed: Rain
Wed, 4/15 White Sox - WIN 9-0 (WP:Galarraga)
Thu, 4/16 - OFF
Fri, 4/17 at Mariners - Lose 3-6 (LP:Verlander)
Sat, 4/18 at Mariners - WIN 2-0 (WP:Jackson)
Sun, 4/19 at Mariners - WIN 8-2 (WP:Porcello)
Mon, 4/20 - OFF
Tue, 4/21 at Angels - Lose 3-4 (LP:Lyon)
Wed, 4/22 at Angels - WIN 12-10 (WP:Rincon)
Thu, 4/23 at Angels - Lose 5-10 (LP:Jackson)
Fri, 4/24 at Royals - Lose 1-6 (LP:Porcello)
Sat, 4/25 at Royals - WIN 9-1 (WP:Miner)
Sun, 4/26 at Royals - WIN 3-2 (WP:Galarraga)
Mon, 4/27 Yankees - WIN 4-2 (WP:Verlander)
Tue, 4/28 Yankees - Lose 0-11 (LP:Perry)
Wed, 4/29 Yankees - Lose 6-8 (LP:Porcello)
Thu, 4/30 - OFF
Fri, 5/1 Indians - Lose 5-6 (LP: Galarraga)
Sat, 5/2 Indians - WIN 9-7 (WP: Zumaya)
Sun, 5/3 Indians - WIN 3-1 (WP:Verlander)
Mon, 5/4 Twins - Lose 2-7 (LP: Jackson)
Tue, 5/5 Twins - WIN 9-0 (WP:Porcello)
Wed, 5/6 at White Sox - Postponed: Rain
Thu, 5/7 at White Sox - Lose 0-6 (LP: Galarraga)
Fri, 5/8 at Indians - WIN 1-0 (WP:Verlander) (CG-SHO)
Sat, 5/9 at Indians - WIN 4-0 (WP:Jackson) SHO
Sun, 5/10 at Indians - WIN 5-3 (WP:Porcello) SWEEP
Mon, 5/11 - OFF
Tue, 5/12 at Twins - Lose 2-6 (LP: Galarraga)
Wed, 5/13 at Twins - Lose 10-14 (13 innings) (LP: Lyon)
Thu, 5/14 at Twins - Lose 5-6 (LP: Seay)
Fri, 5/15 Athletics - WIN 14-1 (WP:Jackson)
Sat, 5/16 Athletics - WIN 9-1 (WP:Porcello)
Sun, 5/17 Athletics - WIN 11-7 (WP:Miner) SWEEP
Mon, 5/18 - OFF
Tue, 5/19 Rangers - WIN 4-0 (WP:Willis)
Wed, 5/20 Rangers - WIN 5-3 (WP:Verlander)
Thu, 5/21 Rangers - WIN 4-3 (WP:Jackson) SWEEP
Fri, 5/22 Rockies - WIN 4-3 (WP:Porcello)
Sat, 5/23 Rockies - Lose 3-4 (LP: Galarraga)
Sun, 5/24 Rockies - Lose 1-3 (LP:Willis)
Mon, 5/25 at Royals - WIN 13-1 (WP:Verlander)
Tue, 5/26 at Royals - Lose 1-6 (LP: Jackson)
Wed, 5/27 at Royals - WIN 8-3 (WP:Porcello)
Thu, 5/28 at Orioles - Lose 1-5 (LP: Galarraga)
Fri, 5/29 at Orioles - Lose 2-7 (LP:Willis)
Sat, 5/30 at Orioles - WIN 6-3 (WP:Verlander)
Sun, 5/31 at Orioles - WIN 3-0 (WP:Jackson)
Mon, 6/1 - OFF
Tue, 6/2 Red Sox - Lose 1-5 (LP:Porcello)
Wed, 6/3 Red Sox - Lose 5-10 (LP: Galarraga)
Thu, 6/4 Red Sox - Lose 3-6 (LP:Willis)
Fri, 6/5 Angels - Lose 1-2 (LP: Rodney)
Sat, 6/6 Angels - WIN 2-1 (WP:Jackson)
Sun, 6/7 Angels - WIN 9-6 (WP: Zumaya)
Mon, 6/8 at White Sox - WIN 5-4 (WP: Zumaya)
Mon, 6/8 at White Sox - Lose 1-6 (LP: J. Bonderman)
Tue, 6/9 at White Sox - WIN 7-6 (10 innings) (WP: Lyon)
Wed, 6/10 at White Sox - WIN 2-1 (WP: J. Verlander)
Thu, 6/11 at White Sox - Lose 3-4 (LP: J. Zumaya)
Fri, 6/12 at Pirates - WIN 3-1 (WP: R. Porcello)
Sat, 6/13 at Pirates - Lose 3-9 (LP: Galarraga)
Sun, 6/14 at Pirates - Lose 3-6 (LP: Willis)
Mon, 6/15 - OFF
Tue, 6/16 at Cardinals - Lose 2-11 (LP: J. Verlander)
Wed, 6/17 at Cardinals - Lose 3-4 (LP: E. Jackson)
Thu, 6/18 at Cardinals - WIN 6-3 (WP: R. Porcello)
Fri, 6/19 Brewers - WIN 10-4 (WP: Z. Miner)
Sat, 6/20 Brewers - WIN 9-5 (WP: A. Figaro)
Sun, 6/21 Brewers - WIN 3-2 (WP: J. Verlander) SWEEP
Mon, 6/22 - OFF
Tue, 6/23 Cubs - WIN 5-4 (WP: Lyon)
Wed, 6/24 Cubs - WIN 5-3 (WP: Z. Miner)
Thu, 6/25 Cubs - WIN 6-5 (WP: A. Galarraga) SWEEP
Fri, 6/26 at Astros - Lose 4-5 (LP: J. Zumaya)
Sat, 6/27 at Astros - Lose 1-8 (LP: A. Figaro)
Sun, 6/28 at Astros - WIN 4-3 (WP: B. Seay)
Mon, 6/29 at Athletics - Lose 1-7 (LP: R. Porcello)
Tue, 6/30 at Athletics - WIN 5-3 (WP: A. Galarraga)

DET. TIGERS 2009 REG SEASON SCHEDULE & SCORES

WINS - 86 ; LOSES - 77

ESPN Tiger Game Link

All times Eastern Time

All games except those listed as FSN+, and FOX will be shown on FSN-DET

Click Score for box score.

