Avisail Garcia Hits 1st Career Home Run in a 7-5 Tigers Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Houston Astros today 7-5.

The Astros took a quick 1-0 lead today, but the Tigers responded in the 2nd inning with a walk from Jhonny Peralta, then a single from Matt Tuiasosopo to set up runners on 1st and 3rd for Brayan Pena who hit an infield single to score Peralta. Avisail Garcia came up next and hit a 3-run home run to give the Tigers a 4-1 lead; it's his first career home run.

The Astros came back in the 4th inning to take a 5-4 lead, but the Tigers responded in the 6th inning with Victor Martinez reaching base on a fielding error, then a base hit from Jhonny Peralta to put runners on 1st and 2nd for Matt Tuiasosopo who hit a single to drive in Martinez and the game was tied 5-5.

Max Scherzer gave up 4 runs in the 4th inning, but after that he settled down. He pitched 7 innings giving up 5 runs on 5 hits, walking 3 and striking out 7 batters.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and got the first 2 outs of the 8th inning, then Al Alburquerque came in to get the last out of the inning. Alburquerque came back out for the 9th inning, but walked the first batter and was pulled. Phil Coke replaced him and quickly gave up an inherited run, and the Astros went on to score another run off of Coke to take a 7-5 lead.

The Tigers attempted to rally in the 9th inning (despite allowing Don Kelly to pinch hit). With 1 out, Brayan Pena drew a walk, advanced to 2nd base on defensive indifference, then Omar Infante drew a walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd for Torii Hunter who was hit by the pitch after being down in the count 0-2. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Miguel Cabrera came up and hit a ball to the edge of the warning track in right-center field, but it ended the game.

The Tigers open up a 3 game road series with the Rangers tomorrow as Justin Verlander (4-3 1.93 ERA) pitches against Yu Darvish (6-1 2.73 ERA).

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Andy Dirks' Grand Slam Helps the Tigers in a 7-2 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros tonight 7-2.

The Tigers scored first today in the bottom of the 1st inning after Andy Dirks hit a leadoff double, then Torii Hunter hit a double to drive in Dirks and the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.

The Astros took a 2-1 lead, but the Tigers responded in the 4th inning with a double from Prince Fielder, then a 2-run home run by Victor Martinez; it's his 2nd of the season. After singles from Jhonny Peralta and Don Kelly, Omar Infante drew a walk to load the bases for Andy Dirks who hit a grand slam home run to give the Tigers a 7-2 lead; it's his 3rd of the season.

Anibal Sanchez pitched well tonight. He pitched 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 4th win of the season.

Jose Ortega came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, then Ortega came back out and pitched a scorless 9th inning to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers continue their series with the Astros tomorrow as Doug Fister (4-1 3.14 ERA) faces Lucas Harrell (3-3 4.67 ERA).

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Justin Verlander Pitches 7 Shutout Innings in a 9-0 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros today 9-0.

The Tigers scored quickly in the 1st inning after Andy Dirks hit a single, then Prince Fielder hit a 2-run home run to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead; it's his 8th of the season.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after Don Kelly drew a walk, then Brayan Pena hit a 2-run home run; it's his 1st of the season. Ramon Santiago then hit a double, Austin Jackson drew a walk, and Andy Dirks hit a single to drive in Santiago. Miguel Cabrera was up next and drew a walk to load the bases for Prince Fielder who hit a single to drive in Jackson and Dirks to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

Andy Dirks extended the Tigers lead in the 4th inning after a solo home run; it's his 2nd of the season and the Tigers took a 8-0 lead.

Justin Verlander was outstanding today. He didn't give up a hit until the 7th inning. Verlander ended up pitching 7 scoreless innings today, giving up only 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 9 batters; he earned his 4th win of the season.

Omar Infante added another run for the Tigers in the 8th inning with a solo home run; it's his 4th of the season and the Tigers took a 9-0 lead.

Darin Downs came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Downs came back out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers have an off day tomorrow, but open up a 2 game road series with the Nationals on Tuesday as Anibal Sanchez (3-2 1.82 ERA) pitches against Jordan Zimmermann (5-1 1.64 ERA).

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Miguel Cabrera Hits 2 Home Runs in a 17-2 Tigers Victory

The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros tonight 17-2.

