Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers' Jim Leyand not laughing after Justin Verlander tries to avoid 'Handshake of Doom'

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:01:59 UTC

It's referred to as the "Handshake of Doom" by members of the media. Tigers ace Justin Verlander tried to avoid it Friday night. Tigers manager Jim Leyland wouldn't let him.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning in Detroit on Friday.AP Photo

DETROIT -- It's commonly referred to as the "Handshake of Doom" by members of the media.

Tigers ace Justin Verlander tried to avoid it Friday night.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland wouldn't let him.

First, a bit of background: Leyland will typically greet his starting pitchers at the steps of the dugout and, when he has decided a pitcher's day is done, he will extend his hand.

That handshake will signify the end of a pitcher's appearance.

Fast forward to Friday night when Verlander needed only seven pitches to breeze through a scoreless seventh inning. He was at 108 pitches and wanted to keep going.

But, as he walked to the dugout, he spotted Leyland waiting at the bottom of the steps.

Fully aware of what awaited him, he purposefully walked to the opposite end of the dugout in an attempt to dodge Leyland's fateful handshake.

It didn't work.

Leyland tracked Verlander down, shook his hand, and -- for good measure -- gave him a pat on the arm. Verlander's night was officially done.

"I tried to go the other way and sneak around him but he was too quick for me," Verlander said with a smile. "He caught me at the bottom of those stairs anyway."

Laughter filled the press box at the time, but when asked about the incident following the game, it was clear Leyland didn't find Verlander's antics to be the least bit amusing.

"I don’t think that was comical at all," a disgruntled Leyland said after the game. "You might think that was comical, but I don’t think that was comical at all."

When asked about what he didn't find "comical" about the incident, Leyland was quick to change the topic.

"I’m not getting into that. I made my statement about that. Let’s move on," he said. "I don’t talk about silly stuff. Let’s talk about baseball."

Verlander seemed surprised when informed that Leyland was upset about his detour.

"I wasn't trying to play a joke on him, I just wanted to stay in the game," he said. "He always stands there and sticks out his hand so I figured maybe if I snuck around him he'd let me go back out there."

Verlander didn't return in the eighth, marking the third straight start he allowed three runs in seven innings. Still, he didn't regret his decision to try and avoid the customary handshake.

"If he wants to be mad, he can be mad," he said. "I wanted to stay in the game."

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With struggles mounting, bonuses drawing near, time could be running short for Jose Valverde

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:32:16 UTC

Jim Leyland: "I'm still going to use Valverde. I just don't think you discard him just yet. I think you still have to give him the opportunity to see if he can anymore or he can't. I think you have to figure that out."

Jose Valverde allowed four runs on five hits Wednesday in a mop-up situation against the Baltirmore Orioles.AP Photo

DETROIT -- Many Detroit Tigers fans want Jose Valverde to split. He hasn't.

On Wednesday afternoon, Valverde wanted his pitches to split. They didn't.

Valverde entered the game in a mop-up situation Wednesday and allowed four runs in the first 10 pitches he threw in a 13-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The big hit of the ninth inning off Valverde was a two-run home run by Chris Davis, who had a very clear and simple explanation about the pitch he hit over the wall in right field.

"It split right into my barrel," Davis said.

Manny Machado greeted Valverde with a single to left on an 0-2 splitter to start the ninth, then went to second when Nick Markakis hit the first pitch he saw, a fastball, to left for a single. Adam Jones hit the next pitch, a fastball, for a two-run double. Five pitches into the inning, the Orioles had tacked on two more runs to make it 11-3.

They weren't done. Davis took two fastballs for balls, swung and missed at a splitter for strike one, then took a splitter for strike two. The next pitch left the ballpark.

"I think he threw one good split and a bunch of them that weren't too good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "It was obviously not a very good outing for him."

In all, Valverde allowed four runs on five hits in one inning of work. He struck out one and did not issue a walk. Of his 22 pitches, 16 were fastballs and the other six were splitters.

Leyland gave Valverde a partial pass because of the game situation. Valverde had not pitched since Friday, so Leyland wanted to get him into a game. But he also knows that, like many closers, Valverde doesn't thrive in non-closing situations. Leyland said it might have been difficult for Valverde to get his adrenaline going.

"I don't think that was all of it today," Leyland said. "I think probably it was some of it. But certainly not all of it. I don't want to sit here and look like I'm making excuses because I'm not in any way shape or form. Things have to get a little bit better."

How much time will the Tigers give Valverde to get better? That's tough to tell, but the time remaining in the Valverde experiment could be running short.

Valverde has finished 18 games this season. According to Baseball Prospectus, he will get a $500,000 bonus if and when he finishes his 25th game, then an additional $500,000 every five games finished after that. Keeping him around will get a bit more expensive in the not too distant future.

It's clear Valverde is not the only option Leyland is considering to close games right now. He went with Joaquin Benoit in a save situation Sunday in Minnesota, then let Drew Smyly pitch the final three innings Monday night in a 5-1 win over the Orioles.

During a radio interview Wednesday morning on 97.1 The Ticket, Leyland discussed his closer situation and repeated that he will use Benoit and Phil Coke in save situations depending on how the opposing lineup sets up but still plans to use Valverde as the closer.

"I'm still going to use Valverde," he said. "I just don't think you discard him just yet. I think you still have to give him the opportunity to see if he can anymore or he can't. I think you have to figure that out."

Many fans have decided. Valverde was jeered when he came into the game and then again when the inning was over. He got a sarcastic cheer when he retired the fifth batter of the inning for his first out.

"You don't like to see that happen to anybody, particularly a veteran like Jose," Leyland said. "But we all go through those moments where we have to take our shots. You don't like it. But you understand it. … Certainly, I'm not campaigning for anybody not to express their feelings however they want to express them. That's their own business."

Baseball can be a tough business even without fans hooting on you. The Tigers have played 70 games and have 92 remaining. The season is no longer young. The trade deadline is less than six weeks away. Their bullpen needs to improve. And it seems less and less likely all the time that Valverde is a guy who can make it better.

A day still may come when the Detroit Tigers will sever ties with Jose Valverde. It is not this day.

But that day might be coming in the near future. Time could very well be running short.

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Three stars: Matt Tuiasosopo hits two-run pinch-hit double, Omar Infante picks up RBI double in 13-3 loss

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:20:45 UTC

Matt Tuiasosopo is a pinch-hitting machine. Batting for Don Kelly in the sixth, Tuiasosopo laced a two-run double to center on the sixth pitch of his at-bat.

DETROIT -- Here are three stars for the Detroit Tigers from their 13-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon:

Matt Tuiasosopo

FIRST STAR: MATT TUIASOSOPO
Matt Tuiasosopo is a pinch-hitting machine. Batting for Don Kelly in the sixth, Tuiasosopo laced a two-run double to center on the sixth pitch of his at-bat. It cut Detroit's deficit to 6-3 and gave Tuiasosopo his sixth RBI as a pinch-hitter this year. It's the most pinch-hit RBIs by a Tiger since Frank Catalanotto had six in 1999. More impressive? Tuiasosopo is batting .300 with two doubles and a homer in 10 at-bats as a pinch-hitter. The rest of the team is batting .192 with one extra-base hit and six RBIs in 26 pinch-hit at-bats.

Omar Infante

SECOND STAR: OMAR INFANTE
Is Omar Infante an All-Star? He's certainly playing like one this season. Infante put the Tigers on the board in the fourth with a run-scoring double -- his 22nd RBI this year. Infante, who is third in the AL among second basemen with a .306 average, is now batting (62-for-192) with 11 doubles, two triples, four homers and 18 RBIs in his last 49 games.