Wed, 7/1 at Athletics - Lose 1-5 (LP: J. Verlander)
Thu, 7/2 - OFF
Fri, 7/3 at Twins - WIN 11-9 (WP: F. Dolsi) 16 innings
Sat, 7/4 at Twins - Lose 3-4 (LP: B. Lyon)
Sun, 7/5 at Twins - Lose 2-6 (LP: R. Porcello)
Mon, 7/6 Royals - Lose 3-4 (LP: F. Rodney)
Tue, 7/7 Royals - WIN 8-5 (WP: J. Verlander)
Wed, 7/8 Royals - WIN 3-1 (WP: L. French)
Thu, 7/9 - OFF
Fri, 7/10 Indians - WIN 5-1 (WP: E. Jackson)
Sat, 7/11 Indians - Lose 4-5 (LP: A. Galarraga)
Sun, 7/12 Indians - WIN 10-1 (WP: J. Verlander)
Mon, 7/13 - All-Star break
Tue, 7/14 - All-Star Game - AL 4 - NL 3
Thu, 7/16
Fri, 7/17 at Yankees - Lose 3-5 (LP: J. Zumaya)
Sat, 7/18 at Yankees - Lose 1-2 (LP: J. Verlander)
Sun, 7/19 at Yankees - Lose 1-2 (LP: E. Jackson)
Mon, 7/20 - OFF
Tue, 7/21 Mariners - WIN 9-7 (WP: R. Porcello)
Wed, 7/22 Mariners - Lose 1-2 (LP: B. Seay)
Thu, 7/23 Mariners - Lose 1-2 (LP: L. French)
Fri, 7/24 White Sox - WIN 5-1 (WP: J. Verlander)
Fri, 7/24 White Sox - WIN 4-3 (WP: B. Lyon)
Sat, 7/25 White Sox - WIN 4-3 (WP: F. Rodney)
Sun, 7/26 White Sox - Lose 1-5 (LP: R. Porcello)
Mon, 7/27 at Rangers - Lose 2-5 (LP: A. Galarraga)
Tue, 7/28 at Rangers - Lose 3-7 (LP: L. French)
Wed, 7/29 at Rangers - WIN 13-5 (WP: J. Verlander)
Thu, 7/30 - OFF
Fri, 7/31 at Indians - Lose 5-6 13 innings (LP: C. Fien)
Sat, 8/1 at Indians - WIN 4-3 12 innings (WP: B. Seay)
Sun, 8/2 at Indians - Lose 1-11 (LP: A. Galarraga)
Mon, 8/3 Orioles - WIN 6-5 (WP: F. Rodney)
Tue, 8/4 Orioles - Lose 2-8 (LP: J. Washburn)
Wed, 8/5 Orioles - WIN 4-2 (WP: E. Jackson)
Thu, 8/6 Orioles - WIN 7-3 (WP: R. Porcello)
Fri, 8/7 Twins - WIN 10-8 (WP: A. Galarraga)
Sat, 8/8 Twins - Lose 0-11 (LP: J. Verlander)
Sun, 8/9 Twins - WIN 8-7 (WP: B. Lyon)
Mon, 8/10 at Red Sox - Lose 5-6 (LP: Z. Miner)
Tue, 8/11 at Red Sox - Lose 5-7 (LP: C. Lambert)
Wed, 8/12 at Red Sox - Lose 2-8 (LP: Z. Miner)
Thu, 8/13 at Red Sox - WIN 2-0 (WP: J. Verlander)
Fri, 8/14 Royals - WIN 1-0 (WP: B. Lyon)
Sat, 8/15 Royals - WIN 10-3 (WP: E. Jackson)
Sun, 8/16 Royals - Lose 2-3 (LP: F. Rodney)
Mon, 8/17 - OFF
Tue, 8/18 Mariners - WIN 5-3 (WP: B. Seay)
Wed, 8/19 Mariners - Lose 1-3 (LP: J. Verlander)
Thu, 8/20 Mariners - WIN 7-6 (WP: B. Seay)
Fri, 8/21 at Athletics - WIN 3-2 (WP: E. Jackson)
Sat, 8/22 at Athletics - Lose 2-3 (LP: Z. Miner)
Sun, 8/23 at Athletics - Lose 4-9 (LP: R. Porcello)
Mon, 8/24 at Angels - WIN 10-7 (WP: J. Verlander)
Tue, 8/25 at Angels - WIN 5-3 (WP: J. Washburn)
Wed, 8/26 at Angels - Lose 2-4 (LP: E. Jackson)
Thu, 8/27 - OFF
Fri, 8/28 Rays - WIN 6-2 (WP: R. Porcello)
Sat, 8/29 Rays - Lose 1-3 (LP: N. Robertson)
Sun, 8/30 Rays - WIN 4-3 (WP: J. Verlander)
Mon, 8/31 Rays - Lose 7-11 (LP: J. Washburn)
Tue, 9/1 Indians - WIN 8-5 (WP: E. Jackson; SV: RODNEY #30)
Wed, 9/2 Indians - WIN 4-2 (WP: R. Porcello; SV: RODNEY #31)
Thu, 9/3 Indians - WIN 4-3 (WP: Z. Miner)
Fri, 9/4 at Rays - WIN 4-3 (WP: J. Verlander; SV: RODNEY #32)
Sat, 9/5 at Rays - WIN 8-6 (WP: B. Seay)
Sun, 9/6 at Rays - WIN 5-3 (WP: E. Jackson)
Mon, 9/7 - OFF
Tue, 9/8 at Royals - Lose 5-7 (LP: B. Seay)
Wed, 9/9 at Royals - Lose 1-5 (LP: J. Verlander)
Thu, 9/10 at Royals - Lose 4-7 (LP: Z. Miner)
Fri, 9/11 Blue Jays - Lose 4-6 (LP: N. Robertson)
Sat, 9/12 Blue Jays - Lose 6-8 (LP: F. Rodney)
Sun, 9/13 Blue Jays - WIN 7-2 (WP: R. Porcello)
Mon, 9/14 Blue Jays - WIN 6-5 IN 10 INNINGS (WP: B. Seay)
Tue, 9/15 Royals - Lose 1-11 (LP: J. Washburn)
Wed, 9/16 Royals - WIN 4-3 (WP: Z. Miner; SV: RODNEY #33)
Thu, 9/17 Royals - Lose 2-9 (LP: E. Jackson)
Fri, 9/18 at Twins - Lose 0-3 (LP: R. Porcello)
Sat, 9/19 at Twins - Lose 2-6 (LP: J. Verlander)
Sun, 9/20 at Twins - WIN 6-2 (WP: N. Robertson)
Mon, 9/21 - OFF
Tue, 9/22 at Indians - WIN 3-1 (WP: E. Jackson; SV: RODNEY #34)
Wed, 9/23 at Indians - WIN 11-3 (WP: R. Porcello)
Thu, 9/24 at Indians - WIN 6-5 (WP: J. Verlander; SV: RODNEY #35)
Fri, 9/25 at White Sox - Lose 0-2 (LP: E. Bonine)
Sat, 9/26 at White Sox - WIN 12-5 (WP: A. Figaro)
Sun, 9/27 at White Sox - Lose 4-8 (LP: E. Jackson)
Mon, 9/28 Twins - 7:05p - RAIN OUT
Tue, 9/29 Twins - 12:05p - Lose 2-3 (LP: B. Lyon)
Tue, 9/29 Twins - 7:05p - WIN 6-5 (WP: J. Verlander; SV: RODNEY #36)
Wed, 9/30 Twins - 7:05p - WIN 7-2 (WP: E. Bonine)
Thu, 10/1 Twins - 1:05p - Lose 3-8 (LP: N. Robertson)
Fri, 10/2 White Sox - Lose 0-8 (LP: E. Jackson)
Sat, 10/3 White Sox - Lose 1-5 (LP: A. Figaro)
Sun, 10/4 White Sox - WIN 5-3 (WP: J. Verlander; SV: RODNEY #37)
Tue, 10/6 Twins - Lose tie breaker 5-6 in 12 innings (LP: F. Rodney)

