2012 TIGERS' SPRING TRAINING Grapefruit League Schedule

2012 ST RECORD (W-L-T): 20-8-5
Exhibition games: (W-2, L-0)

2012 Detroit Tigers MLB Sortable Schedule Link

To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/

March/April Games - ST Master Sch. = http://springtrainingonline.com/features/master-schedule.htm

Click on game score to see boxscore.
MLBN= MLB NETWORK
MLB.TV= MLB.COM INTERNET FEED

This is a tentative schedule, under development, subject to change.

March 1 -
FRI, March 2 - (B) Fla Southern at DET (Lakeland) - WIN 11-1 (WP: Oliver)
SAT, March 3 - DET at ATL (Disney World) WIN 2-0 (WP: Fister, SV: Marte)
SUN, March 4 - ATL at DET (Lakeland) WIN 18-3 (WP: Scherzer)
MON, March 5 - TOR at DET (Lakeland) WIN 4-2 (WP: Pauley, SV: Balester)
TUE, March 6 - DET at MIA (Jupiter) WIN 3-1 (WP: Porcello, SV: Villarreal)
WED, March 7 - ATL at DET (Lakeland) WIN 5-1 (WP: Marte)
THU, March 8 - DET at TB (SS) (Port Charlotte) WIN 8-1 (WP: Fister)
FRI, March 9 - PHI at DET (Lakeland) LOSE 5-7 (LP: Pauley)
SAT, March 10 - WAS (SS) at DET (Lakeland) TIE 5-5 / 10 INN
SUN, March 11 - DET (ss) at HOU (Kissimmee) Cancelled RAIN
SUN, March 11 - DET (ss) at PHI (ss) (Clearwater) TIE 4-4 / 10 INN
MON, March 12 - NYM at DET (Lakeland) TIE 7-7 / 10 INN
TUE, March 13 - DET at WAS (Viera) WIN 6-3 (WP: Below, SV: Ortega)
WED, March 14 - NYM at DET (Lakeland) WIN 7-6 / 10 INN (WP: Schlereth)
THU, March 15 - BAL at DET (Lakeland) WIN 4-2 (WP: Balester, SV: Stohr)
FRI, March 16 - DET at NYM (Port St. Lucie) WIN 9-0 (WP: Porcello)
SAT, March 17 - STL at DET (Lakeland) WIN 10-3 (WP: Oliver)
SUN, March 18 - DET at WAS (Viera) WIN 11-7 (WP: Fister)
MON, March 19 - DET at PHI (Clearwater) LOSE 3-4 (LP: Scherzer)
TUE, March 20 - ATL at DET (Lakeland) WIN 7-2 (WP: Verlander)
WED, March 21 - MIN at DET (Lakeland) LOSE 3-7 (LP: Oliver)
THU, March 22 - --- OPEN ---
FRI, March 23 - DET at PIT (Bradenton) WIN 7-2 (WP: Marte)
SAT, March 24 - NYY at DET (Lakeland) LOSE 2-4 (LP: Schlereth)
SUN, March 25 - PHI (ss) at DET (ss) (Lakeland) WIN 6-3 (WP: Coke)
SUN, March 25 - DET (ss) at NYY (Tampa) TIE 1-1 / 10 INN
MON, March 26 - MIA at DET (Lakeland) TIE 3-3 / 10 INN
TUE, March 27 - DET at HOU (Kissimmee) LOSE 7-14 (LP: Oliver)
WED, March 28 - DET at STL (Jupiter) 1:05 p.m., LOSE 5-9 (LP: Coke)
THU, March 29 - WAS (ss) at DET (Lakeland) LOSE 3-5 (L: Bennett)
FRI, March 30 - DET at BAL (Sarasota) WIN 6-4 (WP: Villarreal)
SAT, March 31 - DET at ATL (Disney World) WIN 2-1 6 INN / RAIN (WP: Verlander)
SUN, April 1 - HOU at DET (ss) (Lakeland) WIN 4-2 (WP: Fister; SV: Valverde)
SUN, April 1 - DET (ss) at NYM (Port St. Lucie) WIN 9-2 (WP: Weber)
MON, April 2 - TOR at DET (Lakeland) WIN 11-8 (WP: Smyly; SV: Schlereth)
TUE, April 3 - DET at TOR (Dunedin) LOSE 8-13 (LP: Scherzer)
WED, APR 4 - (B) DET at TOL Mud Hens (Toledo) WIN 8-3 (WP: Porcello)


All dates, times and teams are tentative and subject to change. All times ET.
"B GAMES" are exhibition games and do not count in the team W/L record.
* - Night Game

Tickets for the 2012 spring exhibition season will be priced at three separate levels, which include Navy, Orange and White levels.

Navy level games on March 4, March 9, March 17, March 21, March 24 and March 25 range from $14-28.

Orange level games on March 7, March 10, March 14, March 20, March 26 and March 29 range from $12-25.

White level games on March 2, March 5, March 12, March 15, April 1 and April 2 range from $9-22.

Tigers Press Release

11/16/2011 2:38 PM EST
Tigers announce 2012 spring training schedule
76th Season at TigerTown in Lakeland highlighted by visits from Cardinals and Yankees

> 2012 Tigers Spring Training Info <

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced the club’s exhibition game schedule for 2012 Spring Training in Lakeland, FL.

Next spring will mark the Tigers 76th season at TigerTown in Lakeland, extending the longest-standing relationship between a major league team and a current Spring Training host city. The 2012 spring season marks the club’s 47th consecutive season of exhibition play at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Tigers will begin the exhibition schedule on Friday, March 2 as the club plays host to Florida Southern College in the annual matchup against the Moccasins. The club opens the home portion of the Grapefruit League schedule against the Atlanta Braves at Joker Marchant Stadium on Sunday, March 4.

The schedule is highlighted by a visit from the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals on March 17 and a visit from the American League East Champion New York Yankees on March 24. The schedule also features two visits from the National League East Champion Philadelphia Phillies on March 9 and March 25.

Tickets for the 2011 spring exhibition season will be priced at three separate levels, which include Navy, Orange and White levels. Navy level games on March 4, March 9, March 17, March 21, March 24 and March 25 range from $14-28. Orange level games on March 7, March 10, March 14, March 20, March 26 and March 29 range from $12-25. White level games on March 2, March 5, March 12, March 15, April 1 and April 2 range from $9-22.

Full season ticket packages for the 2012 Tigers Spring Training exhibition season are on sale now at the Joker Marchant Stadium ticket office, via phone at (863) 686-8075 or by visiting www.tigers.com. Fans may also now purchase season ticket plans of five-or-more games by calling (863) 686-8075 or by visiting www.tigers.com. Individual game tickets go on sale beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 7th, and can be ordered by visiting the ticket office at Joker Marchant Stadium, calling 866-66-TIGER (8-4437) or visiting www.tigers.com. For additional ticket information and special group pricing, call the Lakeland office at 863-686-8075.

Tigers bring back exhibition with Mud Hens
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 12/15/11 6:30 PM EST

DETROIT -- After more than a decade-long hiatus, the Tigers' once-annual exhibition game against their Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens, is about to make a return.

The clubs jointly announced Wednesday that they'll play an exhibition contest at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo on Wednesday, April 4, the day before the Tigers open their season against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park.

Game time is scheduled for noon ET. Proceeds from the event will be split between the Detroit Tigers Foundation and the Helping Hens Charitable Fund.

The Tigers and Mud Hens used to play each other every year at the Mud Hens' old home, Ned Skeldon Stadium in suburban Maumee. The game took on some national attention in 1989, when the Mud Hens won the game with their then-manager, former Tigers utility man John Wockenfuss, earning the win as a pitcher. The Hens won the exhibition again in 1996. The game ended in 2000 along with many other rivalries between Major League teams and Minor League affiliates.

