GDT: 8/28/10 - DET (64-65) AT TOR (67-61) - 1:07 p.m. ET

Young starters collide with series tied at one

By Alex DiFilippo / MLB.com

The Tigers' starting pitching has been on an absolute tear lately. Alfredo Figaro will try and continue the trend, as he makes a spot-start in place of Jeremy Bonderman on Saturday afternoon.

In the past eight games, the Tigers' starting pitching staff has only allowed eight earned runs.

Bonderman was slated to make the start, but is out with rib-cage inflammation beneath his throwing arm. He experienced pain in his last start and was scratched after feeling continued discomfort while throwing a side-session Thursday.

So the Tigers inserted Figaro, who was called up on Aug. 20, and will make his first start of the season in the big leagues. As a starter for Triple-A Toledo, Figaro is 10-6 with a 4.14 ERA.

The right-hander made three Major League starts last year for Detroit, posting a 1-2 record and allowing 11 runs in 12 1/3 innings. Over two stints and 4 2/3 innings with the Tigers this season, Figaro has surrendered three earned runs on six hits and four walks.

Opposite Figaro will be Brandon Morrow for the Jays. Morrow hasn't taken a loss since way back on June 29.

In his last outing against the Yankees, Morrow gave up only two earned runs through six innings of work. His success may have been due to the increased velocity of his fastball. After topping out at around 90 mph in Oakland on Aug. 17, the righty clocked in several times over 95 mph against the Yankees. The extra life on his fastball certainly helped him record 12 strikeouts.

"I've got some good starts under the belt and some inconsistent ones," Morrow said after his last outing. "Sometimes I remind myself that this is the first year of actually knowing what I'm doing [starting or relieving]. I've had some inconsistency in delivery, but overall, I like where we're at. I think I've learned enough and understand enough to take those things into next year."

When Morrow's on, he's certainly dangerous. Let's not forget his near-no-hitter three starts ago on Aug. 8, when he allowed only one hit in nine shutout innings.

Tigers: Cabrera keeps mashing
On Friday, Miguel Cabrera, belted a game-tying homer in the sixth inning. Cabrera now has 32 homers on the season, good for third in the American League. He's still atop the AL in RBIs, with 105.

Cabrera recorded a double in the series opener against the Jays on Thursday, which put him in the club's record books. He's one of only four players in franchise history to reach the 40-double, 30-home run plateau in a single season.

"Period, one of the best hitters I've ever played with," teammate Brandon Inge said. "It doesn't shock me. Any accomplishment he gets offensively doesn't shock me at all. That guy, he's an incredible hitter. The thing is he doesn't have the best speed in the world, but doubles are going to come easy when you almost hit the ball through the stinking wall. He's a tremendous talent offensively."

Jays: Buck hitting for average
Catcher John Buck is hitting .375 (9-for-24) in six games since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 20, after suffering a deep laceration on his right thumb.

"I was fortunate to where the whole time I was on the DL, I wasn't non-functional," Buck said. "There was probably just three or four days where I couldn't hit or throw, but the whole time I was able to lift weights, run, and I caught bullpens. It wasn't an injury where I couldn't do stuff."

Buck is hitting .285 this season, which would mark his highest average in seven years in the big leagues. His previous high came last season, where he hit .247.

Worth noting
With Friday's loss, the Tigers again dropped below .500 (64-65).

... The Tigers went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position Friday.

... It's expected that catcher J.P. Arencibia and reliever David Purcey will be among the September call-ups for the Jays, while Tigers manager Jim Leyland said "there won't be many additions" to his club.

... Austin Jackson will have a day off Saturday, while Johnny Damon will have Sunday off.

... Jays outfielder Jose Bautista hit his Major League-leading 42nd homer Friday.



Pitching matchup

TIGERS: RHP Alfredo Figaro (0-1, 5.79 ERA)
Figaro will make his fourth Major League start in place of the injured Jeremy Bonderman. Over two stints and 4 2/3 innings with the Tigers this season, the righty has allowed three earned runs. In 23 starts at Triple-A, Figaro went 10-6.

BLUE JAYS: RHP Brandon Morrow (9-6, 4.39 ERA)
After topping out around 90 mph in Oakland on Aug. 17, Morrow had plenty of life on his fastball against the Yankees Monday, hitting upwards of 95 mph regularly. The return in velocity and control lead to a solid two-run, 12 strikeout performance.


RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers lost 3-2 in 11 innings to the Toronto Blue Jays last night at Rogers Centre. Phil Coke (7-3) took the loss in relief after allowing a run on two hits in the 11th inning. Miguel Cabrera led the Tigers offense with a pair of hits, including a home run and two walks, while Johnny Damon added a pair of hits and a RBI. Jhonny Peralta and Austin Jackson both added two hits in the loss. The Tigers continue a 10-game road trip this afternoon with the third game of a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The trip continues with three games in both Minnesota and Kansas City next week.