The Tigers scored quickly in the 1st inning tonight after singles by Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter to put runners on 1st and 3rd for Miguel Cabrera who hit a single to drive in Jackson. After Prince Fielder was called out on strikes on a pitch well out of the zone, Victor Martinez came up with runners on 1st and 3rd and hit a double to drive in Hunter and Cabrera, then Jhonny Peralta hit a bloop single to drive in Martinez and the Tigers had a 4-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after Torii Hunter had an infield single, stole 2nd base, then Miguel Cabrera hit a 2-run home run to give the Tigers a 6-0 lead; it's his 5th of the season.

Detroit added to their lead in the 4th inning after a walk to Alex Avila, single from Omar Infante, and walk to Torii Hunter to load the bases with 1 out for Miguel Cabrera who was walked to force in Avila. Prince Fielder should've drawn a walk, but was called out on strikes after another bad call by home plate umpire Scott Barry; it was a 7-0 game after the top of the 4th.

The Tigers continued to score in the 5th inning after a walk to Andy Dirks, who scored on a double from Alex Avila and it was a 8-0 game.

Miguel Cabrera got the Tigers another run in the 6th inning after a solo home run; it's his 2nd of the night, 6th of the season, and gave the Tigers a 9-0 lead.

The Tigers continued to score in the 7th inning after singles by Alex Avila and Austin Jackson, then Torii Hunter hit a single to drive in Avila. Miguel Cabrera came up next and hit a single to drive in Jackson, then Prince Fielder hit a single of his own to drive in Hunter.

After Carlos Corporan hit a home run for the Astros to make it a 12-1 game, Detroit quickly came back with a triple from Andy Dirks who scored on a Jhonny Peralta double. Peralta then advanced to 3rd on a ground out, and scored on a ground ball off the bat of Omar Infante who reached base via a fielding error. Due to the error, Torii Hunter was able to drive in Infante after a double and the Tigers led 15-1.

Matt Tuiasosopo led off the 9th inning with a single, then Victor Martinez hit a 2-run home run; it's his 1st of the season and the Tigers had a 17-1 lead.

Max Scherzer was terrific tonight. He pitched 8 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 4th win of the season.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and gave up 1 run in the 9th inning, but the Tigers still won comfortably.

The Tigers finish their series with the Astros tomorrow as Justin Verlander (3-2 1.83 ERA) takes on Philip Humber (0-6 7.58 ERA).

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Alex Avila's 9th Inning Home Run gets the Tigers a 4-3 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros tonight 4-3.

The Tigers scored first tonight in the 2nd inning after Don Kelly reached on a fielders choice, stole 2nd base, then scored on a single from Jhonny Peralta which gave Detroit a 1-0 lead.

Detroit added to their lead in the 4th inning after Miguel Cabrera led the inning off with a double, reached 3rd base on a fly out, then scored on a single (which looked like a home run, but wasn't overturned after replay) from Victor Martinez to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

Everything went wrong in the bottom of the 7th though. Doug Fister didn't record an out and gave up 3 runs in the process. Fister pitched 6 innings tonight giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 9 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4 batters.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and stranded 2 inherited runners to keep it a 3-2 game after 7 innings. Smyly came back out and pitched a scoreless 8th inning; Smyly ended up getting the win tonight.

The Tigers tried to rally in the 9th. Don Kelly led the inning off with a walk, then with 1 out, Alex Avila hit a 2-run home run to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead; it's his 4th of the season.

Jose Valverde came in and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to get his 3rd save of the season and he got the Tigers the win.

The Tigers play the 3rd game of a 4 game series vs the Astros tomorrow as Max Scherzer (3-0 4.02 ERA) goes up against Lucas Harrell (3-2 3.60 ERA).

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Don Kelly Gets Game Winning Hit in a 7-3 Extra Innings Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros tonight 7-3 in 14 innings.

The Astros were down 2-0 early, but responded in the 3rd inning with a double from Omar Infante, single from Austin Jackson to put runners on 1st and 3rd for Torii Hunter who hit a single to drive in Infante. Miguel Cabrera came up next and hit a single to drive in Jackson and it was a 2-2 game; it was Cabrera's 1000th hit as a Tiger, as Rick Thompson mentioned.

Rick Porcello went on to allow a run to put the Astros up 3-2, but he pitched a good game. He went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, and striking out 7 batters.