The revival for a good cause provides the Tigers with something other than a workout between the end of Spring Training and the opening of the season. The Tigers have played exhibition games against Major League teams in other cities in recent years, but the travel involved usually required them to break camp a few days early. This one-game affair won't alter Tigers manager and Perrysburg, Ohio, native Jim Leyland's timetable.

The Toledo-area ties run well beyond Leyland. Tigers players Brennan Boesch, Andy Dirks, Brandon Inge, Don Kelly and Ryan Raburn all spent time as Mud Hens before they made it in the big leagues.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers unveil spring broadcast schedule
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 02/08/12 3:11 PM EST

DETROIT -- The Tigers have six Spring Training games scheduled to be televised, and 11 more slated for radio, according to a preliminary schedule released Wednesday. The combined total means fans will be able to follow more than half of the Tigers' spring schedule back home, giving them a look ahead to baseball through the last remnants of the Michigan winter.

Fox Sports Detroit, the home for Tigers baseball throughout the regular season, and ESPN will have three telecasts each, almost all of them concentrated in the back half of the schedule as the spring roster dwindles and players start working deeper into the games. The slate begins March 14, when the Tigers take on the Mets from Joker Marchant Stadium in a 1:05 p.m. ET broadcast on ESPN.

A week later, the Tigers will be on television for three straight afternoon games: March 19 at the Phillies (ESPN), March 20 against the Braves (ESPN) and March 21 against the Twins (Fox Sports Detroit). A March 29 night game against the Nationals and a March 31 matinee against the Braves will also be televised.

Fox Sports Detroit will also carry the Tigers' April 4 exhibition against Triple-A Toledo from Fifth Third Field.

More telecasts will likely be added once MLB Network releases its Spring Training schedule. In addition, MLB.TV will include out-of-town broadcasts on some games, available online.

As in past years, the Tigers radio schedule is concentrated on the weekends, with every Saturday game and almost every Sunday contest on the air at either 97.1 FM or AM 1270 in Detroit, and online at MLB Gameday Audio. Detroit's first three big league Spring Training contests will all be on the air -- March 3 and 4 against the Braves (97.1 and 1270, respectively), and March 5 against the Blue Jays (97.1).

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Prince collects two hits as Tigers top Braves
Detroit pitching holds Atlanta hitless until eighth inning
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 03/03/12 3:47 PM EST

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Prince Fielder collected two hits and reached base safely in each of his three plate appearances while helping the Tigers open the Grapefruit League season with a 2-0 win over the Braves at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Jerad Head's third-inning leadoff homer off Anthony Varvaro proved to be enough for the Tigers, who kept the Braves hitless until Jordan Parraz began the bottom of the eighth with a single to right off Chris Bootcheck.

The Tigers limited the Braves to the one hit. Starting pitcher Doug Fister recorded three groundouts and pitched around a walk in two scoreless innings. Jacob Turner and Daniel Schlereth sandwiched perfect innings around the escape act David Pauley completed after issuing consecutive one-out walks to Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in the fourth inning.

Fielder singled twice and exited for a pinch-runner after drawing a sixth-inning walk. This was the big first baseman's first Grapefruit League game since signing a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Tigers in January.

Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor began his two scoreless innings by recording three strikeouts in a perfect first inning. The 24-year-old former first-round selection pitched around trouble after issuing a walk and allowing Fielder to chop a single through the middle of the infield in the second inning.

Up Next: Max Scherzer will get the start as the Tigers open the home portion of their Grapefruit League schedule against the Braves at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. Ryan Raburn is expected to start at second base and Alex Avila will be behind the plate for his Grapefruit League season debut.

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

Prince hits first homer; Tigers blast nine
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/04/12 4:35 PM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers' first Grapefruit League home game of the spring saw them put up the kind of power display many hope to see come Opening Day. Prince Fielder's first home run in a Detroit uniform highlighted a nine-homer barrage, six of them off Braves top prospect Julio Teheran, in an 18-3 win Sunday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

A day after the Tigers took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in a 2-0 duel with the Braves, Detroit outpitched and outslugged Atlanta in the kind of one-sided affair early spring games can bring. Winds blowing across the outfield and out to right, gusting over 30 mph, provided a boost, notably on Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the third, and arguably on Ryan Raburn's solo shot in the second.

Still, Fielder's shot off the right-field light tower, nearly as high as the top of the scoreboard, needed no help. It was the first of four third-inning shots, including drives against the wind to left field from Delmon Young and Austin Jackson.

Brennan Boesch added his first homer of the spring with a drive to right in the second inning, and barely missed one an inning earlier with a double deep into the gap in left-center field to open the scoring. Alex Avila's two-run drive to straightaway center, just to the right of the batting eye, started the home run derby off starter Randall Delgado.

Avila's homer scored Fielder following his first-inning walk. Add in Saturday's game and Friday's exhibition against Florida Southern, and Fielder reached base safely in each of his first six plate appearances before he grounded out to first in the fourth inning.

Raburn added a grand slam in the fifth inning. Once Avisail Garcia followed with a ground ball through the right side, the Tigers had their first single of the afternoon.

Teheran, the fourth-ranked prospect on MLB.com's Top 100 list, gave up more home runs in two innings Sunday (six) than he did in 144 2/3 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett (five) last year. Every member of Detroit's starting lineup homered except for Miguel Cabrera and Andy Dirks.

The Braves broke up their scoreless spring when Ernesto Mejia hooked a triple to deep center field off Tyler Stohr in the fifth inning, turning around Clete Thomas as Stefan Gartrell scored from first.

Tigers starter Max Scherzer worked two innings in his spring debut.

Up next: Justin Verlander's first start of 2012 pits him against the same team he no-hit last May, as he tries to repeat the regular-season focus he put into last Spring Training when the Tigers host the Blue Jays on Monday in a 1:05 p.m. ET matchup at Joker Marchant Stadium. Verlander's dominance last spring set him up for a pitching Triple Crown, Cy Young and MVP season. Adam Wilk, Joaquin Benoit, Collin Balester, David Pauley and Phil Coke are also scheduled to pitch. Drew Hutchinson is slated to start for Toronto.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Berry's triple big for Tigers in Verlander's debut
Detroit edges Toronto as ace delivers two scoreless innings
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/05/12 3:55 PM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Justin Verlander couldn't no-hit the Blue Jays again in his first start of the spring, but he still held them down long enough for the Tigers to rally. Quintin Berry's two-run triple in the seventh inning continued Detroit's perfect start with a 4-2 win Monday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.

One day after the Tigers belted nine home runs, a far less windy day across central Florida and a far stingier Blue Jays pitching staff set up a low-scoring duel. Verlander officially began the followup to his American League MVP season with two scoreless innings, allowing a Colby Rasmus bloop single for his lone baserunner.

Much like his no-hitter at Toronto last May, Verlander used a slider -- his fourth-best pitch, by his standards -- to keep the Blue Jays off-balance. He only threw one, but it was a good one, freezing Edwin Encarnacion for a called third strike to end the first inning.

Ryan Raburn's third-inning sacrifice fly scored Delmon Young for the game's lone run through five innings until Encarnacion struck for a ground-rule double in the sixth off Phil Coke to drive in Mike McCoy. Ryan Goin's RBI single off David Pauley an inning later put the Tigers behind for the first time this spring, but Andy Dirks' leadoff single in the bottom of the inning and Eric Patterson's one-out walk set up Berry's heroics. Dirks later added a single in the eighth to make it 4-2.