Jhonny Peralta

THIRD STAR: JHONNY PERALTA
Jhonny Peralta isn't slowing down. A career .268 batter, Peralta finished 1-for-3 with a double and a walk Wednesday. It was his fifth double in six games, raising his average to .331. He also scored two of Detroit's three runs and continues to lead all American League shortstops with a .331 batting average, 82 hits and 21 doubles. He's second behind Baltimore's J.J. Hardy with six homers and 30 RBIs. Does Peralta deserve an All-Star invitation, too?

What do you think? Are these the right three guys? What about Austin Jackson, who went 2-for-5 and is now batting .417 since returning from the disabled list last Friday? Post your thoughts in the comments section below this story.

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Detroit Tigers send outfielder Avisail Garcia to Triple-A Toledo to make room for starting pitcher Jose Alvarez

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:15:11 UTC

Alvarez pitched well in one previous start in place of Sanchez. He allowed one run one three hits and one walk while striking out seven on June 9 in a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Jose Alvarez will make his second career start for the Detroit Tigers on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox.AP File Photo

DETROIT -- Avisail Garcia has been doing his share of traveling between Toledo and Detroit this season.

The Tigers sent Garcia to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday to make room for left-hander Jose Alvarez, who will start Thursday night in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

The Tigers recalled Garcia on Monday when they placed starter Anibal Sanchez on the disabled list due to a shoulder strain. The Tigers at that point obviously planned to make another move prior to the game Thursday to make room for Alvarez.

It seems like a logical move on the surface. Bring Garcia up for a few days and then send him back down. But it does raise one question: Why did the Tigers move catcher Alex Avila to the disabled list so hastily?

The Tigers made two moves on Monday. They placed Sanchez and Avila (forearm contusion) on the disabled list and recalled Garcia and catcher Bryan Holaday. Part of the explanation was that they couldn't go even a few days without a backup catcher, which is very true.

However, the Tigers could have placed Sanchez on the disabled list Monday and recalled Holaday at that point to provide catching depth, then waited to Wednesday to see how Avila was doing. Then, if Avila hadn't made the necessary progress, they could have put him on the disabled list retroactively and recalled Alvarez for the start Thursday.

Of course, with Avila slumping this season, it's possible that some time off coupled with some at-bats with Triple-A on a rehabilitation assignment could be helpful.

Either way, Garcia is headed back to Toledo. He had two at-bats Monday but did not play in the final two games of the series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Alvarez pitched well in one previous start in place of Sanchez. He allowed one run one three hits and one walk while striking out seven on June 9 in a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.

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Rick Porcello roughed up early, Jose Valverde roughed up late in 13-3 loss to Baltimore Orioles

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:21:59 UTC

Chris Davis entered the game with 24 home runs. Taylor Teagarden had one hit. Both hit big home runs off Porcello in a six-run fourth inning for the Orioles.

J.J. Hardy beats the tag from Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera and slides in safely Wednesday on an infield single by teammate Ryan Flaherty. Taylor Teagarden followed with a three-run home run to give the Orioles a 5-0 lead.AP Photo

DETROIT -- Chris Davis entered the game with 24 home runs. Taylor Teagarden had one hit.

Both hit big home runs off Detroit Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello.

Davis and Teagarden helped the Baltimore Orioles blow the game open against Porcello with a six-run fourth inning Wednesday afternoon as the Tigers suffered a 13-3 loss.

Porcello was 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his previous nine starts and threw three scoreless innings Wednesday before the Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the fourth. Davis hit a two-run home run in the fourth. Teagarden had a three-run homer in the inning.

Davis added a second home run -- his 26th of the season -- with a two-run blast against Jose Valverde, who allowed four runs in the ninth inning.

KEY TO THE GAME
The Orioles led 2-0 and had a runner on second base with two outs in the fourth inning when Ryan Flaherty hit a slow-roller toward the bag at third base. J.J. Hardy hustled from second to third and barely beat the tag from Miguel Cabrera, who fielded the ball near the bag and had not play at first. If Hardy had hesitated, he would have been the third out of the inning. Instead, the Orioles added on four more runs to blow the game open.

TIGERS HIGHLIGHTS
-- The Tigers cut their deficit to 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth on doubles by Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante.

-- Matt Tuiasosopo drove in two runs with a pinch-hit double with no outs in the sixth inning. The Orioles lifted starter Chris Tillman after Victor Martinez singled and Peralta walked, and Tuiasosopo greeted left-hander T.J. McFarland with a double to the gap in left-center to make it 6-3.

-- Right-hander Evan Reed struck out the side in the eighth inning. All three strikeouts were on called third strikes.

TIGERS LOWLIGHTS
-- Davis hit his league-leading 25th home run of the season with one on and one out in the fourth inning to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Davis hit a first-pitch fastball from Porcello over the wall in left field.

-- After Davis hit his home run, two of the next three Orioles reached base. Taylor Teagarden then hit a three-run home run off Porcello to make it 5-0. It was Teagarden's first home run and second hit of the season. He entered the game hitting .043 (1-for-23). The Orioles made it 6-0 on a double by Nate McLouth and a single by Manny Machado.

-- The Orioles added three insurance runs in the seventh inning off Tigers relievers Darin Downs and Reed. Davis had an RBI double in the seventh for the Orioles.

-- Valverde entered the game in the ninth inning with the Tigers trailing and allowed two runs on the first five pitches he threw. After Machado and Nick Markakis singled, Adam Jones doubled to right-center to score two runs and make it 11-3. Davis then hit a two-run home run to right field to make it 13-3.

OTHER GAME NOTES
-- The final pitching line for Orioles starter Chris Tillman: 5-plus IP, 7H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 1SO. He threw 101 pitches, 61 for strikes.

-- After Porcello allowed six of seven batters to reach base at one point in the fourth inning, he retired the final seven batters he faced. His final pitching line: 6IP, 9H, 6R, 6ER, 0BB, 4SO. He threw 93 pitches, 60 for strikes.

-- Andy Dirks ended a streak of 14 at-bats without a hit when he singled to lead off the seventh inning.

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Blog recap: Detroit Tigers get blasted by Baltimore 13-3 after nightmare 4th inning for Rick Porcello

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:39 UTC

Rick Porcello and the Detroit Tigers looks to take the rubber match in the final game of their three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles this afternoon at Comerica Park.

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NINTH INNING:Tigers 3, Orioles 13

Boy were the fans excited to see Jose Valverde enter the game! I mean, down 9-3 in the 9th, what could go wrong? Well, what could go wrong is 4 more Orioles runs off just 10 Valverde pitches.

EIGHTH INNING:Tigers 3, Orioles 9

Reed stays in to pitch the 8th. He picks up three strikeouts in a row with some major heaters. His fastball reached 95 mph and he gets out of the 1-2-3 inning after 14 pitches.

And the Tigers bats? Well, they fell silent again. No rally caps today, fans are pouring out of Comerica in droves.

SEVENTH INNING:Tigers 3, Orioles 9

Darin Downs come in for Porcello. Porcello's stats: 6 innings, 9 hits, 6 runs earned, no walks, 4 strikeouts, 2 home runs.

Downs gets off to a rough start, giving up a double to McClouth and walking Machado.
After striking out Markakis, Evan Reed comes in. It's only his fourth major league appearance and it's not pretty. He gives up 3 runs. Things don't look good for the Tigers.

SIXTH INNING:Tigers 3, Orioles 6

Who was that guy in the fourth inning? Dr. Porcello has been stellar other than that Ricky Hyde six run surge in the 4th. He makes quick work of the Orioles batters in the the sixth inning, picks up another K and only throws 10 pitches.