The Tigers scored in the 8th inning after Prince Fielder was hit by the pitch, then Victor Martinez hit a single and Prince Fielder scored on a fielding error to make it a 3-3 game.

Jose Ortega came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Ortega came back out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

In the 11th inning, Matt Tuiasosopo drew a walk, followed by a Jhonny Peralta single. With 2 outs, Brayan Pena pinch hit and hit a sharp single to right field, but Tuiasospo was thrown out at the plate by Rick Ankiel to keep it a 3-3 game.

Joaquin Benoit came back out and pitched a scoreless 11th inning. Darin Downs then came in and got the first 2 outs of the 12th inning, then Luke Putkonen got the final out of the inning.

Don Kelly led the 13th inning off with a double, then with 1 out, Jhonny Peralta hit a single to put runners at 1st and 3rd for Brayan Pena, but he struck out and the Tigers didn't score.

Luke Putkonen came back out and pitched a scoreless 13th inning.

Like Don Kelly, Austin Jackson led the 14th inning off with a double, then Torii Hunter hit a ground ball to advance Jackson to 3rd base. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder were both intentionally walked to load the bases with 1 out for Don Kelly who hit a single to drive in Jackson. Matt Tuiasosopo came up next and hit a double to drive in Cabrera and Fielder, then Jhonny Peralta hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Kelly and the Tigers took a 7-3 lead.

Putkonen came back out and pitched a scoreless 14th inning win his first career game, and get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers continue their series with the Astros tomorrow as Doug Fister (4-0 2.38 ERA) pitches against Bud Norris (3-3 4.20 ERA).

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Tigers Not Sharp in a 6-2 Loss

Anibal Sanchez had a disaster of a 1st inning having a 40 pitch inning with a bullpen that wasn't at full strength, but he managed to get the Tigers some innings today. He pitched 6 innings giving up 3 runs on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 9 batters.

The Tigers didn't get their first hit until the 5th inning, but scored in the 6th inning after a double by Austin Jackson and single from Torii Hunter to drive in Jackson; Hunter advanced to 2nd base on the play. Miguel Cabrera came up next and hit a double to drive in Hunter and made it a 3-2 game.

Bruce Rondon came in for relief and quickly gave up a run, then loaded the bases after only getting 1 out before he was pulled. Darin Downs came in to replace him and got the last 2 outs, but also allowed 1 inherited base runner to score and it was a 5-2 game.

Darin Downs came back out for the 8th inning and gave up a run in his inning of work to make it a 6-2 game.

Jose Ortega made his season debut and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

The Tigers offense tried to rally in the 9th inning, starting with singles by Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, but a double play ended any chance of a comeback and the Tigers lost 6-2.

The Tigers open up a 4 game road series tomorrow with the Astros as Rick Porcello (1-2 8.84 ERA) takes on Jordan Lyles.

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Prince Fielder's 3 Run Homer Helps the Tigers to a 4-3 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins tonight 4-3.

The Tigers found themselves down 2-0 early, but got a run back in the 3rd inning after Andy Dirks hit a solo home run; it's his 1st of the season and make it a 2-1 Twins lead.

The Twins added to their lead to go up 3-1, but the Tigers responded in the 6th inning after a bunt single by Andy Dirks, walk to Miguel Cabrera, then Prince Fielder hit a 3-run home run to put the Tigers up 4-3; it's his 6th of the season.

Max Scherzer did his job tonight. He pitched 7 1/3 innings giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out 10 batters; he earned his 3rd win of the season.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and got the final 2 outs of the 8th inning. Smyly came back out for the 9th inning and got the first 2 outs of the inning. Joaquin Benoit came in to get the final out of the game to get the Tigers the win, and got his 2nd save of the season.

The Tigers continue their series with the Twins tomorrow as Justin Verlander (2-2 1.95 ERA) takes the mound against Vance Worley (0-3 6.38 ERA).

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Tigers Offense Comes Alive in 7-5 Victory

It took till April 24th, but I feel this can finally be said: Welcome back, Victor Martinez!

The Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals tonight 7-5.

The Tigers scored first today in the 2nd inning after Jhonny Peralta hit a single, Alex Avila drew a walk, then Omar Infante hit a single to drive in Peralta and Detroit led 1-0.