Berry, a speedster signed to a Minor League deal out of the Reds' organization, laced a gapper to left-center field over Anthony Gose, clearing the bases as much of the crowd of 8,357 cheered.

Adam Wilk, a fifth-starter candidate for the Tigers' rotation, followed Verlander with two scoreless innings. Joaquin Benoit made his first appearance of the spring with a scoreless inning of his own.

Up next for Tigers: The Tigers and Prince Fielder go on the road for one of their longest trips of the spring Tuesday, traveling to Jupiter for a 1:05 p.m. ET game against the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. Rick Porcello will make his first spring start opposite Alex Sanabia. Fifth-starter candidates Casey Crosby and Andy Oliver will follow Porcello along with Daniel Schlereth, Jose Ortega and Brayan Villarreal.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Jackson's pair of hits help spur on Tigers
Outfielder drives in run in three-run second; club stays unbeaten
By Marty Noble / MLB.com | 03/06/12 4:11 PM EST

JUPITER, Fla. -- Scoring three times in the second inning, the Tigers remained unbeaten in Spring Training games by virtue of their 3-1 victory against the Marlins on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tigers scored two earned runs against starter Alex Sanabia. The third, also against Sanabia, scored on the pitcher's errant pickoff throw with one out. Earlier, Gerald Laird scored on a double by Danny Worth off the face of third baseman Matt Dominguez, and Worth scored on Austin Jackson's single.

Dominguez was removed from the game, having been struck in the right eye. He was examined on the premises and not hospitalized.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello, still working to regain the sinker that made him so effective two years ago, pitched two innings, allowing one infield hit and an unearned run as a result of an error made by Worth. Drew Smyly and Casey Crosby pitched two scoreless innings each.

J. D. Martin (2 2/3 IP) and Brad Hand (2 IP) struck out four and three, respectively, in relief for the Marlins.

Miami tallied five hits, with no player logging more than one. Jose Reyes, making his spring debut, was hitless in three at-bats.

Jackson, using his revised batting stance -- no leg cock and with his hands lower -- was the only Tigers player with more than one hit. He had two of their eight hits.

Up next for the Tigers: After a 5 1/2-hour round trip for their Tuesday game against the Marlins in Jupiter, the Tigers will let the game come to them, so to speak, Wednesday afternoon. They play the Braves in Lakeland at 1:05 p.m. ET. Their late-inning relievers -- Jose Valverde, Joaquin Benoit and Octavio Dotel -- will pitch an inning each and probably in reverse order, as often is the case in Spring Training games. Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver, each a candidate for the rotation, are to handle the early innings.

The Braves pitchers are scheduled to be Brandon Beachy, Cory Grearrin, Todd Redmond, Jairo Asencio and Erik Codier.

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

Miggy breaks out as Tigers stay unbeaten
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/07/12 4:00 PM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Braves kept the Tigers from another home-run barrage, but they couldn't stop Detroit's Grapefruit League winning streak. Miguel Cabrera broke out of his hitless spring with a tape-measure home run over the left-field berm in the Tigers' 5-1 win on Wednesday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Tigers improved to 5-0. Three of those victories have come against the Braves by a combined margin of 25-4.

Eighteen of those runs came in a nine-homer outburst on a windy afternoon here on Sunday. This time, the wind was blowing out toward left field, not right, but Cabrera's blast would have gone out under any conditions.

Cabrera was 0-for-8 on the spring when he stepped to the plate against Jairo Asencio, the rare Braves reliever who held Detroit homerless in his inning of work Sunday. Cabrera turned on an Asencio fastball and sent it over the fans sprawled out on the berm.

By then, the Tigers were already comfortably ahead, having fallen a home run of shy of the team cycle in the second inning. Braves starter Brandon Beachy retired Detroit's first four batters before back-to-back walks set up the Tigers' rally.

Ryan Strieby, making the start at first base with Prince Fielder at DH for the day, singled in Delmon Young before Ryan Raburn delivered a drive speedy center fielder Michael Bourn couldn't run down for a two-run triple.

Top prospect Jacob Turner was scheduled to pitch three innings for the Tigers in his first start of the spring, but retired as many batters (four) as he walked before manager Jim Leyland pulled him with 47 pitches, 19 for strikes. None of those walks scored thanks to Luis Marte, who stranded the bases loaded.

Andy Oliver, the other end of Detroit's scheduled piggyback start, walked three batters in as many innings but didn't allow a hit. He used a nasty slider to rack up three strikeouts.

Drew Sutton, who went 2-for-2, tripled and scored off Octavio Dotel for the Braves' only run in the seventh.

Up next for Tigers: Cabrera hits the road with the Tigers on Thursday as he tries to build off of his power display with their visit to Port Charlotte for a 1:05 p.m. ET game against David Price and the Rays. Fifth starter candidate Duane Below will make his second outing of the spring in relief of starter Doug Fister.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Young backs stingy Fister in win over Rays
Slugger clubs second homer; starter tosses three shutout innings
By Evan Drellich / MLB.com | 03/08/12 4:13 PM EST

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Delmon Young crushed his second home run of the spring shortly after Miguel Cabrera just missed his own Thursday in an 8-1 road win for the Tigers against the Rays.

Tampa Bay's David Price and Detroit's Doug Fister both turned in scoreless outings at Charlotte Sports Park, but the former's was cut short because of minor a neck spasm after he hurt it toweling off. Price threw 38 pitches and 24 for strikes in two innings, allowing three hits, one walk and striking out one.

"I was just drying my head off in between innings after the second inning," said Price, holding his head especially still. "It's happened to me two times before, the towel kind of catches the back of my head and it pulls my neck forward and I just felt it a little bit in the back of my neck. I just want to be cautious with it."

Price likely would've gone three innings, as Fister did, were he not bothered. Fister had two errors behind him through as many innings, but finished with just one hit allowed in three frames. He didn't walk or strike out anyone in a strong showing.

Both Price and Fister worked around two-on jams in the first inning. With Price finished after two frames, the Tigers jumped on his replacement, lefty Cesar Ramos, in the top of the third. Cabrera tagged a 1-2 pitch to left-center with one out, doubling on a ball that hit the very top of the fence and remained in play.

Two batters later, Young hit a no-doubt, three-run homer to left on a 2-1 offering, putting Detroit up 3-0.

Cabrera had line-drive hits in his next two at-bats, exiting the game in the sixth after a one-out RBI single to left off the Rays' Jeremy Hellickson made it 6-1. Cabrera entered the day 1-for-10 in four spring games, with the one being a homer.

"Everybody here is ready to play baseball," Cabrera said. "Nobody here is like, 'OK, I'm going to get ready next week.' No, everybody's getting ready right now. Everybody's important to us right now. We've got to look forward here to go into the season."

Ramos and Hellickson both gave up three runs on four hits in two innings in a rough day for Rays pitchers. Tampa's lone run came in the fourth, which Jeff Keppinger started with a double to left against Duane Below, who had just entered. Matt Mangini notched the RBI single two batters later.

Up next for Tigers: The Tigers get their first pitching showdown of the spring when Roy Halladay leads the Phillies into Lakeland for a 1:05 p.m. ET meeting with Detroit and Max Scherzer at Joker Marchant Stadium. Adam Wilk, Collin Balester, David Pauley, Tyler Stohr and Daniel Schlereth are also scheduled to pitch for the Tigers. Prince Fielder is 6-for-13 lifetime off Halladay in the regular season.