Martinez gets his first hit of the day with a single off a 91 mph fastball. Tillman got a little visit from the coach after that. He stayed out there for Peralta, gave up another single and is done for the day. He threw 101 pitches with 61 strikes and only gave up 1 run.

T. J. McFarland replaces Tillman and Matt Tuiasosopo comes in to pinch hit for Don Kelly. It was the perfect substitution at the perfect time. Righty versus lefty for a 2 RBI double (Martinez and Peralta score).

FIFTH INNING:Tigers 1, Orioles 6

Porcello does return in the 5th after giving up 6 runs in the 4th. He picks up another strike out and makes it a 1-2-3 inning. He and the Tigers really needed that short-term memory.

The heart of the Tigers lineup just not producing yet today. Miguel and Prince have one hit between them.

FOURTH INNING:Tigers 1, Orioles 6

Porcello finally cracks. And cracks big time. With Markakis on 2nd, Chris Davis belts a home run to left field to put the Orioles on the board first (2-0). In the aftermath he gives up a single to Hardy. Making matters in the 4th more difficult, Hardy steals 2nd. But unfortunately for Porcello, that wasn't the end of it. Taylor Teagarden knocks a 91 mph fastball outta here. Yikes. We'll see if Porcello comes back out in the 5th.

Peralta gets a great hit into the corner in left field. It looked like Donny was going to make it 2-2 to start the day, but he couldn't quite get it over Flaherty's head. No worries though, Infante puts one in the same spot Peralta did for an RBI double and the Tigers are finally on the board.

THIRD INNING:Tigers 0, Orioles 0

Porcello gets a 1-2-3 inning. He's thrown 44 pitches so far and has 28 Strikes and 16 Balls.

Tillman walked Cabrera after Dirks had another less than satifying trip to the plate. Both Prince and Martinez had pop ups and the Tigers come up empty again.

SECOND INNING:Tigers 0, Orioles 0

With 13 filthy pitches, Porcello gets through the bottom of the Orioles lineup without breaking a sweat. Four of his six outs today are on grounders.

So everyone was either displeased or not amused to hear that Don Kelly was in the lineup today. But low and behold, DK gets a hit at his first at bat. No one was going crazy when they found out Bryan Holaday was catching either, but he also gets a hit on his first at bat, moving DK to 2nd and bringing things back to the top of the order. They both get stranded when McClouth fields Jackson's hit into left. Solid play by McClouth.

FIRST INNING: Tigers 0, Orioles 0

Porcello starts off a little shaky, giving up a single to McClouth on the first at bat. Machado also made contact, but it went right to Infante's glove. Porcello got his changeup going at that point and forced Markakis and Jones into popping a couple right to Cabrera, who threw them both out easily at first.

Austin Jackson cracked one right by Tillman's head and into centerfield. His presence in the rotation again has a major impact. Unfortunately, he got caught trying to steal 2nd while Dirks was at bat. Dirks then popped it up for the 2nd out.

Cabrera - like clockwork - cracks one into right field. He's .387 with nine doubles, a triple, 16 home runs and 44 RBI in 44 career games against the Orioles. Prince gets walked, but Martinez strikes out to end the inning.

PREGAME

DETROIT -- It's a beautiful afternoon in downtown Detroit. And under sunny skies with with temperatures expected to reach the mid-70s, the Detroit Tigers will look to win the rubber match of their three game series with the Baltimore Orioles.

On the mound for the Tigers will be Rick Porcello (4-3, 4.37), who is 2-1 with a 1.33 ERA in his last four starts. The Orioles will roll out Chris Tillman (7-2, 3.61 ERA). Tillman is 3-0 (1.42 ERA) in his three June starts.

So it looks like it will be a hot June day for two hot pitchers.

First pitch is at 1:08 p.m., but the pregame party kicks off at noon. Like always, if you have a question, ask us in the section below. If you have a question about Max Scherzer, ask TigersFangirl.

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Detroit Tigers Gameday: Don Kelly spells Torii Hunter in right, catcher Bryan Holaday makes season debut

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:10:59 UTC

Jim Leyland said he considered giving Avisail Garcia or Matt Tuiasosopo a start today, but wanted to play the splits with right-hander Chris Tillman on the mound for Baltimore.

GAME INFORMATION
Who: Baltimore Orioles (41-31) at Detroit Tigers (39-30).
Where: Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.
First pitch: 1:08 p.m.
Television: Fox Sports Detroit, MLB Network.
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket and the Detroit Tigers radio network.
Twitter: Follow Chris Iott and James Schmehl.
Live coverage: Look for a live blog hosted by Gillian Van Stratt at 1 p.m.

STARTING PITCHERS
Detroit Tigers
Rick Porcello, RHP (4-3, 4.37 ERA)
Lifetime vs. Orioles: 1-4, 4.50 ERA.

Baltimore Orioles
Chris Tillman, RHP (7-2, 3.61 ERA)
Lifetime vs. Tigers: 1-0, 4.07 ERA.

STARTING LINEUPS
(Batters statistics vs. opposing starting pitcher)

Detroit Tigers
1. Austin Jackson, CF (1-for-6)
2. Andy Dirks, LF
3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B (3-for-7, 1 HR)
4. Prince Fielder, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH (1-for-3)
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS (1-for-10, 1 HR)
7. Don Kelly, RF (1-for-7, 1 HR)
8. Omar Infante, 2B
9. Bryan Holaday, C

Baltimore Orioles
1. Nate McLouth, LF (0-for-6)
2. Manny Machado, 3B (1-for-4)
3. Nick Markakis, RF (7-for-16, 1 HR)
4. Adam Jones, CF (3-for-15)
5. Chris Davis, DH (3-for-9, 2 HR)
6. J.J. Hardy, SS (5-for-12)
7. Travis Ishikawa, 1B
8. Ryan Flaherty, 2B (1-for-2)
9. Taylor Teagarden, C

GAME NOTES
-- Tigers reliever Drew Smyly is expected to be unavailable out of the bullpen for a second straight day.

-- Tigers utility outfielder Don Kelly will spell Torii Hunter, who will receive a regular day off, in right field. Andy Dirks will start in left and bat second in the lineup.

-- Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he considered giving Avisail Garcia or Matt Tuiasosopo a start today, but wanted to play the splits with right-hander Chris Tillman on the mound for Baltimore.

-- Bryan Holaday will make his season debut for the Tigers at catcher today. He was hitting .259 with a .702 OPS in Toledo prior to his callup. He hit .250 (3-for-12) in six games with the Tigers last season.

-- The Tigers will call up left-hander Jose Alvarez from Triple-A Toledo before Thursday's game. Holaday has caught Alvarez in Toledo this year and is familiar with the left-hander, but he isn't expected to start behind the plate Thursday.

-- Miguel Cabrera is 9-for-21 (.429) with three home runs and eight RBIs against Baltimore this year. He's 3-for-7 with a homer and a double off Tillman.

-- Rick Porcello is 2-1 with a 1.33 ERA and 30 and in his last four starts. He's stuck out 30 over 27 innings during that span, allowing 15 hits and four walks.

-- Baltimore first baseman Travis Ishikawa exercised the opt-out clause Sunday, and the Orioles officially added him to the 25-man roster less than two hours before Tuesday's first pitch.

-- The weather forecast today calls for sunny skies with temperatures rising towards the low 70s. Game time temperature of 68 degrees.

PRE-GAME LINKS
Looking for some light reading between now and first pitch? Check out these stories from the past day or so on MLive.com:

-- Inside the minors: Al Alburquerque racking up Ks in Triple-A Toledo
-- Excellent starts by other four starters have helped cover for Verlander
-- Three stars: Austin Jackson batting .421 since rejoining Tigers
-- Justin Verlander allows two home runs, walks four in short outing
-- Victor Martinez extremely unlikely to catch even with Alex Avila on DL
-- Ask Schmehl! Is Andy Dirks' job be in jeopardy

POINT TO PONDER
For a second straight day, Avisail Garcia is not in the starting lineup.