The Royals took a 4-1 lead after the top of the 3rd, but the Tigers closed the gap in the bottom of the inning after a double by Miguel Cabrera, walk to Prince Fielder, then Victor Martinez hit a double to drive in Cabrera. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Jhonny Peralta hit a single to score Fielder, but Martinez was sent home for some reason and may have been out by 20 feet, so instead of being tagged, he just headed to the dugout; it was now a 4-3 Royals lead.

The Tigers responded in the 4th inning with a walk from Alex Avila and single by Omar Infante, then Austin Jackson hit into a fielder's choice to keep runners on 1st and 2nd. Torii Hunter came up next and reached base on a fielding error which allowed Infante to score and Jackson to advance to 3rd base. Miguel Cabrera was the next batter and hit a sacrifice fly to score Jackson. After a Prince Fielder walk, Victor Martinez hit a single to drive in Hunter. After Andy Dirks drew a walk a walk to load the bases, Jhonny Peralta drew a walk himself to score Fielder and the Tigers had a 7-4 lead.

The Royals scored a run in the 5th inning and ended Max Scherzer's day. He wasn't too good today, struggling in the 3rd and 5th innings, but pitched 5 innings, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits, walking 3 and striking out 6 batters; he won his 2nd game of the season.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 6th inning. Alburquerque came back out for the 7th inning and got the first 2 outs, but walked the next two batters and was pulled. Joaquin Benoit came in and got the last out of the inning. Benoit came back out and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Tonight's closer? The return of Jose Valverde. He pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn his 1st save of the season.


The Tigers finish up their series with the Royals tomorrow as Justin Verlander (2-2 2.13 ERA) takes on James Shields (1-2 3.00 ERA).

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Tigers lose 4-3 in the 13th Inning on a Walk-Off Home Run

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Los Angeles Angels today 4-3 in 13 innings.

The Tigers offense has been struggling, but scored first today in the 2nd inning after Jhonny Peralta drew a walk & Omar Infante hit a single. Then, both advanced a base due to a balk with Austin Jackson at the plate who then drove in Peralta on a fielder's choice to take a 1-0 lead.

The Angels took a 3-1 lead due to some poor defense, but the Tigers tied the game in the 5th inning after Torii Hunter drew a walk, then Prince Fielder hit a 2-run home run to make it a 3-3 game; it's his 5th of the season.

Doug Fister was wild early on (3 batters hit), but settled into the game nicely going 7 innings giving up 3 runs (2 earned, soon to be 0 earned) on 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out 5 batters.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and threw a scoreless 8th inning.

The Tigers should've had a chance to take the lead in the 9th inning, after a single by Omar Infante, Austin Jackson attempted to sacrifice bunt (which isn't smart to begin with), but Ernesto Frieri threw to 2nd base and Infante was called out on a blown call by 2nd base umpire Gary Darling, and the Tigers didn't score in the inning.

Al Alburquerque came back out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning. Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 10th inning. Phil Coke then came in and pitched a scoreless 11th inning.

Phil Coke came back out for the 12th and pitched a scoreless inning. Coke came back out for some reason and served up a home run to Mark Trumbo to lose the game for Detroit in the 13th inning.

The Tigers have an off day tomorrow, but open up a 3 game home series on Tuesday with the Royals as Max Scherzer (1-0 2.84 ERA) pitches against Wade Davis (2-0 2.25 ERA).

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Austin Jackson's 3 RBIs Help the Tigers to a 10-1 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics today 10-1.

The Tigers took a quick lead in the 1st inning today after a single by Austin Jackson, then a double from Torii Hunter to score Jackson. Prince Fielder would go on to be intentionally walked, then Victor Martinez hit a long single to drive in Hunter and the Tigers were up 2-0.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after Alex Avila hit a single, then Austin Jackson hit a 2-run home run; it's his 1st of the season and the Tigers took a 4-0 lead.

Detroit blew the game open in the 4th inning. It started out with an Austin Jackson single, then Torii Hunter hit a double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out for Miguel Cabrera who drove both runners in with a single. Prince Fielder was up next and hit a double to drive in Cabrera, then Andy Dirks would go on to hit a single and drive in Fielder to give the Tigers a 8-0 lead.