Reserved for possible expansion

A Look At FOX And ESPN's Early Baseball Schedule For 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Hey, it's snowing outside and we're in the midst of Super Bowl week, so what better time to share some Baseball news and schedules with you? ESPN is planning on bringing you around 80 games in 2009 and FOX is planning it's normal set of two or three regional games each Saturday. Here's your first look....

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball:
Atlanta at Philadelphia (April 5th, ESPN2)
Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee (April 12th)
St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (April 19th)
New York Yankees at Boston (April 26th)
Chicago White Sox at Texas (May 3rd)
Tampa Bay at Boston (May 10th)
New York Mets at San Francisco (May 17th)
Milwaukee at Minnesota (May 24th)
Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (May 31st)
St. Louis at Chicago Cubs (July 12th)
New York Mets at Atlanta (July 19th)

FOX Saturday Baseball:

April 11th
Boston @ LA Angels
Minnesota @ Chicago White Sox
Houston @ St. Louis

April 18th
Cleveland @ NY Yankees
St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs
LA Angels @ Minnesota

April 25th
NY Yankees @ Boston
Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis

May 2nd
NY Mets @ Philadelphia
Houston @ Atlanta
Cleveland @ Detroit

May 9th
Tampa Bay @ Boston
San Francisco @ LA Dodgers
Atlanta @ Philadelphia

May 16th
NY Mets @ San Francisco
Cleveland @ Tampa Bay
LA Angels @ Texas

May 23rd
Philadelphia @ NY Yankees
Houston @ Texas

May 30th
LA Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs
Atlanta @ Arizona
Minnesota @ Tampa Bay

June 6th
Philadelphia @ LA Dodgers
Cleveland @ Chicago White Sox
Minnesota @ Seattle

June 13th
NY Mets @ NY Yankees
St. Louis @ Cleveland
Chicago White Sox @ Milwaukee

June 20th
Tampa Bay @ New York Mets
LA Dodgers @ LA Angels
Milwaukee @ Detroit

June 27th
Boston @ Atlanta
LA Angels @ Arizona
Chicago Cubs @ Chicago White Sox

July 4th
New York Mets @ Philadelphia
Oakland @ Cleveland
Detroit @ Minnesota

July 11th
NY Yankees @ LA Angels
St. Louis @ Chicago Cubs

July 18th
NY Mets @ Atlanta
Houston @ LA Dodgers
Baltimore @ Chicago White Sox

July 25th
St. Louis @ Philadelphia
Minnesota @ LA Angels
Chicago White Sox @ Detroit

August 1st
Chicago White Sox @ NY Yankees
LA Dodgers @ Atlanta
Houston @ St Louis

August 8th
Boston @ NY Yankees
Texas @ LA Angels

August 15th
Philadelphia @ Atlanta
LA Dodgers @ Arizona
Cleveland @ Minnesota

August 22nd
NY Yankees @ Boston
Chicago Cubs @ LA Dodgers

August 29th
NY Mets @ Chicago Cubs
Houston @ Arizona
Tampa Bay @ Detroit

September 5th
Boston @ Chicago White Sox
San Francisco @ Milwaukee
Minnesota @ Cleveland

September 12th
NY Mets @ Philadelphia
Chicago White Sox @ LA Angels
Atlanta @ St. Louis

September 19th
Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis
San Francisco @ LA Dodgers
Detroit @ Minnesota

September 26th
TBD

October 3rd
TBD

Interesting collection of games, and taking a quick look through both the Cubs and Cardinals will be getting the lion's share of appearances on each network. Of course the ESPN schedule is only through July, and that could change, but prepare yourself for a good number of NL Central games this coming season. Here's the team breakdown....

Cubs- 12
Cardinals- 11
Mets, Dodgers, Twins, White Sox, Braves- 10
Angels, Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox- 9
Indians- 8
Astros, Tigers, Rays- 6
Giants, Brewers- 5
Rangers, Diamondbacks- 4
A's, Mariners, O's- 1
Blue Jays, Marlins, Padres, Nationals, Pirates, Reds, Rockies, Royals- 0

Posted by Awful Announcing at 3:22 PM

02/09/09 11:54 AM EST
Full Tigers season to be televised
FOX Sports Detroit will again handle whole slate of baseball

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The entire Tigers schedule will be on television for the second consecutive year, including a record 156 games on FOX Sports Detroit.

The network announced its television lineup for its 12th season of Tigers broadcasts on Monday, including four Spring Training contests. Detroit's March 16 afternoon matchup against the Cardinals, March 19 evening tilt with the Braves, March 22 day game against the Marlins and March 29 meeting with the Braves will all be shown on FOX Sports Detroit. The March 16 game will be re-broadcast at 7 p.m. ET.

All but six regular-season games are slated to run on FOX Sports Detroit, most of them in high definition. The other six are Saturday contests currently on the schedule for the FOX Saturday Game of the Week -- May 2 against the Indians, June 20 against the Brewers, July 4 at Minnesota, July 25 against the White Sox, August 29 against the American League champion Rays and Sept. 19 at the Twins.