Surprised?

Since being called up from Toledo on Monday, Garcia has received two at-bats, both coming in Wednesday's 5-1 loss after pinch-hitting for Andy Dirks in the fifth inning.

That's it. Just two-at bats. It's odd, considering Leyland has said several times this year that he wants Garcia to receive consistent at-bats in Triple-A Toledo.

If that's the case, why call him back up, only to use him off the bench as an occasional pinch-hitter?

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Inside the minors: Al Alburquerque racking up Ks in Triple-A Toledo, Bruce Rondon picks up 14th save

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:02:18 UTC

Right-handed reliever Al Alburquerque struck out five batters in 1 1/3 innings Monday for the Mud Hens and has struck out nine and walked only two in his last four innings pitched.

Our weekly look at the Detroit Tigers' minor-league affiliates:

Al Alburquerque

TRIPLE-A TOLEDO
Record: 31-42 (.425)
Standings: 4th (International League West)
Games behind: 16.5

Who's hot: 1B Jordan Lennerton was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Tuesday, the first time in 48 games he failed to reach base. It marked the longest streak in professional baseball this year. He hit .368 (68-for-185) with seven doubles, eight homers and 26 RBIs during the stretch. ... 3B Mike Cervenak fell a triple short of the cycle Monday and went 2-for-3 with a walk Tuesday. He is hitting .345 in 14 games since joining the Mud Hens.

Who's hot (continued): RHP Al Alburquerque struck out five batters in 1 1/3 innings Monday and has struck out nine and walked only two in his last four innings pitched. ... OF Nick Castellanos is hitting .346 (55-for-159) with 40 runs scored, 12 doubles, seven homers and 28 RBIs over his last 39 games. ... RHP Bruce Rondon is tied for second in the league with 14 saves. He has a 1.01 ERA and a 38:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Who's not: LHP Jose Alvarez gave up five runs, all earned, on seven hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings last Friday. It was his only start with the Mud Hens since the Tigers optioned him back to Toledo on June 9. ... LHP Casey Crosby twisted his left knee on his first warmup pitch before the second inning. He is listed day-to-day, according to The Toledo Blade's John Wagner.

Transferred: LHP Ramon Garcia (from Double-A Erie).

Note: Garcia, who is 2-5 with a 5.68 ERA, will fill the rotation spot vacated by Alvarez, who will be recalled to make a start Thursday in Detroit.

Schedule: Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia) at Toledo, 7 p.m. Wednesday; Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia) at Toledo, 7 p.m. Thursday; Pawtucket (Boston) at Toledo, 7 p.m. Friday; Pawtucket (Boston) at Toledo, 7 p.m. Saturday; Pawtucket (Boston) at Toledo, 6 p.m. Sunday; Pawtucket (Boston) at Toledo, 1 p.m. Monday.

Injury update: LHP Kenny Faulk (7-day disabled list), RHP Luis Marte (7-day disabled list).

James McCann

DOUBLE-A ERIE
Record: 36-32 (.529)
Standings: 2nd (Eastern League Western)
Games behind: 1

Who's hot: C James McCann is batting .333 (39-for-117) with eight doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs in his last 31 games. ... RHP Patrick Cooper (2-5, 4.74 ERA) will pitch a simulated game Wednesday and could be activated Saturday, according to Erie Times-News' Tom Reisenweber.

Who's not: RHP Warwick Saupold, who is eighth in the Eastern League with a 2.96 ERA, was placed on the 7-day disabled list with a shoulder injury Tuesday. There is no timetable for his return. ... OF Tyler Collins is batting .135 with 15 strikeouts in his last 37 at-bats.

Transferred: RHP Drew VerHagen (from Single-A Lakeland)

Note: VerHagen, the Tigers' No. 16 overall prospect, according to MLB.com, was called up Tuesday and will start Thursday against New Britain.

Schedule: New Britain (Minnesota) at Erie, 7:05 p.m. Wednesday; New Britain (Minnesota) at Erie, 12:05 p.m. Thursday; Erie at Binghamton (New York Mets), 7:05 p.m. Friday; Erie at Binghamton (New York Mets), 7:05 p.m. Saturday; Erie at Binghamton (New York Mets), 1:05 p.m. Sunday; Erie at Trenton (New York Yankees), 7:05 p.m. Monday.

Reinstated: RHP David Kopp.

Injury update: RHP Patrick Cooper (7-day disabled list), RHP Warwick Saupold (7-day disabled list), RHP Cesar Carrillo (suspension)

Lakeland Flying Tigers

SINGLE-A LAKELAND
Record: 30-37 (.448)
Standings: 5th (Florida State League North)
Games behind: 7

Who's hot: OF Jason Krizan is batting .310 (35-for-113) with nine doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs in his last 31 games. ... VerHagen is 5-0 record with a 1.70 ERA over 42 1/3 innings in his last six starts. He was transferred to Double-A Erie on Tuesday. ... 3B Francisco Martinez is batting .295 with two homers, two doubles and six RBIs in 11 games since being acquired from Seattle in early June. ... RHP Melvin Mercedes is 3-1 with a 0.96 ERA and 11 saves in 24 appearances.

Who's not: In his last 10 games, 3B Jason King is 6-for-35 (.171) with no extra-base hits.

Schedule: Lakeland at Brevard County (Milwaukee), 6:35 p.m. Wednesday; Lakeland at Clearwater (Philadelphia), 7 p.m. Thursday; Clearwater (Philadelphia) at Lakeland, 7:11 p.m. Friday; Clearwater (Philadelphia) at Lakeland, 5 p.m. Saturday; Lakeland at Dayton (Chicago Cubs), 5:35 p.m. Sunday; Lakeland at Dayton (Chicago Cubs), 7:05 p.m. Monday.

Injury update: RHP Thomas Collier (7-day disabled list), RHP Kevin Eichhorn (7-day disabled list), LHP Joe Rogers (7-day disabled list), LHP Jade Todd (7-day disabled list), DH Dean Green (7-day disabled list), INF Dixon Machado (7-day disabled list), 1B Aaron Westlake (7-day disabled list).

West Michigan Whitecaps Courtesy Art

CLASS A WEST MICHIGAN
Record: 33-37 (.471)
Standings: 4th (Midwest League Eastern)
Games behind: 11.5

Who's hot: 2B Devon Travis leads the Midwest League with a .350 batting average and 91 hits. He is second with a .423 on-base percentage and third with 48 runs scored. ... RHP Jose Valdez (1-1, 2.84 ERA) is second in the league with 15 saves. ... RHP Jake Thompson, Detroit's top pick in 2012, gave up one run on two hits and two walks in his start last Wednesday.

Who's not: RHP Edgar De La Rosa (3-2, 7.11 ERA) has allowed a combined 20 runs, all earned, in 11 innings pitched over his last three starts.

Schedule: West Michigan at Great Lakes (Los Angeles Dodgers), 7:05 p.m. Thursday; West Michigan at Great Lakes (Los Angeles Dodgers), 7:05 p.m. Friday; West Michigan at Great Lakes (Los Angeles Dodgers), 7:05 p.m. Saturday; West Michigan at Fort Wayne (San Diego), 5:05 p.m. Sunday; West Michigan at Fort Wayne (San Diego), 7:05 p.m. Monday.

Injury update: RHP Montreal Robertson (7-day disabled list).