Evan Drellich is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @EvanDrellich. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Patterson homers twice off Doc in first loss
Outfielder finishes with four hits, four RBIs; Scherzer sharp
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/09/12 3:57 PM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers' home run parade continued, but their unbeaten spring is over. Carlos Ruiz's three-run homer started the Phillies on a roll of seven unanswered runs, counteracting Eric Patterson's two-homer game off Roy Halladay for a 7-5 Phillies win Friday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Tigers (6-1) were the only unbeaten team left this Spring Training, and they seemed well on their way to carrying their perfect spring into the weekend with a 4-0 lead through five innings. Adam Wilk relieved Max Scherzer after 3 1/3 innings to thwart a Phillies attack by retiring Ruiz, but he got his revenge off Wilk the next time up.

Ruiz's drive to left just cleared the fence to bring the Phillies (4-3) within a run. The rest of the damage came in the sixth off David Pauley, who's fighting for the open long relief spot in Detroit's bullpen.

John Mayberry's RBI double tied the game before Luis Montanez pulled Philadelphia ahead on a single through the right side. Cesar Hernandez's sacrifice fly and Kevin Frandsen's RBI single added insurance runs before Collin Balester replaced Pauley and escaped a bases-loaded jam.

The Tigers came into the game leading the Majors with 12 home runs so far this spring, though nine of them came on a windy Sunday afternoon against the Braves. With the flags blowing out Sunday, Patterson took advantage immediately when he got a Halladay cutter into the air toward right in the opening inning. The ball hit the trees near the right-field light tower, close to where Prince Fielder hit his first home run Sunday.

Two innings later, with Omir Santos on base, Patterson added a no-doubt shot in the same direction, clearing the indoor batting cages beyond the right-field trees.

The changeup, Halladay told reporters afterward, "came out like a spitball," with no movement at all.

Patterson, who finished the day with four hits and four RBIs, is 0-for-3 lifetime against Halladay in the regular season. He signed a Minor League contract with the Tigers over the offseason.

"I'm not a guy that's going to hit a bunch of home runs, but I feel like if I get a good pitch and put a good swing on it, it'll go," Patterson said. "And I was fortunate to do that a couple times today."

Halladay gave up four hits in three innings while striking out four before Don Kelly's solo shot to right in the fourth continued the damage off Joel Pineiro.

Scherzer became the first Tigers starter to pitch into the fourth inning this year. He retired seven straight Phillies from the first inning into the third, including back-to-back strikeouts of Ty Wigginton and Hunter Pence.

Up next for the Tigers: Justin Verlander will make his second start of the spring Saturday, when the Tigers host a Nationals split squad in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Detroit's late-inning relief trio of Octavio Dotel, Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde is also scheduled to pitch. John Lannan will start for Washington. The game will be 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.

Verlander cruises, Valverde takes 'blown save'
Starter blanks Nats through four, closer allows run in seventh
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/10/12 4:25 PM EST

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Justin Verlander continued his scoreless spring with four innings of three-hit ball and four strikeouts, but the Nationals' rally off the Tigers' bullpen saddled Jose Valverde with his first blown save in a year in a 5-5 tie in 10 innings on Saturday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Verlander became the first Tigers hurler to pitch four innings this spring, and he faced relatively little trouble getting there. A trio of singles, one of them a broken-bat dribbler too slow for Miguel Cabrera to make a play at third base, comprised all the damage against the reigning American League MVP.

Verlander mixed his entire arsenal on the day, including three strikeouts on three different pitches in a four-batter span of the second and third innings en route to seven straight batters retired. He spotted a curveball for a called third strike on Chad Tracy, delivered a changeup for the same fate on Jesus Flores, and fired a fastball past Corey Brown.

The Tigers led from the second batter once Brandon Inge hit a drive off John Lannan against the wind onto the left-field berm for his first home run of the spring. Brennan Boesch's second homer of the spring in the fourth and Delmon Young's RBI double in the fifth extended the lead, but Washington's split-squad rallied from there.

Casey Crosby pitched an easy fifth inning, but suffered self-inflicted damage to his case for a roster spot in the sixth. His throwing error followed back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out, setting up Washington's first run on Crosby's ensuing wild pitch. Back-to-back RBI singles from Danny Espinosa and Tracy brought the Nationals within a run.

Tigers prospect Avisail Garcia preserved the lead temporarily with a running catch down the right-field line and highlight throw to nab a runner at third base. That gave Valverde a lead to protect for his scheduled appearance in the seventh inning, but Brown erased it with a solo homer. Technically, it counted as a blown spring save for the reliever, who went 52-for-52 in save situations between the regular season and playoffs in 2011.

Andres Blanco homered off Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit in the eighth.

Up next for Tigers: Detroit breaks up into split-squads for the first time this spring Sunday, heading east and west out of Lakeland for 1:05 p.m. ET games against the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla., and the Phillies in Clearwater. Drew Smyly will face Houston in his first start, as he attempts to go from dark horse to the thick of the fifth-starter competition. Meanwhile, Rick Porcello will get his second start of the spring against the Phillies. The Tigers-Phillies game will be available on 97.1 FM in Detroit and online 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.

Tigers, Astros canceled due to rain
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com | 03/11/12 2:33 PM EST

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Sunday afternoon's game between the Astros and Tigers at Osceola County Stadium was canceled because of rain. The game was called off at 2 p.m. ET, about one hour after the first pitch was scheduled to take place.

Astros manager Brad Mills said he had spoken to Tigers manager Jim Leyland twice Sunday in an effort to schedule a "B" game this week, and they were still hammering out details. Both teams need an opportunity to make up for the at-bats and innings lost with the rainout.

"We need to try to get these at-bats and innings back," Mills said.

Drew Smyly, the fifth-starter candidate whose start Sunday was rained out, is now scheduled to join the fifth-starter free-for-all and start Monday against the Mets in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Left-hander Duane Below, top prospect Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver also are scheduled to pitch.

The Astros will send Kyle Weiland to the mound on Monday night when they meet the Yankees at 7:05 ET in Tampa, Fla. Weiland, who was acquired by the club in the Jed Lowrie trade in December, will be making his first start of the spring and is competing for a spot in the rotation.

Brian McTaggart is reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Raburn collects three RBIs in tie with Phils
Starter Porcello allows two runs on six hits over four innings
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com | 03/11/12 4:18 PM EST

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Tigers jumped on Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee early in a Grapefruit League game Sunday afternoon at Bright House Field, but the Phillies chipped away at Detroit's lead to rally for a 4-4, 10-inning tie.

Jim Thome's two-out single to center in the fifth inning scored Freddy Galvis to draw the Phils within one run, and Galvis tied the game at 4 with an RBI single of his own in the sixth.

The Tigers got started early, with shortstop Ramon Santiago singling and second baseman Ryan Raburn, who had three RBIs in the game, hitting a two-run home run to left field in the top of the first inning. Delmon Young followed with a single before Lee recorded his first out of the game.

Lee allowed six hits and two runs in three innings.

"I got through it healthy," Lee said of his biggest accomplishment. "I'm building up endurance, I'm headed in the right direction."

Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello allowed six hits and two runs in four innings. He allowed his first run in the third inning, when Pete Orr singled, advanced to third on Brian Schneider's single to left-center field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Freddy Galvis.

Chad Qualls and Jonathan Papelbon each allowed a run in one inning of work. Raburn doubled to score Santiago in the fifth to give the Tigers a two-run lead.

Up next: Drew Smyly, the fifth-starter candidate whose start Sunday was rained out, is now scheduled to join the fifth-starter free-for-all and start Monday against the Mets in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Left-hander Duane Below, top prospect Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver also are scheduled to pitch.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Smyly shines, Turner struggles against Mets
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/12/12 5:04 PM EST

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Andy Dirks' eighth-inning RBI brought the Tigers back from what was once a four-run deficit to salvage their third consecutive tie with a 7-7 draw with the Mets on Monday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

On a day when the Tigers trotted out three of their fifth-starter candidates, the Mets managed to rough up top prospect Jacob Turner, who struggled with command for his second straight outing.