On the FS Detroit games, the broadcasting tandem of play-by-play voice Mario Impemba and analyst Rod Allen returns. They've handled the call on Tigers games every year since 2003.

"FOX Sports Detroit continues to provide our fans with an entertaining telecast, giving tremendous insight to the ballclub during each and every game," Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. "As an organization, we strive to offer Tigers fans the best entertainment value both at Comerica Park, and through our partners. FOX Sports Detroit is simply the best in their coverage of Tigers baseball."

The partnership with the Tigers has likewise worked out well for FOX Sports Detroit, which was the most watched primetime television outlet in metro Detroit from March 31 through July 31 last year. FS Detroit broadcast 150 games in 2008, with the rest split between FOX Saturday afternoons and ESPN Sunday night games.

Because the network also broadcasts Red Wings and Pistons games, two Tigers games that conflict with other matchups in the opening week -- Wednesday, April 8 at Toronto and Saturday, April 11 against Texas -- will be shown on FS Detroit Plus, an auxiliary channel available for cable and satellite broadcasters in Michigan and northwest Ohio.

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

I hate all those games on FOX


I like my Saturday baseball at night



Especially in the summer

When they have the FOX Sat. games, I totally get shut out. No MLB.TV and with the games they have scheduled, I get the FOX Sat. feed from one of the other two match ups!

Verlander's early woes sink Tigers
Righty gives up eight runs; Inge, Granderson go deep

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/06/09 10:13 PM ET

Box >

TORONTO -- Justin Verlander's progress in Spring Training dissipated under the lights of Rogers Centre on Opening Night. Adam Lind and Lyle Overbay drove in two runs apiece in a four-run opening inning before Lind's three-run homer in the fourth sent the Tigers on their way to a 12-5 loss to the Blue Jays Monday.

A combination of mechanical adjustments and better tempo by Verlander in Spring Training set him up for a turnaround season. Monday, however, showed he has more work to do to stay consistent under regular-season action. While he made a point to work his curveball early and often for strikes, his fastball deserted him at times. In the case of the opening inning, it left him after he retired Toronto's first two batters.

Once Verlander (0-1) lost Alex Rios to a full-count walk, Vernon Wells doubled to set up Lind's soft liner into right field to open the scoring. A hit-by-pitch to Scott Rolen extended the inning for Overbay, who lined a double into the gap in left-center field for two more runs.

After Travis Snider homered and Marco Scutaro tripled with one out in the fourth, a Rios double and Wells walk brought out manager Jim Leyland to end Verlander's night. Lind greeted reliever Eddie Bonine with a drive over the fence in center.

The 12 runs were the most the Tigers surrendered on Opening Day since a 15-8 loss to the White Sox in 1908.

Curtis Granderson's fourth-inning solo homer marked Detroit's lone tally through six innings off Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay (1-0) before the Tigers tried to slug their way back into the game in the seventh. Carlos Guillen and Gerald Laird drove in a run each before Brandon Inge hit an opposite-field two-run homer.

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

I want a do-over

SoulRat wrote:

I want a do-over

Me,too

Tigers suffer walk-off loss
Relievers give away Jackson's solid debut

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/07/09 9:56 PM ET

Box >

TORONTO -- Edwin Jackson's stellar Tigers debut fell to a Jays rally off Detroit's bullpen. Aaron Hill's two-run homer in the eighth inning brought Toronto back from what was at one point a three-run deficit, then Rod Barajas' game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth sent Detroit to a 5-4 loss Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

One night after Justin Verlander used 35 pitches in a four-run opening inning and failed to get out of the fourth, Jackson set up his bullpen for what should've been a short night and gave Toronto hitters fits with 7 1/3 innings of two-hit ball. Vernon Wells' double leading off the second inning was Toronto's lone hit against Jackson until Scott Rolen homered leading off the eighth.

After Rolen put the Jays on the scoreboard, Brandon Inge's throwing error on Lyle Overbay's ensuing ground ball brought the potential tying run at the plate. Jackson retired Rod Barajas before giving way to Bobby Seay, who got the second out on a close play at second base for a fielder's choice.

That set up Brandon Lyon for his own Tigers debut, which proved to be much more of a struggle. Marco Scutaro's single through the middle not only extended the inning for Hill, it made him the go-ahead run. Hill reached for a first-pitch breaking ball and lofted it over the left-field fence for a lead that didn't last long.

Two outs shy of defeat, Inge slugged the Tigers back into it with his second home run in as many nights, this one a game-tying solo shot off Jays closer B.J. Ryan (1-0). Given another inning, however, Lyon's one-out walk to Adam Lind put him back into trouble once Rolen singled him into scoring position.

Lyon (0-1) intentionally walked Overbay to set up the force play, but Barajas worked out of a 1-2 count to loft a fly ball to deep left-center field, easily scoring Lind.

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

I want another do-over

Starting to look like last year.

No more Lyon in closer situations! I would even suggest that if he does not turn things around..... he will be released by June!

Miner, power performance net first win
Cabrera's two homers, Inge's long ball too much for Jays

By Jason Beck / MLB.com
04/08/09 9:35 PM ET

Box >

TORONTO -- Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs, including a tape-measure shot to the depths of Rogers Centre, and Brandon Inge set a franchise record with his third home run in as many games this season, powering the Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

Most consecutive games with HR to start season since 1990
Player	Season	Games
Mark McGwire	1998	4
Brandon Inge	2009	3
Grady Sizemore	2007	3
Charles Johnson	2004	3
Lance Berkman	2002	3
Derrek Lee	2002	3
Gary Sheffield	2002	3
Chris Truby	2001	3
Fernando Tatis	1999	3
Dean Palmer	1992	3
Kevin Mithcell	1991	3

Cabrera, who needed two weeks to get his second home run after homering on Opening Day last season, needed just a couple at-bats once he finally slugged his way onto the home run roll. After Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez hit back-to-back singles in the opening inning off Jays starter Jesse Litsch (0-1), Cabrera pounced on Litsch's first-pitch fastball and sent it screaming over the left-field fence for a three-run shot.

Litsch contained the Tigers' offense from there until Cabrera came up with two outs in the fifth. Cabrera centered another fastball and sent it deeper than the first homer, driving it off the facing of the Windows Restaurant along the second deck in straightaway center. An unofficial estimate from Blue Jays later placed it at about 440 feet.