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Excellent performances by other four starters have helped cover for not quite right Justin Verlander

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:02:13 UTC

The Tigers and their fans should consider themselves blessed that Verlander has eight wins and an ERA below 4.00 and -- right now, at least -- the Tigers have four other starters pitching better than he is.

Believe it or not, Justin Verlander is the fifth-best starting pitcher -- based on the numbers -- that the Detroit Tigers have right now.AP Photo

DETROIT -- Justin Verlander is anything but a fifth starter. But as of right now, the numbers say he is the least effective starting pitcher in an excellent rotation for the Detroit Tigers.

Verlander was not quite himself Tuesday night. He lacked fastball command. He walked four batters in five innings. Two of those walks were extra painful because they were immediately followed by home runs.

J.J. Hardy hit a two-run home run and Adam Jones a three-run bomb off Verlander, who lasted just five innings in a 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

If Tigers manager Jim Leyland were a pull-string dolls, you would have put him out on the curb following his postgame comments about Verlander. He kept repeating the same thing. Leyland pointed to Verlander's lack of fastball command as the culprit for his rough start at least 10 times.

Verlander spoke of one fastball in particular that hurt his cause.

"The one that really hurt me, fastball-wise, was the one to Jones," Verlander said. "First pitch, he was up there jumping, trying to ambush me first-pitch fastball, and I gave it to him. But it wasn't well located. It was up and almost middle, outer half, just where he wanted it."

Verlander said he felt like he was barely missing with some pitches and actually didn't miss with others. He clearly felt like home-plate umpire Mike Winters was squeezing him and made a point of seeking out Winters to talk prior to the start of an inning on at least one occasion.

Verlander was excellent five days earlier against the Kansas City Royals -- Leyland called it "vintage Verlander" in his pregame comments Tuesday -- but his season isn't on track to be among his best. He has not pitched more than 7 1/3 innings in any of his starts thus far. His 3.72 ERA, which would be considered solid for most starters, is hardly Verlander-like.

The starting rotation has been excellent overall. So while it may be true that Verlander has been the fifth-best starter for the Tigers for some time now, well, that's as much of a compliment to the rotation as it is a criticism of Verlander. He's been pretty good. Others have been very good and sometimes great. Here is how the five starters rank over the past month in three key categories:

ERA

1.93 -- Max Scherzer
2.53 -- Rick Porcello
2.73 -- Anibal Sanchez
3.38 -- Doug Fister
4.50 -- Justin Verlander

WHIP

0.81 -- Max Scherzer
0.94 -- Rick Porcello
0.99 -- Anibal Sanchez
1.05 -- Doug Fister
1.42 -- Justin Verlander

Opponents' batting average

.152 -- Max Scherzer
.185 -- Anibal Sanchez
.212 -- Rick Porcello
.250 -- Doug Fister
.269 -- Justin Verlander

Verlander not only ranks fifth in all three categories, he is a distant fifth in ERA and WHIP.

Those rankings don't change much when the entire season is taken into consideration. Verlander moves past Porcello for fourth in ERA but remains fifth in WHIP and opponents' batting average.

Reason to worry? Time will tell. The Tigers lead the division by 4 1/2 games. The rest of the rotation is rock solid. Verlander has a track record that casts a large shadow over a season that has yet to reach July. He certainly won't stop working until he is right. And the season is far from over.

Verlander is very critical of himself after outings. He picks himself apart because it helps him figure out what stands between himself and, well, perfection. He also is thoughtful and tends to give lengthy answers. But one question Tuesday night about how he feels about his stuff at this point of the season drew an abbreviated response.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Verlander said, then turned away, seeking another question.

Time will tell whether this is a short-term issue or a trend. But the Tigers and their fans should consider themselves blessed that Verlander has eight wins and an ERA below 4.00 and -- right now, at least -- they have four other starters pitching better than he is.

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Three stars: Matt Tuiasosopo smacks third homer, Austin Jackson batting .421 since rejoining Tigers

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:30:59 UTC

Matt Tuiasosopo hasn't started many games this season. That may soon change given how well he's been hitting this year.

DETROIT -- Here are three stars for the Detroit Tigers from their 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night:

Matt Tuiasosopo

FIRST STAR: MATT TUIASOSOPO
Matt Tuiasosopo hasn't started many games this season. That may soon change given how well he's been hitting this year. Making only his fifth start this month, Tuiasosopo homered in the fifth inning to cut Detroit's deficit to 5-1. It was his third homer this season and his 15th RBI in just 69 at-bats. He finished 1-for-3 to raise his batting average and OPS (on-base plus slugging) to .333 and 1.016, respectively. Only Miguel Cabrera has a higher average (.359) and OPS (1.084). Nine of Tuiasosopo's 23 base hits have gone for extra bases as he's now batting .346 against right-handers and .326 against lefties. What do you think: Is Andy Dirks' job in jeopardy?

Austin Jackson

SECOND STAR: AUSTIN JACKSON
Austin Jackson has been on an absolute tear since returning from the disabled list last Friday, hitting .421 (8-for-19) with four RBIs and five runs scored. He knocked in one of two Tigers' runs Tuesday night -- a run-scoring single in the seventh. It scored Omar Infante from second base to make it 5-2. Jackson also drew a pair of walks, including a ninth-inning pass that helped put the potential game-tying run at the plate before Cabrera grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Torii Hunter

THIRD STAR: TORII HUNTER
Torii Hunter has struggled to match his early-season success as of late. But Hunter, who hitting .253 in his last 30 games, has shown signs the past three games that suggest he's coming around. He finished 2-for-5 -- his 23rd multi-hit game -- with a pair of singles Tuesday to raise his season batting average to .294. He was robbed of a third potential base hit when Manny Machado snagged a hard-hit liner down the third-base line and got him by a step. Hunter followed Jackson's walk in the ninth with a two-out single to keep Detroit's late-inning rally alive before Cabrera hit a game-ending grounder.

What do you think? Are these the right three guys? Do Darin Downs, Luke Putkonen and Phil Coke deserve kudos for helping keep the game within striking distance? The three relievers combined to throw four shutout innings of two-hit ball. Post your thoughts in the comments section below this story.

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Justin Verlander allows two home runs, walks four in short outing as Detroit Tigers suffer 5-2 loss

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:03:57 UTC

Both the home runs Verlander allowed immediately followed walks, which increased the damage as the Orioles built a 5-0 lead.

Justin Verlander reacts Tuesday night after allowing a three-run home run to Adam Jones in the fifth inning.AP Photo

DETROIT -- The starting rotation for the Detroit Tigers has been excellent for the past few weeks. But Justin Verlander wasn't himself Tuesday night. Not even close.

Verlander walked four, surrendered a pair of home runs and allowed five runs in five innings Tuesday night in a 5-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Matt Tuiasosopo hit a solo home run for the Tigers.

J.J. Hardy hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning off Verlander, and Adam Jones had a three-run home run in the fifth inning as the Orioles built a 5-0 lead. Both home runs came immediately following walks issued by Verlander.

It was the first career loss against the Orioles for Verlander, who entered the game 8-0 against Baltimore.

KEY TO THE GAME
The Tigers have received excellent efforts from their starting pitchers this season. In fact, Tigers starters had allowed three or fewer runs in 17 consecutive starts prior to Verlander's outing Tuesday night. But the home runs by Hardy and Jones put the Tigers in a 5-0 hole they could not dig out of.

TIGERS HIGHLIGHTS
-- The Orioles had runners at second third with one out and the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning, but Verlander (8-5) got Jones to pop up to Miguel Cabrera to strand three runners and keep the game scoreless headed to the fourth inning.

-- Tuiasosopo led off the fifth inning with a solo home run to right field to cut his team's deficit to 5-1. It was just the fourth hit of the game for the Tigers.