Turner began his outing with a leadoff walk to Lucas Duda in the fourth, but erased it by striking out Vinny Rottino and using his sinker to induce an inning-ending double play from Josh Thole. Ronny Cedeno's leadoff single the next inning, however, set off a string of three straight hits and four consecutive batters reaching safely before Justin Turner hit into a fielder's choice.

Once Turner lost Ike Davis to a one-out walk, he loaded the bases, leaving him no place to put Duda with a 3-0 count. He fired a get-me-over fastball, which Duda drove deep to right for his first home run of the spring.

Turner hit his pitch count one out later, ending his afternoon with five earned runs on four hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings. It marked his first run damage of the spring, but raised his other totals to six hits and six walks over four innings.

Three doubles off Josh Stinson, including RBIs from Alex Avila and Gerald Laird, brought the Tigers back to within a run in the bottom of the inning. Avila went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and two RBIs.

Avila's sacrifice fly was part of a three-run, four-single third inning, including RBI hits from Miguel Cabrera and Delmon Young.

Up next: Duane Below gets his first start of the spring and an extended chance to show his stuff for the fifth-starter opening when the Tigers visit the Nationals for a 6:05 p.m. ET game Tuesday at Space Coast Stadium. Adam Wilk, Jose Valverde, Luis Marte and Octavio Dotel are also scheduled to pitch in the game, which can be seen on MLB.TV. Former Tiger Edwin Jackson is slated to start for Washington.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Raburn's hot spring continues in win over Nats
Second baseman homers, singles, drives in three in victory
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com | 03/13/12 9:20 PM ET

Box score

VIERA, Fla. -- Ryan Raburn's hot spring continued with a homer and three RBIs as the Tigers defeated the Nationals, 6-3, at Space Coast Stadium on Tuesday night.

Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson had his roughest outing of the spring, though he was a victim of a misplay by his defense. With two outs in the first, Clete Thomas hit what looked like a routine fly ball to left fielder Jason Michaels, but Michaels dropped the ball to extend the inning.

The error would prove costly, as Raburn followed with a two-run homer to give the Tigers the early lead. Both runs were unearned for Jackson.

The Nationals would get a run back in the bottom off the inning off Tigers starter Duane Below, when Ian Desmond scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ryan Zimmerman.

It was all Tigers after that. In the third inning, Austin Jackson scored the third run of the game on a single by Thomas. An inning later, Gerald Laird drove in Jhonny Peralta with a single to right field to make it a 4-1 game.

Jackson then left the game in favor of Ross Detwiler, who allowed an RBI single to Raburn to make it a 5-1 game in favor of Detroit.

The Nationals would score two more runs to close the gap. In the sixth inning, Jayson Werth hit a solo homer off reliever Jose Valverde, while Stephen Lombardozzi scored on a sacrifice fly by Chad Tracy.

But the Tigers added another run in the top of the eighth inning off Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard, as Quintin Berry scored on a triple by Andy Dirks.

Up next: The Tigers return to Lakeland, Fla., to the play the Mets for the second time this spring at 1:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The game can be seen on MLB.TV. The last time these two teams met was Monday, a 7-7 tie. Right-hander Max Scherzer will get the start for Detroit. Casey Crosby, Daniel Schlereth and Joaquin Benoit are also expected to pitch in the game.

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashingNats. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Prince's power paces Tigers to win
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/14/12 5:11 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- For the second time in three days, the Mets came to Joker Marchant Stadium with a shorthanded lineup and put up runs. However, the Tigers had a strong offensive showing of their own, culminating with Quintin Berry's walk-off single that gave them a 7-6 victory in 10 innings on Wednesday afternoon.

The Mets jumped out to an early four-run lead, but the Tigers countered with six straight runs -- including Prince Fielder's two-run homer and Delmon Young's two-run single. New York rallied with single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to force the game into extra innings.

Half of starter Max Scherzer's eight outs came by strikeout, including all three outs in his second inning as he mixed a 95-mph fastball with a nasty slider and a sinker with movement. His strikeout of Justin Turner had him poised to strand a runner in the third if he could retire Daniel Murphy, one of the few Mets regulars on the trip.

Scherzer lost Murphy to a walk, but put Zach Lutz in an 0-2 count before getting too far inside on a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases and put Scherzer near his pitch count. Seeing the opportunity for a test with three consecutive left-handed hitters due up, manager Jim Leyland replaced him with left-hander Casey Crosby, a starting candidate who could also fit as a reliever.

Crosby's first pitch jammed Mike Baxter into hitting a slow ground ball, but it left second baseman Brandon Inge without a play once he finally chased it down. Crosby lost Josh Thole and Adam Loewen to walks, the latter on four pitches, to plate two more runs before Wilmer Flores singled in a run to left field. Young threw out Thole at the plate to end the threat.

Fielder's second homer of the spring, a liner pulled off a hanging pitch from Dillon Gee, cut Detroit's deficit in half before a double error tied the game an inning later. After Miguel Cabrera walked, Fielder sent a ground ball up the middle that left second baseman Jordany Valdespin without a play.

Up came Young, whose line drive to right fell slowly enough to allow pinch-runner Jerad Head to follow Audy Ciriaco around third to push the Tigers ahead.

Despite the win, Leyland wasn't a fan of this game.

"That was an ugly Spring Training game," Leyland said. "No offense to either team."

Up next: Justin Verlander will make his third start of the spring Thursday when the Baltimore Orioles come to Lakeland for a 1 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Verlander has tossed six scoreless innings on four hits with no walks and five strikeouts so far this spring. Jose Valverde, Collin Balester, Joaquin Benoit and Tyler Stohr are also slated to pitch for Detroit.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Verlander fans eight, Tigers rally to top O's
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/15/12 4:00 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Justin Verlander struck out eight of the 14 Orioles batters he faced but still found himself on the short end for much of Thursday afternoon before Gerald Laird's two-run single paced a three-run sixth in a 4-2 win for the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The comeback victory improved the Tigers' record this spring to 9-1-3, the best in the Major Leagues. They're unbeaten in six games -- three wins, three ties -- since taking their only loss of the spring.

Detroit was trailing from the third pitch of the game, a Verlander fastball that Endy Chavez sent deep to right for his first home run this year and the first run Verlander has allowed in Grapefruit League play this season.

Verlander promptly struck out the next four hitters, including ex-teammate Wilson Betemit after a 3-0 count, and then fanned four more in a six-batter span over the third and fourth innings.

All those strikeouts bumped up Verlander's pitch count to the point that he left with two outs in the fourth. Collin Balester replaced him and stranded a runner on third with a solid backhand stop and throw from third baseman Miguel Cabrera before retiring the O's in order in the fifth.

Chavez singled and scored on a Chris Davis double off Balester in the sixth to extend Baltimore's lead for Brian Matusz, who racked up six strikeouts over four scoreless innings. After Pat Neshek's scoreless fifth, however, the Tigers struck off Miguel Socolovich with back-to-back singles by Danny Worth and Don Kelly and a Jerad Head walk to load the bases with one out.

"That's a tough lineup up there -- a lot of big hitters, power guys," said Matusz. "It doesn't matter. Every team at this level is good. You've just got to go out there and attack the zone, and I was able to do that today."

Laird's drive to left off Jon Link fell just in front of Nolan Reimold, and Kelly followed Worth around third. Head scored on Davis' throwing error to push Detroit in front.

Jose Valverde protected the lead by striking out the side in order in the seventh.