Cabrera has reached base safely in nine out of 12 plate appearances this season, but he hadn't rounded the bases with a homer until Wednesday. Inge, on the other hand, had a homer streak going. His sixth-inning solo shot continued that streak into what is believed to be record territory. No Tiger had homered in the club's first three games of the season since at least 1954, which is as far back as records are available.

The combined power display provided the run support for Tigers starter Zach Miner (1-0) to put his sinker to work for 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. He allowed the first four batters to reach base safely, including back-to-back doubles from Marco Scutaro and Aaron Hill to start the game and score Toronto's lone run off Miner.

After Bobby Seay retired all four batters he faced, Ryan Perry made his Major League debut with a scoreless eighth, setting up Fernando Rodney for his first save of the year.

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

Rodney didn't get a save

Oh well, we won so I guess I won't complain too much about Beck's article.

I remember Chris Truby. Hard to believe he hit 3 homers in one year, let alone in 3 consecutive games.

Whoo Zach Miner! Good thing Cabrera's having a nice start to the year, we're gonna need him to perform if we want any success.

catbox_9 wrote:

Rodney didn't get a save

Oh well, we won so I guess I won't complain too much about Beck's article.

BECK has messed up a lot lately.

Homers hurt Porcello in debut
Rookie starter taken deep twice in five-plus innings

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/09/09 3:20 PM ET

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TORONTO -- The first-ever meeting of two first-round Draft picks making their Major League debuts as opposing pitchers went against Rick Porcello. The 20-year-old battled his nerves and the Blue Jays before Adam Lind's go-ahead home run sparked a four-run sixth inning, sending the Tigers on their way to a 6-2 loss Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Not only did the dueling rookies dominate the attention leading into the finale to this four-game series, they pretty much commanded the game itself until the later innings. While Romero (1-0) recovered from a pair of Detroit third-inning runs, one of them on Curtis Granderson's second home run of the series, Porcello recovered from several hitters' counts to keep Toronto from big hits.

Porcello's nasty breaking ball to Michael Barrett stranded runners at the corners in the second inning with a called third strike. His two-seamer induced a swing and miss from Travis Snider to strand two in the fourth after Barrett singled in Toronto's first run.

Porcello (0-1) rebounded from Aaron Hill's game-tying solo homer in the fifth to rack up back-to-back strikeouts on Alex Rios and Vernon Wells. But with a 1-2 count on Lind leading off the sixth, Porcello lost a curveball high and away, allowing Lind to send it deep to center for his seventh RBI of the series.

Jose Bautista's ensuing infield single brought out manager Jim Leyland to make the pitching change, but it didn't contain the damage. Nate Robertson recorded back-to-back outs and nearly sent down Snider before the Jays rookie belted Robertson's full-count delivery off the right-field fence for an RBI double. Marco Scutaro followed with a two-run homer to put Toronto comfortably ahead.

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

Galarraga shines in home opener
Righty allows one run in seven innings vs. former team

By Jason Beck / MLB.com
04/10/09 4:04 PM ET
Updated: 04/10/09 6:22 PM ET

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DETROIT -- It couldn't have been a much better day for the Tigers to return to Comerica Park. It was as even better day for Armando Galarraga.

After worrying all week about snow and cold for his home-opener assignment, he arrived at the ballpark Friday to find sunny skies and 50-degree temperatures awaiting him. The Tigers offense that struggled to put up big numbers in Toronto found its stride back on this side of the border and almost matched its scoring total from its previous four games combined. The sellout crowd that could've been tough on a struggling squad came to the park ready for a win.

Galarraga also watched Miguel Cabrera put up a grand slam, three hits and six more RBIs.

And with seven innings of solid pitching in the 15-2 victory over the Rangers, Galarraga not only became the first pitcher to shut down the mighty Texas offense, he gave the Rangers another reminder that they made a bad move in trading him.

OK, maybe he's past the last part.

"No, this is over," Galarraga said after the game. "Last year was probably more special, because I wanted to show the guys they lost something good. It's over."

It might be over, but it isn't forgotten. Galarraga, however, chooses to remember it now in a good way.

For all the fireworks Detroit's offense provided in its first double-digit outburst of the year, erasing the bitter taste of three losses in four games to the Jays, Galarraga's performance was arguably as big of a statement. He earned the home-opener assignment partly as a reward for his 13-win season last year, but he entered the year facing questions over whether he could do it again, or whether his season was a fluke.

It's one start and nothing is guaranteed to come, but at least the fluke part seems to be answered. A Rangers team that scored 29 runs over a three-game sweep of Cleveland managed a one run off Galarraga on a bloop single, and he was disappointed he gave up that much.

"That's one of the better offenses in baseball, there's no question about that," manager Jim Leyland said. "That's not easy to do what he did today. It was a tremendous, tremendous performance, and that's pitching. That's what we call pitch-ability."

By pitch-ability, Leyland means the ability to execute pitches that hitters that don't expect and never allow them to get their balance. The fact that it was Galarraga doing it is something few would've expected out of the young starter a year ago.

None of the Rangers' five hits went for extra bases, and nothing they hit was particularly hard. Making contact was tough enough over the first five innings, with six strikeouts among 17 batters, including stars Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. Galarraga threw sliders with enough bite that few were hit solidly, and he used the inside part of the plate liberally.

Galarraga sent down 10 Rangers in an 11-batter stretch from the second inning through the fifth. Five went down by strikeout. Only Young got the ball out of the infield in that stretch. Not until Hank Blalock's blooper to center with two outs in the sixth did the Rangers finally get on the scoreboard, plating Elvis Andrus.

"He used all his pitches," Leyland said. "He threw changeups in fastball counts. He threw breaking balls in fastball counts. He threw fastballs in breaking-ball counts. He had command of the strike zone. That was a stellar pitching performance. That's what a pitcher's supposed to look like."

That's what Galarraga wants his pitches to look like. It was the best he thinks he has ever thrown his breaking ball, and it was another step of improvement for his changeup.

"The changeup is better and better," Galarraga said, "and it's going to be the key to this year, making it better than last year."

He worked on it in the offseason. For that matter, he worked quite a bit, trying to duplicate his work from last year. That's the legacy he thinks the Rangers have left him.

Galarraga won't forget the brief stint he had with the Rangers down the stretch in 2007, struggling in a couple relief appearances and one start. The Rangers took him off the 40-man roster that winter for Jason Jennings, prompting the trade to the Tigers just before Spring Training last year. By then, however, Galarraga had long since been working to prove a point.