The Athletics would go on to score a run, but the Tigers would come back in the 7th inning with a double from Jhonny Peralta, then a single by Austin Jackson to drive in Peralta and it was a 9-1 game.

Anibal Sanchez was very good today. He pitched 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, walking 4 and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 2nd win of the season.

The Tigers continue to score in the 8th inning starting with Prince Fielder reaching on a fielding error and Victor Martinez drawing a walk. Both runners then advanced on a wild pitch and Fielder went on to score after Jhonny Peralta hit a single which gave the Tigers a 10-1 lead.

Rick Porcello came in for relief of Sanchez (Porcello's next start is being skipped due to an off day coming up in the schedule) and pitched a scoreless 8th and 9th innings to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers have an off day on Monday, but open up a 3 game road series on Tuesday against the Mariners as Doug Fister (2-0 2.77 ERA) pitches against Aaron Harang, who is making the first start of his season.

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Jhonny Peralta's 3 Run Homer Helps the Tigers to a 7-3 Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics today 7-3.

The Athletics took a 1-0 lead early today, but Torii Hunter tied the score 1-1 in the 3rd inning with a solo home run; it's his 1st of the season.

The Tigers took the lead in the 4th inning after a solo home run from Prince Fielder; it's his 4th of the season. Victor Martinez came up next and hit a single, Matt Tuiasosopo drew a walk, then Jhonny Peralta hit a 3-run home run; it's his 1st of the season and the Tigers led 5-1.

Detroit added to their lead in the 6th inning after Omar Infante reached on a fielder's choice, then scored on a double from Brayan Pena. Next, Austin Jackson came up and hit a double to drive in Pena and it was a 7-1 game.

All things considered, it was a good day for Justin Verlander. He pitched 6 innings, giving up 1 run on 3 hits, walking 3 and striking out 6 batters; he earned his 2nd win of the season.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and got the first 2 outs of the 7th inning, but gave up 2 runs, so Phil Coke had to come in and get the final out of the inning.

Coke came back out to get the first out of the 8th inning, then Joaquin Benoit came in to get the final 2 outs of the inning. Benoit came back out for the 9th inning and pitched a scoreless inning to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers finish their road series with the Athletics tomorrow as Anibal Sanchez (1-0 1.50 ERA) goes up against Jarrod Parker (0-1 6.48 ERA).

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Doug Fister Pitches Well in a 11-1 Tigers Victory

The Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays today 11-1.

The Tigers scored first today in the bottom of the 1st inning after walks to Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, then Cabrera stole 3rd base before Josh Johnson threw a pitch, and Cabrera scored on a single from Victor Martinez and the Tigers took a quick 1-0 lead.

Thanks to Andy Dirks' poor fielding, the Blue Jays quickly tied the game 1-1, but the Tigers quickly responded in the 2nd inning with base hits from Jhonny Peralta and Alex Avila to put runners on 1st and 3rd for Omar Infante who hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Peralta, and Alex Avila advanced to 2nd base on the fly ball. Austin Jackson came up next and hit a single to drive in Avila, and Jackson advanced to 2nd base on the play. Torii Hunter then came up and hit a single to drive in Jackson, then Miguel Cabrera hit a triple to drive in Hunter. Prince Fielder was next and he hit a single to drive in Cabrera, and that would end Josh Johnson's day, who only recorded 4 outs; the Tigers had a 6-1 lead after the 2nd inning.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 5th inning after a walk to Jhonny Peralta, single from Alex Avila, and bunt single by Omar Infante to load the bases. Austin Jackson was up next and reached base on a force out at home plate, but the bases remained loaded for Torii Hunter who hit a single that drove in Avila and Infante. Prince Fielder then hit a double with 2 outs which scored Jackson and Hunter to give the Tigers a 10-1 lead.

Detroit scored again in the 7th inning after a single by Austin Jackson, then Torii Hunter was hit by a pitch, Miguel Cabrera then hit a fly ball that got Jackson to 3rd, and then Jackson scored on a sacrifice fly from Prince Fielder and the Tigers had a 11-1 lead.

Doug Fister was very good today. He pitched 8 innings, giving up 1 run on 8 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5 batters; he earned his 2nd win of the season.

Al Alburquerque came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 9th inning to get the Tigers the win.