CABRERA CLOSING IN ON 300 TOTAL BASES: Miguel Cabrera enters today’s game at Toronto with 294 total bases. With six more total bases Cabrera would become the fourth player in franchise history to top 300 total bases in three-or-more consecutive seasons. He would join Hank Greenberg (four consecutive seasons from 1937-40), Charlie Gehringer (three consecutive seasons from 1934-36) and Harry Heilmann (three consecutive seasons from 1923-25).

IT STARTS WITH PITCHING: Tigers starting pitchers have logged a quality start in each of the last eight games, posting a 6-0 record and 1.26 ERA (57.1IP/8ER) during the stretch. Tigers starting pitchers have fanned 51 batters while walking nine over the seven games, limiting opponents to a .193 batting average.

CABRERA ON FIRE AGAINST TORONTO: Miguel Cabrera has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games against the Toronto Blue Jays, a stretch dating back to August 14, 2008 at Detroit. He is batting .431 (25x58) with 11 runs scored, seven doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI against Toronto during that stretch.

OFFENSE ON THE UPTICK: Tigers hitters are batting .317 (106x334) with 25 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 35 RBI over the last nine games dating back to August 19. The Tigers lead all American League clubs with 57 runs scored, 106 hits and 25 doubles, four triples, 55 RBI, a .380 on-base percentage and a .479 slugging percentage during that stretch, while ranking second with the .317 batting average.

JACKSON PILING UP THE RUNS: Austin Jackson scored a run last night at Toronto and has scored at least one run in seven of his last eight games, totaling 11 runs scored during that stretch. He ranks 10th in the American League with 80 runs scored this season, marking the most in a single season by a Tigers rookie since Jake Wood scored 96 runs during the 1961 season.

DAMAGE DURING THE DAY: Miguel Cabrera enters this afternoon’s game at Toronto batting .335 (62x185) with 15 doubles, 15 home runs and 59 RBI in 53 games during the day this season. He is leading all American League players with 15 home runs and 59 RBI during the day, while he is third with a .659 slugging percentage and fourth with a .335 batting average.

RHYMES ON A ROLL: Will Rhymes collected one hit last night against the Blue Jays and has hit safely in eight of his last nine games. He is batting .447 (17x38) with four doubles and six RBI in the nine games. Rhymes is batting .339 (20x59) with 11 runs scored, four doubles and seven RBI in 15 games during the month of August. He leads all American League rookies with the .339 batting average, while he is second with a .371 on-basepercentage, third with 20 hits and fourth with 11 runs scored.

ROAD HOME RUN STREAK CONTINUES: The Tigers have belted at least one home run in each of the last nine games on the road, totaling 20 home runs during the stretch. The streak is the longest by a Tigers team since belting a home run in 10 consecutive road games from July 3-22, 2008.

MIGGY’S A ROAD WARRIOR: Miguel Cabrera enters today’s game at Toronto hitting .347 (77x222) with 17 doubles, 20 home runs and 57 RBI in 59 games on the road this season. He is tops among American League players with a .347 batting average, 20 home runs, 57 RBI, a .430 on-base percentage and a .694 slugging percentage on the road this season.

RABURN ON A ROLL: Ryan Raburn enters today’s game at Toronto hitting .329 (26x79) with six doubles, six home runs and 17 RBI over his last 21 games dating back to August 5. He is third in the American League with a .633 slugging percentage during that stretch, while he is tied for third with 17 RBI and tied for fourth with six home runs.

AUSTIN ADDING UP THE HITS: Austin Jackson finished with two hits last night at Toronto to bring his season hit total to 151. His 151 hits mark the most in a single season by a Tigers rookie since Jake Wood collected 171 hits during the 1961 season.

GLOVE WORK: The Tigers have posted six consecutive errorless games and over the club’s last 34 games, dating back to July 25, the Tigers have compiled a .988 fielding percentage (1251TC/15E), tops in the American League.

INJURY UPDATE:
• RHP Zach Miner (right elbow tendinitis, 60-day DL on March 26),
• OF Magglio Ordonez (right ankle fracture, 15-day DL on July 25),
• LHP Bobby Seay (left shoulder strain, 60-day DL on March 26),
• INF Danny Worth (bruised left heel, 15-day DL on August 4)
• RHP Joel Zumaya (non-displaced fracture of the olecranon, 60-day DL on June 29).


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Up next (Probable Pitchers)


• Sunday, August 29,
TIGERS (RHP Rick Porcello (6-11, 5.43 ERA)) AT BLUE JAYS (LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-2, 6.31 ERA)), 1:12 p.m. ET (FS-D HD & / AM 1270 & 97.1 FM)