-- The Tigers cut into the deficit some more in the seventh inning, which started with consecutive singles by Omar Infante, Brayan Pena and Austin Jackson. The single by Jacskon scored Infante from second base to make it 5-2.

TIGERS LOWLIGHTS
-- Verlander worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam inn the third inning, but he threw 30 pitches in the inning to give him 60 for the game.

-- After Verlander walked Matt Wieters with one out in the fourth -- his third walk of the game -- Hardy hit a 1-1 pitch over the fence in left field for a two-run home run to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. It was the 14th home run of the season for Hardy.

-- Verlander walked Nick Markakis in the fifth inning to put two on with nobody out, and Jones followed with a three-run home run to right field on the first pitch to make it 5-0. The walk to Markakis was the fourth of the game for Verlander and the third he had issued to Markakis. The home run was the 15th of the season for Jones.

-- After the run-scoring single by Jackson in the seventh, the Tigers had runners at first and second with no outs when Torii Hunter hit a ground ball to third base. Manny Machado fielded the ball and appeared to tag Pena before throwing to second base to get Jackson. But the umpire ruled that Pena was safe at third even though he either was tagged out -- his shirt appeared to move on the replay -- or was so far off the baseline that he should have been out. But the Tigers couldn't take advantage as Cabrera and Prince Fielder followed with foul pop-ups for the final two outs of the inning.

OTHER GAME NOTES
-- Before Jones hit his home run in the fifth inning, the three previous home runs hit off Verlander were hit by Hardy, who had two home runs against Verlander on June 1 before hitting one in the fourth inning Tuesday.

-- The final pitching line for Verlander: 5IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 4BB, 5SO. He threw 102 pitches, 60 for strikes. The final pitching line for Orioles starter Zach Britton: 5.1IP, 5H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 1SO. He threw 89 pitches, 50 for strikes.

-- The 17-game streak of games in which Tigers starters allowed three runs or fewer dated back to May 30. Anibal Sanchez allowed five earned runs May 29 in a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

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Blog recap: Baltimore Orioles rough up Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers strand 10 in 5-2 loss

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:02:59 UTC

The Tigers had plenty of chances against the Orioles, but they came up short in a 5-2 loss. They stranded 10 runners and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

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FINAL: ORIOLES 5, TIGERS 2
Austin Jackson drew a one-out walk and Torii Hunter helped put the potential game-tying run at the plate with a one-out single, but Miguel Cabrera batted into a 6-4-3 game-ending double play. Game. Set. Match.

The Tigers had plenty of chances tonight, but they came up empty handed in a 5-2 loss. They stranded 10 runners and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. That's just not gonna cut it.

The offense fell flat, but the big storyline belonged to Verlander, who had his start cut short after giving up five runs on seven hits and four walks in only five innings.

It's another rough outing for the former AL MVP, and another start with poor fastball command. It's starting to feel like for every step he takes forward, he's taking two back.

EIGHTH INNING: ORIOLES 5, TIGERS 2
Interesting decision by Leyland to pinch-hit Kelly for Tuiasosopo in the eighth inning with right-hander Tommy Hunter on the mound. It didn't work as Kelly popped out to Machado in foul territory for the second out.

It's easy to second guess now, since it didn't work, but did you agree with the move? The Tigers are down by three runs, and I know Leyland prefers Tuiasosopo only hit lefties, but there was a runner on base and the Tigers needed a big hit. It seemed like a perfect spot for Tuiasosopo.

Peralta, who reached first on Machado's throwing error, was stranded on first after Infante struck out swinging to end the eighth.

SEVENTH INNING: ORIOLES 5, TIGERS 2
O'Day gave up three straight base hits to start the seventh, including an RBI single off the bat of Jackson, who knocked in Infante with no outs. Prior to tonight, he hadn't allowed a run in his last 10 appearances.

O'Day got Hunter to bat into a fielder's choice, but it should've been a double play as Machando clearly tagged out Pena, who was trying to advance to third, before getting Jackson out at second. Showalter was right to argue the call. Still, the Tigers couldn't take advantage of the extra out as Cabrera and Fielder each popped out in foul territory.

SIXTH INNING: ORIOLES 5, TIGERS 1
That's it for Verlander. His day is done after only five innings and 102 pitches, only 60 for strikes. He gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings. He continues his unfortunate streak of having not pitched more than seven innings in a start this year.

It's his shortest career start against the Orioles and the fifth time this season he hasn't made it past the fifth. For comparison's sake, he didn't make it past the fifth only once last year and zero times in 2011, according to FOX Sports Detroit's Matt Shepard.

FIFTH INNING: ORIOLES 5, TIGERS 1
Verlander's flawless record against Baltimore is in jeopardy. He gave up a three-run shot to Jones, who was 2-for-26 lifetime against him before the homer. It came after he gave up a leadoff double to Machado and issued a walk to Markakis, his third walk tonight.

Detroit responds with a run in the bottom frame after Tuiasosopo crushes his third homer this season, a leadoff shot. The Tigers threatened to add more after Jackson drew a two-out walk and Hunter singled, but Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning.

Side note: Downs and Putkonen are warming up in the bullpen for Detroit. Verlander is already at 102 pitches.

FOURTH INNING: ORIOLES 2, TIGERS 0
The Orioles take a 1-0 lead after Hardy drills a slider over the wall in left field -- a two-run shot. It's the third homer Hardy has hit off Verlander the last two games he's faced him. He hit a fastball and a curve for homers on June 1.

Verlander, who is already at 80 pitches -- 20 more than Britton, issued a one-out walk to Wieters before Hardy's blast.

THIRD INNING: TIGERS 0, ORIOLES 0
Verlander pitched himself out of a bases-loaded jam, but needed 30 pitches to do it. He'll enter the fourth with 60 pitches already under his belt. He issued a two-out walk to Markakis to load the bases for Adam Jones, who entered today 2-for-24 against Verlander. He's now 2-for-26 after he popped out to left to end the third.

SECOND INNING: TIGERS 0, ORIOLES 0
Peralta fell just short of hitting his seventh homer this season after his opposite-field shot hit the wall in right just below the yellow line. It deflected off Markakis' jaw and rolled to the edge of the warning track, allowing Peralta to trot into second for his 20th double this year. He was stranded on second after Tuiasosopo grounded out to third.

Verlander fell behind 3-0 on Davis, but worked himself back into a full count before striking him out with a 92-mph fastball. Verlander fell behind in the count with four of his first five batters before going 0-2 on Weiters and then eventually striking him out. He then got Hardy to pop up to shallow left.

FIRST INNING: TIGERS 0, ORIOLES 0
Cabrera is gunned down at second after he tried to stretch a single into a double. It was a sneaky move as he almost caught McLouth sleeping, but second-base umpire Laz Diaz called him out.

Replays showed that Cabrera's left foot might've reached the bag before Hardy applied the tag.

PREGAME
It's not just Max Scherzer. Or Justin Verlander. It's all of them.

Nearly every Tigers starter has been lights out the past couple months, particularly the past three weeks as they've given up three runs or fewer in 17 straight games.

Scherzer was the last starter to continue the trend after he tossed six innings of one-run ball Monday in Detroit's 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Tonight, it's Verlander's turn. And, based on his career success against the Orioles, he appears to have a pretty good shot at keeping the streak alive.

Verlander is 8-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 career starts against Baltimore. He's already picked up one win against the Orioles this year when he gave up three runs in seven innings en route to a 10-3 win in Baltimore on June 1 to kick off the 17-game run.

So, will he pick up win No. 9 tonight? Join the live chat at 7 p.m. for live play-by-play and analysis and be sure to join in on the conversation in the comments section below.

First pitch is at 7:08 p.m., but -- like always -- the pregame chat starts an hour before the game.