Up next: Rick Porcello's tour of the Grapefruit League continues, with his third road start in as many outings, this one a Friday meeting with the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla., at 1:10 ET on MLB.TV. His opposing starter will be familiar Tigers foe Johan Santana, who's continuing his injury comeback and trying to recapture his prime years from his Twins days. Prince Fielder is among the Tigers on the travel roster.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Porcello, Young lead Tigers past host Mets
Righty tosses four scoreless; outfielder has two hits, two RBIs
By Paul Casella / MLB.com | 03/16/12 5:00 PM ET

Box score

Rick Porcello tossed four scoreless innings and Delmon Young singled, doubled and drove in a pair of runs as the Tigers topped the Mets, 9-0, on Friday in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Johan Santana, making his third start of the spring for the Mets after missing all of last season with a surgically repaired left shoulder, allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings of work. The southpaw was relieved by Bobby Parnell after a two-run, bases-loaded single by Young pushed the score to 3-0 in the third.

Both runners on base when Santana departed came around to score, as Parnell conceded a run-scoring single to Alex Avila and Young then crossed the plate on an error by Daniel Murphy.

The five-run lead was more than enough for Porcello. He allowed just four hits, struck out three batters and walked just one, combining with four Detroit relievers for the seven-hit shutout. Each of New York's seven hits were singles.

As for Santana, the RBI single he conceded to Andy Dirks in the second inning marked the first earned run against the lefty this spring. Santana hadn't allowed an earned run in his 4 2/3 innings of work during his first two starts.

The numbers on Friday weren't all bad for Santana. Forty-four of his 65 pitches went for strikes, and he topped out at 92 mph on the radar gun.

Up next: On Saturday, the Tigers face the World Series champion Cardinals at Joker Marchant Stadium. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on MLB.TV. Detroit will take a look at several candidates for its vacant rotation spot, as Adam Wilk, Andy Oliver and Drew Smyly will all try to prove themselves against St. Louis.

Paul Casella is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @paul_casella. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Prince's RBI triple, Young's blast carry Tigers
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | 03/17/12 4:33 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The big bats did what you'd expect them to Saturday at Joker Marchant Stadium. Matt Holliday homered to get the Cardinals on the board early, only to see the Tigers roar to life on a Prince Fielder ... triple?

Well, OK, maybe that wasn't exactly what the 10,024 fans in attendance expected, but Fielder's RBI triple in the fourth was one of several offensive highlights for the Tigers in a 10-3 victory over the Cards on St. Patrick's Day.

"That was my dad's favorite play -- a triple," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "To see Prince Fielder leg one out, I got a kick out of it. I don't expect to see many more of those. But in all seriousness, he's much more athletic than I thought him to be."

With both clubs donning festive green jerseys and caps, the Cardinals got some immediate offense off Tigers left-hander Adam Wilk, making his bid for the fifth spot in the Detroit rotation. Tyler Greene led the game off with a double and, one out later, the red-hot Holliday hammered a two-run shot to the lawn in left-center field for his second homer of the spring. Just like that, it was 2-0 Cards.

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia got out of a bases-loaded jam in the second, when Greene snagged a Don Kelly liner and then doubled up Delmon Young at second for an inning-ending double play. The Cards then padded their lead in the third, when World Series hero David Freese singled home Greene to make it 3-0.

This Tigers lineup, however, does not go down easily.

In the fourth, it got to Garcia, as Miguel Cabrera led off with a single and Fielder sent a grounder to the right-field corner and motored all the way to third for an RBI triple. Maybe that wasn't the exact manner of run-production the Tigers expected when they paired Cabrera and Fielder (who has just nine triples in his seven-year career) in the middle of the order, but they'll certainly take it. And the runs kept coming as the inning evolved, as Delmon Young doubled home Fielder then later scored on a double play to even it up at 3.

And in the fifth, the Tigers took over. Jackson doubled, and Garcia was lifted. Reliever R.J. Swindle came on and immediately uncorked a wild pitch to advance the runner. Brennan Boesch's sacrifice fly gave the Tigers their first lead, and they added on in a big way. After Cabrera and Fielder singled, Young cleared the bases with a three-run shot to left to make it 7-3. It was the third homer of the spring for Young, who now has 15 RBIs in 11 games played.

"He looks good, his swing's good, he feels good," Leyland said of Young. "I think he's on a mission."

The Tigers added another pair in the sixth, got a solo shot from Ryan Raburn (his fifth of the spring) in the seventh and never looked back, improving to 11-1-3 in Grapefruit League play.

Up next: Miguel Cabrera has made a strong first impression in his transition to third base, and he'll be back at the position Sunday, when the Tigers travel to Viera, Fla., to face the Nationals at 1:05 p.m. ET on Gameday Audio. Doug Fister will make the start opposite Edwin Jackson.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, CastroTurf, and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Fister, Tigers' bats take care of Nationals
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com | 03/18/12 4:22 PM ET

Box score

VIERA, Fla. -- The Tigers and Nationals found themselves in a slugfest on Sunday afternoon at Space Coast Stadium. When it was over, the Tigers had won the game, 11-7.

It was the Nationals who took the early lead off right-hander Doug Fister in the second inning. Both Roger Bernadina and Ian Desmond had RBI singles.

Fister allowed three runs -- just one earned -- over four innings while striking out seven. He now has a 1.00 ERA this spring.

The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the third inning off right-hander Edwin Jackson. Gerald Laird scored on a passed ball by catcher Jesus Flores, while Miguel Cabrera and Ryan Raburn had RBI hits.

Washington then tied the score at 3 in the bottom of the inning off Fister. Danny Espinosa scored on a single by Chad Tracy.

But the Tigers took a one-run lead in the fourth inning against Jackson before blowing it open in the next frame by scoring five runs against reliever Chad Durbin. Austin Jackson highlighted the scoring with an RBI single.

The Nationals made it a game in the bottom of the frame, when Jayson Werth hit a two-run double against Duane Below to make it 9-5.

Tyler Moore scored Washington's next run of the game in the bottom of the sixth by hitting his first Spring Training home run off Below.

The Tigers scored their 10th run of the game in the seventh, when Clete Thomas homered off Ryan Perry.

Up next: The Tigers travel to Clearwater, Fla., on Monday to face the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. ET on MLB.TV. Right-hander Max Scherzer is expected to make the start for Detroit. In three spring games, Scherzer has allowed three runs in eight innings.

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashingNats. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Boesch's bop overshadowed by Miggy injury
By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com | 03/19/12 3:45 PM ET

Box score

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Phillies fans walked the concourse at Bright House Field on Monday asking plenty of questions about their Opening Day second baseman. After the first inning, Tigers fans may have been wondering who would be their third baseman.

The answer for Phillies fans: It won't be Chase Utley, who left camp to get his chronic knees examined. It looks like Freddy Galvis, who has never played in the big leagues.

The Phillies played without Utley in Monday's 4-3 victory over the Tigers at Bright House Field, which has been the case since camp opened last month. Phillies right-hander Scott Elarton allowed three hits, three runs, two walks and one home run and struck out four in 2 1/3 innings.

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera walked, stole second and scored on Don Kelly's single to center field in the first inning to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. Cabrera wasn't long for the game, however, taking a ground ball to the face in the bottom of the first inning and leaving to get stitched and have precautionary X-rays.

Brennan Boesch hit a two-run home run in the third to make it 3-0 Detroit.

Galvis tripled to right-center field off Max Scherzer in the fifth inning to score two runs to tie the game, 3-3. Jimmy Rollins' sacrifice fly to left scored Galvis to put Philly in front.

Jose Valverde tossed a 1-2-3 eighth inning, retiring Rollins, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence in order.