"When I got called up and worked in the bullpen and didn't throw for five days -- and threw one inning and got hit -- when the season [was] over, I said, 'If I want to keep going in baseball, I need to work to get a hundred times better, to make me a better pitcher,'" Galarraga said. "That's what I did. Actually, I have to say, 'Thank you' to Texas."

The Tigers are certainly thankful.

Not only did the Tigers score early on Texas starter Kris Benson (0-1) thanks to Gerald Laird's second-inning RBI sacrifice fly and Carlos Guillen third-inning sacrifice fly, they added on in bunches.

The crushing blow came after Benson gave up three straight singles and hit Placido Polanco. Benson briefly recovered to strike out Magglio Ordonez, but left his first pitch to Cabrera up enough for Cabrera to hit out on a line to left-center field, an estimated 424-foot blast.

Cabrera has reached base safely 14 times in 20 plate appearances this year, including a two-run double off the left-field fence to cap a six-run seventh inning.

"We know we're a good offensive club," Leyland said. "We got into a little bit of a funk, and we broke out of it."

Galarraga, by contrast, simply picked up where he left off last year.

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

Tigers hurlers stymie Rangers in win
Led by Verlander, Detroit pitchers give up just two hits

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/11/09 5:45 PM ET

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DETROIT -- Justin Verlander made the adjustment he needed. So did the Tigers.

"I think those were the games that we were losing last year," Verlander said of Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rangers.

He meant the games where a mistake or two come back to haunt them -- in Saturday's case, errors from Brandon Inge and Adam Everett that set up Josh Hamilton's two-run single to pull Texas ahead in the fifth inning. Last year, those games usually wrapped up with the opposition taking the momentum and running away with the game.

Instead, the Tigers answered the Rangers' rally by tying the game in the bottom of the inning, then pulling ahead for good in the sixth. It was Everett who scored the go-ahead run. The bullpen combined for four perfect innings to make sure Texas couldn't get back in the game.

Last year, it would often take just one thing to go wrong for the rest of the game to fall apart. Saturday, the entire team seemingly picked up the effort once they fell behind.

"I think we showed a lot of guts today," Verlander said. "A lot of teams could've folded after an inning like that. A lot of players could've folded. I don't feel like any of our guys did, especially Inge and Everett.

"There was a turning point in the game where guys could've shut it down, and we didn't. We continued to battle. We came back. It was a group effort. It really was."

Verlander certainly didn't fold. His popout on Nelson Cruz in the fifth stranded the bases loaded and kept it a one-run game for his bullpen. Instead of regretting not getting the victory on his record, he valued the win for what it means to the team.

Robertson hasn't folded since his disappointing move to the bullpen. His two perfect innings earned him his first Major League win in relief. And after the game, he said nothing about a starting job.

"Everybody has to get the job done in order for this team to win, regardless of where you're at, starting of relieving," Robertson said.

Fernando Rodney didn't fold after the Tigers signed Brandon Lyon to be a late-innings reliever this spring and compete for the closer's job. By the time he got his second out on the way to striking out the side in order, many of the fans from the crowd of 28,693 were chanting his name.

"He's in a good mindset," manager Jim Leyland said.

So was Verlander.

Leyland suggested after Verlander's Opening Day defeat that Verlander could be more effective throwing at 92-93 mph rather than 96, that pitching without maximum effort could give him better movement on his pitches and stronger stamina for the later innings.

Verlander took Leyland's suggestions and ran with them.

Verlander threw without maximum effort, yet still hit 96 mph, topping out at 98 on several pitches in his fifth and final inning. The run on his fastball backed it up, even if Verlander didn't always control it.

Verlander walked four batters over five innings, but struck out eight. The two hits were the Rangers' only hits of the day and accounted for all of their runs. Hank Blalock hit a solo home run in the second, then Hamilton singled, fisting one of Verlander's breaking balls and putting it into left field.

"There's a difference between throwing 94 [with maximum] effort and 94 easy," Leyland said. "And today, he threw a lot of them easy."

Verlander credited sound mechanics to his adjustments from Spring Training and an extra tweak to change the position of his glove.

"Today, maybe 10 pitches were max effort. The rest of them were just [easy]. I know a few of them were just good, clean mechanics and not trying to overthrow, just trying to make a quality pitch, and I'd look back [at the radar gun] and it's 96, 97. And that's what I worked on getting back to."

Verlander threw 21 pitches in his third inning thanks to back-to-back, two-out walks, forcing him to strike out Hamilton for the third out. He came back with an easy fourth and nearly had an inning-ending double play to end the fifth until Inge's errant throw to second base. After Verlander struck out Ian Kinsler, he seemingly got an inning-ending grounder from Michael Young, but Everett struggled to get the ball out of his glove, allowing just enough time for Elvis Andrus to beat his throw to second. Hamilton's single followed.

The first of two Placido Polanco doubles put him in scoring position to lead off the bottom of the inning, setting up Marcus Thames' sacrifice fly. After Robertson (1-0) shut down the Rangers in the sixth, Everett rebounded from a hit-and-run play gone awry with his second single of the day, putting him in place to score on Polanco's second double. This one was a two-out hit down the left-field line as Everett took off for home. Everett slid in safely.

"Fortunately, we won," said Everett, who singled in Detroit's first two runs in the second inning off starter Matt Harrison (0-1). "But unfortunately for Justin, it cost him some extra pitches, and he had too many to go out the next inning. He was throwing the ball very well, obviously."

Verlander threw eight extra pitches after Everett's error, pushing him to 97 pitches after five instead of 89. Robertson's effectiveness took care of that, and Verlander wasn't worried about it afterward.

His point was that they got the win, and a good win at that.

"It's nice to see us win ballgames like that," Verlander said. "I don't think I've seen us win too many like that in the recent past."

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

Inge starts, finishes Tigers' comeback
Infielder leads off eighth with homer, then drives in winning runs

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/12/09 6:00 PM ET

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DETROIT -- The Tigers had already been shut out twice at this point last season. The way Kevin Millwood handled them Sunday, they were six outs away from their first blanking of this season. Even if they scored, overcoming a four-run deficit was another challenge.

Three outs, six runs and two Brandon Inge hits later, they were on their way to a victory. They didn't need the ninth inning.

"They have to make 27 outs," said Carlos Guillen, whose two-run double in the eighth tied the game ahead of Inge's go-ahead, two-run single for a 6-4 win over the Rangers at Comerica Park.