-- Here's the starting lineups for both teams.

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Detroit Tigers' Victor Martinez extremely unlikely to catch even with Alex Avila on disabled list

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:44:27 UTC

Last weekend, Jim Leyland did leave the door open to the idea that Martinez might catch later in the season in interleague games.

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he won't use Victor Martinez as catcher unless something freakish happens.AP File Photo

MINNEAPOLIS -- There is a chance Victor Martinez could catch for the Detroit Tigers at some point this season. But it's a slim chance. And it's probably limited to a couple series that will be played late this season in National League ballparks.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday afternoon that he has no plans to use Martinez at catcher even with Alex Avila on the disabled list. The Tigers recalled catcher Bryan Holaday from Triple-A Toledo on Monday to replace Avila, who went on the disabled list with a left forearm contusion.

"If it were a total emergency, he would probably go back there," Leyland said of Martinez. "I'm sure he would go back there. He'd probably love it, but I'm trying to avoid that if I can."

Leyland was asked about the possibility of using Martinez behind the plate last weekend in Minneapolis before Avila got hurt. The premise of the question then was about whether Leyland would ever play Martinez in place of Avila, who has been in a season-long batting slump.

"I won't catch Victor unless it's some freak situation," Leyland said at the time. "If at some point, because we're real late with the interleague play, but not under these rules I don't think. I don't think that would be fair to anybody. I don't think that would be fair to Victor to ask him to move back there now, not that I wouldn't have confidence that he can do a decent job, but I think that would be asking a lot.

"I want Victor just to be able to concentrate on his hitting, because he's such a good hitter. That's what his strong suit is for us."

The Tigers have road interleague series remaining Aug. 23-25 in New York against the Mets and Sept. 27-29 against the Marlins in Miami.

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Detroit Tigers Gameday: Matt Tuiasosopo starts in left field, Justin Verlander tries to go 9-0 vs. Orioles

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:08:05 UTC

Justin Verlander is 8-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 career starts against Baltimore. He picked up a win over the Orioles on June 1 when he allowed allowed three runs in seven innings.

GAME INFORMATION
Who: Baltimore Orioles (40-31) at Detroit Tigers (39-29).
Where: Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.
First pitch: 7:08 p.m.
Television: Fox Sports Detroit.
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket and the Detroit Tigers radio network.
Twitter: Follow Chris Iott and James Schmehl.
Live coverage: Look for a live blog hosted by James Schmehl at 7 p.m.

STARTING PITCHERS
Detroit Tigers
Justin Verlander, RHP (8-4, 3.41 ERA)
Lifetime vs. Orioles: 8-0, 2.85 ERA.

Baltimore Orioles
Zach Britton, LHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
Lifetime vs. Tigers: 2-0, 3.75 ERA.

STARTING LINEUPS
(Batters statistics vs. opposing starting pitcher)

Detroit Tigers
1. Austin Jackson, CF (2-for-5)
2. Torii Hunter, RF (0-for-2)
3. Miguel Cabrera, 3B (2-for-3)
4. Prince Fielder, 1B (0-for-1)
5. Victor Martinez, DH (0-for-3)
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS (0-for-5)
7. Matt Tuiasosopo, LF
8. Omar Infante, 2B (1-for-3)
9. Brayan Pena, C (1-for-3)

Baltimore Orioles
1. Nate McLouth, LF (2-for-9)
2. Manny Machado, 3B (1-for-6)
3. Nick Markakis, RF (10-for-41)
4. Adam Jones, CF (2-for-24)
5. Chris Davis, 1B (3-for-14)
6. Matt Wieters, C (3-for-17, 1 HR)
7. J.J. Hardy, SS (6-for-28, 2 HR)
8. Travis Ishikawa, DH
9. Ryan Flaherty, 2B (0-for-4)

GAME NOTES
-- Justin Verlander is 8-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 career starts against Baltimore. He picked up a win over the Orioles on June 1 when he allowed allowed eight hits, three runs and two homers in seven innings.

-- Tigers starters have allowed three runs or fewer in 17 straight games, posting a 2.26 ERA during that span.They've recorded a quality start in 21 of their last 23 games, going 13-5 overall with a 2.32 ERA and 176 strikeouts over 159 1/3 innings pitched.

-- The Tigers will seek a season-high sixth straight home win tonight. They've won 56 of their last 77 games at Comerica Park since July 4, 2012. The Tigers lead the majors with 56 wins and a .727 winning percentage at home during that stretch.

-- Orioles left-handed starter Zach Britton was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk after Monday's game to start in place of Jason Hammel, who continues to battle an illness. He's 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA over his last five starts at Norfolk.

-- Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis is 10-for-24 with four homers, including a solo homer Monday, and seven RBIs in his past six games against Detroit. He's 3-for-14 with eight strikeouts in his career against Verlander.

-- The weather forecast today calls for mostly sunny skies with temperatures falling to the low 60s. Game time temperature of 69 degrees.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PRE-GAME LINKS
Looking for some light reading between now and first pitch? Check out these stories from the past day or so on MLive.com:

-- Ask Schmehl! Will Dirks' job be in jeopardy when Tigers call up Alvarez?
-- Scherzer makes big pitch to be All-Star starter after historic start
-- Tigers' team WAR projected to measure up with 1927 New York Yankees
-- Three stars: Miguel Cabrera smacks 19th homer in 5-1 win
-- Scherzer moves to 10-0, becomes first 10-game winner in AL
-- Tigers sign Corey Knebel, the 39th overall pick in MLB draft
-- Tigers call up Holaday from Toledo after placing Alex Avila on 15-day DL
-- Tigers place Sanchez on 15-day DL, recall outfielder Avisail Garcia

POINT TO PONDER
What's your take on today's starting lineup?

There's a lefty starting for Baltimore, which generally means Andy Dirks will take a seat and a right-handed bat will start in left field.

Today, it's Matt Tuiasosopo, who gets the starting nod over Avisail Garcia, who was called up from Triple-A Toledo before Monday's game.

Do you like the move?

I don't mind it, considering Tuiasosopo is making only his fifth start since June 4, but I find it strange Garcia is sitting on the bench a day after being called up. I find it odd because Leyland has said multiple times he wants Garcia to get consistent at-bats.

As of now, Garcia appears to be the most likely candidate to be sent back down to Toledo when the team calls up left-handed starter Jose Alvarez on Thursday.

So, hypothetically, if Garcia is the odd man out, why bring him up to Detroit if only to sit him on the bench? Let me know your take on the situation in the comments section.

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Ask Schmehl! Will Andy Dirks' job be in jeopardy when Detroit Tigers call up starter Jose Alvarez?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:05:59 UTC

Monday's moves have led to rampant speculation as to who will be the odd man out when the team calls up Jose Alvarez on Thursday to fill Anibal Sanchez's turn in the rotation.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Andy Dirks crosses the plate in front of teammate Miguel Cabrera after hitting a solo home run in the third inning.AP Photo

DETROIT -- The Tigers made an interesting move Monday when they brought back outfielder Avisail Garcia after placing right-hander Anibal Sanchez on the 15-day disabled list.

It's a move that has led to rampant speculation as to who will be the odd man out when the team calls up left-hander Jose Alvarez on Thursday to fill Sanchez's turn in the rotation.

While Garcia might seem like the logical choice to go back down, I've got someone else in mind.

Who is it, you ask? To the mailbag, we go!

Question: Is there something funny going on with bringing up Avisail Garcia? Are they showcasing him for a trade? Are they going to dump Don Kelly or Ramon Santiago? -- Anonymous.