Up next: After road trips to both coasts of Florida, the Tigers are home in Lakeland for back-to-back days, both of them televised games, starting with Tuesday's matchup against the Braves at 1:05 p.m. ET at Joker Marchant Stadium, streamed live on MLB.TV. Justin Verlander will make his fourth start of the spring, trying to build on his 9 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Former Tiger Jair Jurrjens is scheduled to start for Atlanta. ESPN will have the broadcast.

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

Tigers flex muscle behind solid Verlander
Raburn, Young go deep; ace strikes out four in five innings
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/20/12 3:50 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Ryan Raburn hit his sixth home run of the spring, providing offensive support behind Justin Verlander for the Tigers' third win over the Braves this spring, a 7-2 decision Tuesday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The win improved the Tigers to 13-2-3, the best record in the Majors so far this spring.

Barely an hour after Tigers manager Jim Leyland said this is the most relaxed and confident he has ever seen Raburn in Spring Training, Raburn went about demonstrating why with his sixth home run in his 25th at-bat of the spring. He pulled a hanging curveball from former Tiger Jair Jurrjens deep to left, driving in Alex Avila in the second inning for a 3-0 lead after Austin Jackson singled and scored in the first.

Prince Fielder and Delmon Young added RBI singles in the third inning before Young added his fourth home run of the spring in the fifth, saddling Jurrjens with seven runs, six earned, on seven hits over five innings. A National League All-Star last summer, Jurrjens has allowed 15 earned runs over 13 1/3 innings this spring as he tries to work his way back after missing the 2011 stretch run with a right knee strain.

Verlander entered the day having allowed one run in 9 2/3 innings with 13 strikeouts, but he ran into third-inning trouble when back-to-back singles and a Martin Prado walk loaded the bases with nobody out. Verlander induced a popout from Chipper Jones on a 2-0 fastball, but Eric Hinske pulled a two-run single to left two pitches later.

Verlander struck out four batters in five innings.

Up next: The battle for the fifth spot in the rotation hits local television Wednesday, when Andy Oliver makes his first start of the spring against the Twins in a 1:05 p.m. ET start at Joker Marchant Stadium. The game can be seen on MLB.TV, and it is also the first on the Fox Sports Detroit schedule, with Mario Impemba and Rod Allen on the call.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Young swats fifth homer; Oliver battles control
Lefty prospect walks five, allows three runs in 3 2/3 innings
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/21/12 4:05 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Andy Oliver battled his command in his first rough afternoon of the spring, which might shed a different light on the battle for the Tigers' open rotation spot. Oliver's five walks were overshadowed by a Luke Hughes three-run homer as the Tigers suffered a 7-3 loss to the Twins on Wednesday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The loss was just the third for Detroit, albeit the club's second in three days. It was also the first blemish for Oliver in what has been shaping up as a talented competition with Duane Below and prospect Drew Smyly for the fifth-starter job.

Oliver needed just 11 pitches to retire the Twins in order in the first inning, but a Danny Valencia single leading off the second and a four-pitch walk to Ryan Doumit set up Hughes' opportunity. Oliver had thrown six straight pitches out of the strike zone with a 2-0 count to Hughes, drawing pitching coach Jeff Jones out of the dugout for a visit.

Oliver recovered to get the count full, then left a slider in the zone for Hughes to drive over the left-field fence for his second spring home run.

The rest of Oliver's outing saw him in and out of the strike zone with his pitches, while struggling to find the right pace in his delivery.

"I was just a little bit out of rhythm, a little bit too slow trying to go through my mechanics, trying to get everything to sync up," Oliver said. "My body was going a little bit too quick for my arm."

Three straight walks in the fourth, including eight straight balls to Hughes and Joe Benson, ended Oliver's outing with two outs in the fourth. He threw exactly half of his 62 pitches for strikes. Adam Wilk escaped that jam, but gave up a Chris Parmelee RBI triple and a Benson two-run homer in the fifth.

Delmon Young's fifth home run of the spring, a line drive to the left-field berm off Twins prospect Liam Hendriks, gave the Tigers' portion of the crowd a reason to cheer before Minnesota pulled away. Austin Jackson's leadoff single and stolen base put him in position to score Detroit's opening run in the first.

In his second spring start, Hendriks gave up two runs on four hits over four innings. Competing for a rotation spot if Scott Baker isn't ready to go, Hendriks struck out two and didn't issue a walk.

Up next: While the team enjoys its lone scheduled off-day Thursday, Smyly will go to work in a noon ET Minor League game as he tries to strengthen his case for the fifth spot in the rotation. Smyly pitched four scoreless innings Sunday against the Nationals. The team returns to action Friday against the Pirates in a 1:05 p.m. game at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fla.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Berry grand slam caps victory over Bucs
By Tom Singer / MLB.com | 03/23/12 3:49 PM ET

Box score

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Quintin Berry's grand slam capped a six-run ninth inning Friday as the Detroit Tigers stormed back to beat the Pirates, 7-2.

Run-scoring singles by Audy Ciriaco and Omir Santos had already erased Pittsburgh's 2-1 lead before Berry launched a 1-0 pitch from Daniel McCutchen over the centerfield fence to break the game open.

McCutchen, the fifth Bucs pitcher, allowed all of the ninth inning runs after Charlie Morton and the Pittsburgh bullpen had held the potent Tigers to six hits through eight innings.

After Casey McGehee was hit by Doug Fister's pitch with one out in the second, Matt Hague followed with a drive over the left-center fence for the rookie's third homer and ninth hit in his last 15 at-bats.

Fister left the game after he complained of soreness in his right middle finger following his second pitch to pinch-hitter Yamaico Navarro with two outs in the fifth. He was removed for precautionary reasons and the club called his status "day-to-day."

Fister had been hoping to stretch out after having gone five innings in his previous starts. In 4 2/3 innings against the Pirates, he was charged with the two runs on four hits, with no walks and four strikeouts.

Morton rebounded stylishly from giving up five runs in three innings against Minnesota on Sunday. He surrendered two singles while blanking the Tigers through four crisp innings, striking out two without a walk.

Hague picked on a tough target for his team-leading fourth home run. Fister had allowed only four homers in 70 1/3 innings after the Tigers acquired him from Seattle last July 30, and had allowed only one run in nine innings in winning his first three Grapefruit League decisions.

Up next: Five months after the Tigers and Yankees battled through an enthralling five-game AL Division Series, they meet again in Grapefruit League play for a home-and-home set, starting with Saturday's 1 p.m. ET matchup before a full house at Joker Marchant Stadium. Max Scherzer, who tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Bronx Bombers in the playoffs, will make his fifth start of the spring opposite former Tigers righty Freddy Garcia.

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Scherzer dominant, but clutch Tigers fall in 10th
Starter takes perfecto into sixth; Ciriaco homers in tying ninth
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/24/12 4:05 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- What began as a pitching duel between Max Scherzer and Freddy Garcia ended in extra innings with a Dewayne Wise two-run double in the 10th, sending the Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Tigers on Saturday before a sellout crowd at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Tigers had rallied in the ninth on Audy Ciriaco's homer and Danny Worth's sac fly off D.J. Mitchell to tie the game at 2.

Scherzer had the strongest outing to date by a Tigers starter before running out of gas in the seventh. His first six scoreless innings kept Detroit in a duel with former teammate Garcia until Raul Ibanez's two-run home run broke a scoreless tie in the seventh.

Scherzer had given up seven runs over his previous two starts, but has felt all spring like he has been ahead of schedule from previous camps. On Saturday, he looked like it, mixing a mid-90s fastball with good offspeed pitching to rack up quick, easy innings and eight strikeouts overall.