Twenty-one outs were about the limit for Millwood with his pitch total. Once he left, the Tigers pounced.

When Inge took left-hander C.J. Wilson deep for his fourth home run of the season to lead off the eighth, he merely ended the shutout bid. Little could he have known that he would be back up for another critical at-bat in the same inning, having a chance to put Detroit on top.

In between was a combination of timely hits, a critical Rangers error, a Guillen injury and a pair of intentional walks. One of those walks went to Miguel Cabrera, who became the eventual go-ahead run. Cabrera scored on Inge's second hit of the inning, which concluded an opening-week offensive surge that has confounded scouting reports.

"I'm very appreciative and happy the way things are turning out," Inge said, "and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface on this. I feel that I can help out a lot more."

Inge homered in Detroit's first three games, but the Tigers won only one of them. He was 1-for-10 since then, including two groundouts during Millwood's seven scoreless innings, until he stepped up to the plate leading off the eighth. He hadn't abandoned his revamped approach -- he just wasn't getting results.

When he jumped on Wilson's slider and drove it deep to right, he tied Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria for the Major League lead with his fourth homer. The Tigers, however, were still three runs down.

"It's very easy to try to do too much," Inge said. "I was trying to actually not do a lot, and that was the home run. I was just trying to take the ball to right field, a nice little base hit to right, and ended up hitting the home run."

All the hits that followed were nice, little ones. Adam Everett escaped an 0-2 count with an opposite-field liner on an offspeed pitch. After an Elvis Andrus error put Curtis Granderson on base, Placido Polanco bounced a chopper over third baseman Michael Young and down the right-field line to make it a 4-2 game with the tying run on base.

Once Wilson recovered to strike out Magglio Ordonez, the Rangers walked Cabrera rather than give him a chance to put Detroit on top with one swing.

"Nobody wants to face Cabrera," said an understanding Guillen, who followed him to the plate.

With Guillen in an 0-2 count, it seemed like shrewd strategy. But Guillen laid off two high fastballs, then fought off a nasty breaking ball to stay alive for one more slider, which he snuck inside the left-field line to drive in the game-tying run.

"Unbelievable," manager Jim Leyland said. "Great at-bat."

That was it for Guillen, whose sore Achilles' heel flared up on his way into second before Josh Anderson pinch-ran for him. He's considered day-to-day.

Warner Madrigal came in and intentionally walked Marcus Thames, then struck out Gerald Laird with the bases loaded for the second out. Then back came Inge, this time against a pitcher who struggled with his command on Friday and looked difficult to hit on Sunday.

"I watched what he did to Laird," Inge said. "It was a matter of staying in and making sure I got a strike from him, because he seemed kind of wild at that point. He throws the ball hard, so you have to be ready."

Madrigal nearly hit Inge with his first pitch, then came back to the fastball like Inge expected. Again, Inge didn't try to pummel it, simply lining it back through the middle as the Easter crowd roared.

Inge ended up as the bookends of the comeback, and Sunday was the cap to an incredible opening week. And the team that came home from Toronto seemingly struggling has a sweep of a Rangers club that was hot heading into the weekend.

"If today was the ending, it would be about as happy of an ending as I could get as far as the turnaround," Inge said. "There's a lot of ups and downs in my career here."

The Tigers, meanwhile, are on a huge upswing.

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

Miner roughed up as Tigers fall to Sox
Starter lifted after giving up three home runs in early going

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

04/13/09 11:37 PM ET

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DETROIT -- The Tigers and White Sox showed some surprising pop on a day when the wind was blowing in at Comerica Park, but the result stayed true to form for recent years. Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko hit back-to-back home runs for their 300th career homers, and Carlos Quentin added a two-homer game to outslug the Tigers in a 10-6 Detroit loss on Monday.

Dye and Konerko became the first pair of teammates to hit century-mark homers 300 or higher in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Tigers starter Zach Miner (1-1) was on the hook for both second-inning solo shots, as well as Konerko's two-run double in the third inning and Quentin's two-run homer in the fourth that knocked Miner out of the game.

"I felt like I had a pretty good plan," Miner said. "I just couldn't execute. It was just one of those days."

Miner allowed eight runs -- tying his career high -- on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. The White Sox needed all that offense to earn starter Gavin Floyd (1-1) a victory despite his similar struggles on a cold, dry day when neither pitcher could seemingly grip the ball well.

"I think both starting pitchers had a bad day," manager Jim Leyland said, "and ours was a little worse than theirs. I doubt that either one of them would've had that kind of day under normal conditions. I'm not making excuses. That's just the way it is."

Ramon Santiago's three-run homer and Josh Anderson's two-run double in the fifth briefly put the Tigers back into the game, but Detroit's bullpen -- which had retired 23 straight batters over a three-game stretch -- couldn't stop the add-on runs.

Quentin hit his second homer off reliever Eddie Bonine before Konerko, a triple shy of the cycle, doubled in Dye for his fourth hit of the afternoon.

The win moved the White Sox back into a tie with the Royals, who defeated the Indians, for first in the AL Central by a half-game over the Tigers, whose sweep of the Rangers briefly moved them into first place in the division for the first time since August 16, 2007. The White Sox have won the season series from the Tigers in each of the last four years, including at Comerica Park.

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

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
White Sox 10, Tigers 6
Tigers fall on chilly day in Detroit
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

Detroit -- This was before the devastating news about Mark Fidrych's death. This was about the simple loss of a game, not the startling loss of a local icon.

As far as what took place on the field for the Tigers on Monday, however, there are worse things than losing your eighth game.

There's winning it, for instance, after opening the season with seven losses -- as the Tigers did last year.

So which would you rather be looking at, 2008 or '09, despite the difference in eighth-game outcomes? Thought so.

The reason it's easy sometimes to dissect a defeat such as the Tigers' 10-6 loss to the White Sox at frigid Comerica Park is because extenuating circumstances make it a game without trends.

The circumstance this time was the cold.

"It was tough to throw even when you kept loose between innings," said a Tiger.

A Tigers' pitcher?

No. An outfielder. Left fielder Josh Anderson said he couldn't get loose in the cold despite doing everything he could to do so.

"It had to be real rough on those pitchers," said Anderson.

It was.

Zach Miner wasn't good as the Tigers' starter. In fact, he was terrible. He had no feel for the ball. That was evident.

"He just had a bad day," manager Jim Leyland said.

Miner couldn't throw the ball where he wanted to much of the time, and when he did, it was without the movement that made him effective in his first start.