Answer: When the Tigers placed Sanchez on the 15-day DL, they didn't need to immediately bring up another starter. Instead, they chose to recall Garcia. Eventually, the Tigers will recall Alvarez to replace Sanchez in the rotation, but he's not needed until Thursday. That's when the Tigers will need to make a corresponding move.

As to who will be the odd man out? Your guess is as good as mine. But let's take a look at a couple candidates. Despite his offensive woes, Santiago is needed as a utility infielder, so let's rule him out. Right now, Detroit is playing with an extra outfielder, so that seemingly narrows the list to three candidates: Garcia, Kelly or *gasp* Andy Dirks.

It's likely the Tigers will send Garcia back to Toledo as there's no limit to the number of times he can optioned. And, it would make sense as manager Jim Leyland has said time and time again that Garcia "needs to be at Triple-A getting 500 at-bats."

But that was before Dirks, who is stuck in a season-long slump, warranted a three-day breather due to a pair of sore knees. His banged-up knee and lifeless bat is precisely why I think Dirks, who still has options available, could be on the chopping block.

Detroit's brass could consider designating Kelly for assignment, allowing both Dirks and Garcia to stick around, but -- simply put -- Kelly is outperforming Dirks at the plate.

Dirks went 0-for-2 on Monday, dropping his average to .238. In 210 at-bats, he has 10 extra-base hits and drawn only 15 walks en route to a dismal .291 on-base percentage.

Kelly is hitting .227, but has a .340 OBP with seven extra-base hits and one fewer walk than Dirks in 122 fewer at-bats. It's certainly not worthy of applause, but he's been the better of the two.

Dirks has a higher ceiling than Kelly (both currently rank tied for fifth among Tigers players with a 0.8 wins above replacement), but he's struggled offensively and has been limited by a sore knee that has forced Leyland to be careful with his playing time.

By optioning Dirks to Toledo, he can receive rest when it's warranted and will be provided a better opportunity to work out a few kinks at the plate.

As Leyland said Monday, it's difficult to fix flaws at the major-league level. Perhaps a trip to Toledo will be beneficial for Dirks.

For the last time, Porcello won't close

Q: If Rick Porcello can give anything (better than what they've had) in the bullpen, why not try to make him a closer? -- Doug.

A: I've said it before, I'll say it again: Porcello is much more valuable as a starter than a closer. Just take a look at the numbers, they support the claim.

I understand the frustration about the current bullpen situation. No question, it sticks out like a sore thumb. But tabbing Porcello a closer would do more harm than good.

Leyland discussed the possibility in his postgame media session Monday, saying he appreciates outside-the-box ideas, but dismissed the idea. It's not going to happen, folks.

"I'm asking a favor of all of you guys," Leyland said. "I hope everyone stops going to Rick Porcello and asking him about being a closer. He is not going to be the closer. He is not a closer.

"There's no sense going to Rick and asking him about it. It's just not necessary. I would appreciate it if people would just drop that subject with him because we want him to concentrate on what he's doing right now as a starter."

So, sure, we can continue to debate the topic. But, realize that it won't happen. At least, not right now.

To bunt, or not to bunt -- that's the question

Q: It seems to me Leyland often makes decisions that are counter to increasing the chances of scoring, scoring often, or preventing runs. What I mean by this is he bunts all the time. Why? -- Stephen.

A: First, let it be known that I'm not a fan of bunting, particularly sacrifice bunts, and particularly in the American League where the pitcher doesn't hit.

I subscribe to run expectancy. And, according to data provided by Baseball Prospectus, the run expectancy with a runner on first and no outs is greater than the run expectancy with a runner on second and one out -- a situation occasionally created with a sac bunt.

That said, I think it's unfair to claim Leyland has called for "bunts all the time." As of Tuesday, the Tigers are tied for the fourth-fewest sacrifice bunts in the majors. They have 11. The Reds have 37.

Now, that's partly because the Tigers have had difficulty consistently laying down successful bunts (Brayan Pena bunted into a double play Monday), but mostly because it's not necessary with the big bats the Tigers have in their lineup.

Also, it's important to recognize that the Tigers are averaging 5.1 runs per game, which ranks second-highest in the league behind Boston, and own a major league-leading .287 batting average. My point? Small ball isn't a big part of Leyland's game plan.

And, why would you need small ball with Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder batting third and fourth, respectively? That said, there have still been a few times Torii Hunter has been asked to lay down a sac bunt to advance a runner to second with no outs.

Such a strategy seemingly takes the bat out of Cabrera's hands because most pitchers will likely walk him intentionally with first base open. And, Leyland knows it. So, he picks his spots. For instance, Fielder made the Minnesota Twins pay for intentionally walking Cabrera a few weeks ago when he knocked in the game-winning run with a single.

Leyland likely wouldn't have asked Hunter to lay down a sac bunt to advance Omar Infante to second, but he didn't spot a left-handed reliever warming up in the bullpen. That meant Fielder was in line to face right-hander Jared Burton. Leyland liked that matchup, and as it turned out, so did Fielder, who hit an RBI liner back up the middle.

"You know what? The guy behind (Cabrera) is hitting fourth for a reason, and fortunately he came through," Leyland said at the time. "I took my one shot with Prince, and he came through. I rolled the dice with Prince, and he came through."

Again, I generally don't believe there's ever a need to lay down a sac bunt. However, Leyland was privy enough to realize that a lefty wasn't warming up in the bullpen, and recognized that Fielder would likely get a crack at Burton. And, for that observation, he deserves kudos.

Sorry, folks, I only have time for three questions today. If you want in on next week's mailbag, email your questions to jschmehl@mlive.com and remember to put "Ask Schmehl" as the subject.

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Detroit Tigers' team WAR projected to measure up with 1927 New York Yankees, other all-time greats

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:25:24 UTC

Even though Detroit isn't on pace to win 95 games, FanGraphs.com says its WAR is comparable to the best baseball teams of all time.

Detroit's Max Scherzer improved to 10-0 on Monday night.AP Photo

Statistically, there may be only two teams all time better than the 2013 Detroit Tigers.

That may be a little hard to believe for some frustrated fans, but the Tigers' team Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is on pace to trail only the 1927 New York Yankees and 1939 Yankees, according to FanGraphs.com.

So Detroit, the team just four games ahead in an average American League Central, is one of baseball's all-time great teams?

The Tigers' projected WAR of 66.6 says so. It would be third all time. The '27 Yankees (71.4) and '39 Yankees (67.4) are the only better seasons.

FanGraphs.com's Jeff Sullivan:

"The Tigers are on pace to win a perfectly reasonable 91 games. That should be enough to get them into the playoffs as Central division champions. But by WAR, they’re on pace to be one of the very greatest teams in baseball history, right up there with the best of the Yankees and eclipsing the 116-win 2001 Mariners with ease. When you watch these Tigers, you might not get the vibe that you’re watching all-time greatness. But by the numbers, that’s what they feature, eschewing the stars-and-scrubs approach in favor of stars-and-more-stars. The position players are carried by the obvious slugger, but the rotation has been unbelievable, in the present context and in the all-time context."

Sullivan's stats were through last Thursday's games. ESPN.com's David Schoenfield expanded on the math, and the Tigers are now on pace for 69.6 WAR, which would be second all time.

That was before Max Scherzer became the first pitcher since Roger Clemens to begin a season 10-0 on Monday night, too.

According to FanGraphs, Scherzer and three of his fellow starters — Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Doug Fister — rank only behind Miguel Cabrera when it comes to individual WAR.

So, Detroit's greatness — all time or not — can be attributed to its starting pitching, and that defending American League MVP and Triple Crown winner.

— Email Josh Slagter at jslagter@mlive.com. Download the "Detroit Tigers" MLive app (iPhone or Android) for the latest news and updates.

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