Scherzer retired the first 16 batters he faced before Colin Curtis broke up his perfect game with a one-out single in the sixth. Scherzer stranded him there, then erased a hit-by-pitch with a double play in the seventh. But Mark Teixeira's ensuing single extended the inning for Ibanez, who sent a drive deep to center field for his first home run of the spring.

Ibanez, signed to a free-agent contract in mid-February, came into the day 2-for-37 with a double and two RBIs this spring.

Garcia, who allowed one hit over 4 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two, combined with relievers Kevin Whelan and Boone Logan to retire 15 straight Tigers after Jhonny Peralta had Detroit's lone hit off Garcia. Peralta hit a sharp comebacker that bounced off Garcia's leg and rolled toward third base.

Up next: Another Sunday split-squad set has the Tigers at home and in Tampa for simultaneous games. While Prince Fielder and several other regulars stay home for a 1:05 p.m. ET matchup with the Phillies at Joker Marchant Stadium, Duane Below makes a critical start in his quest for the open rotation spot when the other split squad finishes up its home-and-home set against the Yankees with a 1:05 p.m. game at George M. Steinbrenner Field, live on MLB.TV.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Looking for a spot, Below contains Yanks
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | 03/25/12 4:14 PM ET

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. -- Michael Pineda had his strongest outing in a Yankees uniform, as his new team and a split-squad Tigers club played to a 1-1 tie in 10 innings at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Sunday afternoon.

Pineda went five innings for the first time this spring, allowing one run on five hits while walking two and striking out four. The right-hander continued to mix in a quickly improving changeup, and his velocity -- a concern early this spring -- was up a tick or two, touching 94 mph.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez exited after being struck on the left ribs by a Brayan Villarreal pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning. Earlier in the seventh, Yankees infielder Doug Bernier was hit by a Villarreal pitch but stayed in the game.

Pineda didn't get too much in the way of support. While Tigers rotation candidate Duane Below -- who worked 3 2/3 innings in an audition of sorts, allowing three hits and one run -- wasn't particularly sharp, the only run the lefty allowed came on the first batter he faced. In just his second game back since dealing with a tight left calf, Derek Jeter homered and doubled in his first two at-bats, recording his first two extra-base hits of the spring. Jeter homered to lead off the bottom of the first, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead, and he led off the third with his double but was left stranded.

The Tigers tied the score at 1 in the third, when a leadoff walk came back to haunt Pineda. After the right-hander retired Austin Jackson, Ramon Santiago tripled in Danny Worth to knot the game. Pineda then set down the next seven hitters and ended his outing with a strikeout of Santiago in the fifth.

Mariano Rivera worked a scoreless inning, surrendering his first hit of the Grapefruit League season, a Delmon Young double to center field. Right-handed reliever David Robertson returned to the mound for the first time since sustaining a bone bruise on his right foot, allowing a single and striking out one in a scoreless frame.

Up next: Rick Porcello will finally get a start at Joker Marchant Stadium for the first time all spring, putting his sinkerball on display for the home crowd as the Tigers host the Marlins in a 1:05 p.m. ET matchup on Monday. Porcello has a scoreless streak of 9 2/3 innings going over his last two outings, though more than half of those frames came against Triple-A Syracuse in a Minor League outing on Wednesday at Tigertown. He'll meet a familiar foe in Mark Buehrle, the longtime White Sox lefty who signed with Miami in December.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Verlander works six strong vs. Phillies
By Paul Hagen / MLB.com | 03/25/12 3:35 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers ace Justin Verlander, the defending American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winner, picked up right where he left off through his first four Grapefruit League starts on Sunday, leading Detroit to a 6-3 win over the Phillies with six innings of two-run ball, striking out three.

Minor League outfielder Tyler Collins, who was brought to Joker Marchant on Sunday because both teams were fielding split squads, blasted a three-run homer off Phillies reliever Joe Savery in the bottom of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie. James McCann's eighth-inning homer gave Detroit a four-run lead.

The Phillies got to Verlander for a pair of runs on four hits in the top of the first. Juan Pierre led off with a single but was erased on a double play. Then Shane Victorino doubled, Hunter Pence singled and Ty Wigginton doubled to give the Phillies a quick lead.

Phillies starter Scott Elarton, attempting a comeback after having not pitched in the Majors since 2008 -- he hasn't competed professionally since 2010 -- also struggled in the first inning, especially with his command.

After giving up a one-out triple to Brennan Boesch, the 36-year-old right-hander walked three of the next four hitters he faced. The one who put the ball in play, Prince Fielder, drilled a sacrifice fly deep to right.

Both starters settled down after that.

Verlander set down 12 straight batters before Miguel Abreu and Pierre reached on back-to-back infield singles in the top of the fifth.

"I made a little bit of an adjustment, keeping my chest over my body a little bit," Verlander explained. "That got me to where I needed to be. I wasn't leaving the ball up in the zone and was hitting my spots better.

"I felt it when I was out there. I've always been blessed with being able to make adjustments pretty quickly."

Elarton allowed just two baserunners on a single and a walk in his final three innings.

"It was just a battle," Elarton said. "I think it's just that time of Spring Training where physically, I didn't feel good. I didn't have much life. But it's a good sign that I was able to battle through it. I'll take the results [in the last three innings], for sure.

"Obviously, I didn't want to walk that many guys. I was just fighting tempo, mechanics, just about everything. Next time, I think I'll be over that. I just want to pitch, go out there and get outs."

After sitting out so long, Elarton really didn't know what to expect.

"I guess I didn't remember exactly how hard it is," Elarton said with a smile. "Because it is. It's a very tough game. But at the same time, I love it. I really like the challenge, and I still think I'm up to it."

Don Kelly tied the score against Phillies reliever David Herndon in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out triple over the head of Minor League center fielder Peter Lavin, who had come in to replace starter Victorino.

Up next: Right-hander Rick Porcello (2-0 with a 1.80 Grapefruit League ERA) will face Major League hitters for the first time since March 16 on Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET, when the Tigers host the Marlins at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Tigers wanted to take a look at 24-year-old rotation candidate Andy Oliver against big leaguers on Wednesday, so Porcello started a Triple-A game against Syracuse that day.

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

Boesch, Peralta boost Porcello against Fish
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/26/12 3:56 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brennan Boesch joined the list of Tigers on a home run spree this spring, hitting his fourth homer to support Rick Porcello in the latest chapter of his standout spring in a 3-3, 10-inning tie with the Marlins on Monday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Boesch's first-inning blast off the indoor batting cage building beyond right field came off longtime Tigers foe Mark Buehrle, now a Marlins starter after opposing Detroit for years with the White Sox. It gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead after third baseman Audy Ciriaco's error and a Porcello wild pitch yielded an unearned run for the Marlins in the top of the inning.

Porcello, making his first start at Joker Marchant Stadium this spring following three starts on the road and another in a Minor League game at Tigertown, held down the Marlins' offense from there, with help from a pair of ground-ball double plays. The sinkerballer induced 11 groundouts to help him on his way to seven innings.

Former Tigers infielder Omar Infante's leadoff triple set up Miami's second run in the seventh, leaving Jhonny Peralta's fourth-inning solo shot as the difference in the game until Joaquin Benoit allowed a run in the ninth. Peralta, batting third with Miguel Cabrera out, went 3-for-3 to raise his spring average to .293.

Buehrle struck out five batters on his way to six innings of three-run ball. Chad Gaudin added a scoreless inning of relief for Miami.

Up next: While Andy Oliver makes his latest start in his quest for the fifth-starter spot, the Tigers could end up testing out much of their likely Opening Day lineup against Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez on Tuesday. All the position players left in camp, save for Cabrera, are scheduled to make the trip to Osceola County Stadium for the 1:05 p.m. ET matchup.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.