But has he suddenly become a bad pitcher? Will one garbage start lead to another? Trend questions don't even come into play when it's 37 degrees at game time, rising only to 38.

In all likelihood, it's not going to be so cold the next time Miner pitches that his eyes tear up after his delivery.

Besides, Gavin Floyd of the White Sox, who lasted long enough for the victory, wasn't exactly a showstopper, either.

Miner allowed eight runs on nine hits, including three home runs, in 3 1/3 innings. Floyd walked seven in five. Pick your poison.

Except for Ramon Santiago's three-run shot in the third, Floyd kept the Tigers in the yard, but needed help. Had Dewayne Wise not made an outstanding catch of Santiago's bid for extra bases in the fifth, separating his right shoulder in the process, the Tigers would have done much more damage than closing within 8-6.

But they didn't -- and there's no way to make it read like anything but the ugly game it was.

Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko had reason to enjoy it, hitting their 300th career home runs back-to-back in the second inning. Carlos Quentin hit two home runs.

Nearly everyone else, however, spent the day shivering.

tom.gage@detnews.com

Tigers-White Sox rained out, rotation shuffled
Updated with pitching matchups in bold ...
BECK'S BLOG

The first cold, rainy day of the season in the Motor City proved too wet for the Tigers and White Sox. Tuesday's scheduled afternoon game has been postponed.

Rain was intermittent all morning and into the early afternoon. It was expected to continue throughout the day and into the evening.

No announcement was immediately available on a makeup date, but the two teams have plenty of options. In addition to common off-days April 30, June 15 and June 22, the White Sox come back to Detroit for two more series this year, a three-game set July 24-26 and the final weekend of the season, Oct. 2-4.

Tuesday was supposed to be the first career start at Comerica Park for Tigers rookie starter Rick Porcello. Given the conditions and the way they affected starters Zach Miner and Gavin Floyd on Monday, however, it might not have been a fair glimpse for fans at Detroit's top prospect. Both Miner and Floyd seemingly struggled to find a grip on baseballs, and their command suffered.

With Tuesday's rainout, plus scheduled off-days coming Thursday and next Monday, the Tigers shuffled their pitching rotation after the announcement. Porcello will make his next start Sunday at Seattle. Armando Galarraga will make his scheduled start Wednesday, followed by Justin Verlander on the road Friday and Edwin Jackson on Saturday. Galarraga is expected to start again next Tuesday against the Angels.

That leaves Zach Miner out of the rotation for the time being until the Tigers need a fifth starter again late next week.

* Posted on April 14, 2009 at 1:18 PM

Galarraga pitches Tigers past Sox
Righty goes 6 1/3 scoreless; Polanco breaks things open

By Jason Beck / MLB.com
04/15/09 4:10 PM ET

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DETROIT -- Seven months after Armando Galarraga's season-ending relief appearance against the White Sox turned out badly, the Tigers starter was ready for Chicago's South Side sluggers. While Galarraga shut down the Sox for 6 1/3 innings, Placido Polanco's two-run double and Miguel Cabrera's solo homer powered the Tigers toward a 9-0 victory Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Galarraga (2-0) dueled White Sox starter Jose Contreras in a scoreless battle for the first half of the game, then provided the shutdown inning in the sixth once the Tigers took command. He struck out Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome consecutively once Josh Fields' one-out triple gave the White Sox an early scoring threat. He had also set down the side after back-to-back singles from Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski started the fifth.

Contreras (0-2) was just about as dominant early, allowing two hits through four innings, before back-to-back one-out walks in the fifth set up Detroit to move ahead. Contreras got the second out, but left a pitch up for Polanco to drive over center fielder Brian Anderson and to the wall as both runners scored.

Cabrera, who had cooled off a bit from his hot start last week, led off the sixth with a line drive over the left-field fence for his fourth home run and 11th RBI of the season. Ramon Santiago's two-run single later that inning and Cabrera's RBI single in the seventh put the game away.

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

Keep playing Santiago Leyland

Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tigers 9 White Sox 0
Armando Galarraga outstanding in Tigers' victory
Miguel Cabrera adds a homer and two RBIs
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

Detroit -- Armando Galarraga was outstanding in his second start Wednesday.

Miguel Cabrera did what he does -- hitting his fourth home run and driving in another run with a single -- as the Tigers trounced the White Sox 9-0 in a game that had the deceiving look of a duel through four innings.

That's 12 RBIs for Cabrera, who also did what he doesn't -- stealing his first base in nearly a year.

Placido Polanco knocked in three runs, Big Time Charlie -- Charlie being Ramon Santiago, who jokingly referred to himself as that after hitting a three-run home run against the Sox Monday -- singled in two.

As you can see, everything went well.

From Bobby Seay getting A.J. Pierzynski, the only batter he faced, to hit into a double play in the seventh to the Tigers tacking on more than enough runs to put the game out of reach.

One more thing.

The most important event of the day, as far as the evolution of a kid pitcher is concerned, took place during the eighth inning with rookie right-hander Ryan Perry on the mound.

Perry was wild. Four of his 18 pitches were up and in, nearly hitting the White Sox batters who eventually took exception. At one point, depending on how angry Josh Fields was going to get, the scene could have gotten ugly. Pierzynski was looking out at the mound from the dugout. Two other White Sox were headed up the steps. The moment was tense.

"After the fourth one, I just wanted to tell him to calm down," Fields said.

Laird said: "You never know what's going to happen at times like that."

In an instant, however, it was over.

But more than one rookie has been shaken by his first brush with anger. How was it going to affect Perry?

Strike two, strike three, both swinging.

That's how it affected him.

After throwing two wild pitches during Fields' at-bat, Perry neither crumbled nor quaked. He came back with strikes as if totally impervious to what had been brewing.

"His reaction to it was tremendous," manager Jim Leyland said. "I told him he couldn't back off or get caught up in all that, and he didn't. But I can certainly understand why the White Sox were chirping. I don't blame them at all.

"They understand it wasn't intentional because he doesn't have good control yet. But when you see balls up around the head at 95-96 miles an hour, I don't blame somebody for being upset."

Perry was the calm eye of the storm, however.

"I wasn't paying attention to (the Sox)," he said. "I just knew I had to settle down. Being a rookie, it could get in your head, but I didn't let it get to me."

So it didn't get to him -- and, without a doubt, his teammates came away impressed.

"He has a mentality I like," third baseman Brandon Inge said. "Let's leave it at that."

tom.gage@detnews.com

We're on top in the division!!!!