The Tigers open up a 3 game road series with the Athletics tomorrow as Max Scherzer (1-0 7.20 ERA) pitches against Bartolo Colon (1-0 4.50 ERA).

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Poor Pitching by the Bullpen Leads to a 8-6 Tigers Loss

After a 150 minute rain delay, the Detroit Tigers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6.

The Tigers scored first today in the bottom of the 1st inning after singles from Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera to put runners on 1st and 3rd for Prince Fielder who hit into a fielders choice, but Jackson scored on the play to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after a fielding error allowed Matt Tuiasosopo to reach base, Jhonny Peralta then hit a single, Alex Avila (with some bad luck) hit into a double play, then Omar Infante hit a single to drive in Tuiasosopo and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead.

After the Blue Jays scored a run to make it 2-1, the Tigers came back in the 5th inning with a single by Omar Infante, who reached 2nd base on a ground out, then Torii Hunter hit a single to score Infante. Miguel Cabrera then hit a double, and Prince Fielder was intentionally walked to load the bases with 1 out for Victor Martinez who drew a walk to score Hunter. Andy Dirks came up next as a pinch-hitter and drew a walk to score Cabrera, then Jhonny Peralta hit a bloop single to drive in Fielder and the Tigers had a 6-1 lead.

Rick Porcello struggled in the 6th inning, but was very good before the inning. He pitched 5 innings, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits, not walking a batter and striking out 1.

Darin Downs came in for relief and allowed 2 inherited runners to score, but got the Tigers out of the 6th inning with a 6-4 lead. Downs came back out and got the first out of the 7th inning, then Brayan Villarreal came in, walked the first 3 batters he faced to let a run score. Jim Leyland then finally realized he should probably pull Villarreal, so Octavio Dotel came in next and promptly gave up a bases clearing double before getting the final 2 outs and the Tigers now trailed the Blue Jays 8-6.

Dotel came back out and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Phil Coke then came out and pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

The Tigers couldn't put a rally together, they hit the ball hard the last few innings, and if the weather was warmer, the game may have ended differently, but the Tigers lost.

The Tigers finish their series with the Blue Jays tomorrow as Doug Fister (1-0 5.40 ERA) takes on Josh Johnson (0-0 4.50 ERA).

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Torii Hunter Gets 2000th Career Hit in a 7-3 Tigers Win

The Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays today 7-3.

The Tigers scored first today in the bottom of the 1st inning after a single by Miguel Cabrera, then a double from Prince Fielder to give Detroit a quick 1-0 lead.

The Tigers added to their lead in the 2nd inning after a solo home run from Alex Avila; it's his 2nd of the season and gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

After the Blue Jays scored a run to make it a 2-1 game, the Tigers came back in the 4th inning with singles from Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter, then a 3-run home run from Miguel Cabrera to give the Tigers a 5-1 lead; it's his 1st of the season.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Torii Hunter got his 2,000th career hit!

Anibal Sanchez pitched well today, he went 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, walking 1 and striking out 8 batters; he earned his 1st win of the season.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and got the first two outs of the 8th inning, then Al Alburquerque got the final out of the inning.

The Tigers added insurance runs in the 8th inning after Austin Jackson reached base on a throwing error and got all the way to 3rd on the error; Jackson went on to score after Miguel Cabrera hit a single. Prince Fielder came up next and hit a single, then Matt Tuiasosopo had a pinch hit double to drive in Cabrera and the Tigers took a 7-2 lead to the 9th.

Joaquin Benoit came in for the 9th and gave up a run, but got the Tigers the win.

The Tigers continue their home series with the Blue Jays tomorrow as Rick Porcello (0-1 5.06 ERA) pitches against Mark Buehrle (0-0 10.13 ERA).

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Phil Coke Blows a Save in a 3-2 Tigers Loss

The Detroit Tigers lost to the Minnesota Twins today 3-2.

The Tigers took scored first in the 3rd inning after Austin Jackson drew a walk, Torii Hunter hit a single, then Miguel Cabrera hit a single to drive in Jackson and the Tigers took a 1-0 lead.

Detroit added to their lead in the 5th inning after singles by Omar Infante and Torii Hunter to put runners on 1st and 3rd base for Miguel Cabrera who hit a single to drive in Infante and the Tigers had a 2-0 lead.

Anibal Sanchez struggled with his command today, but managed to pitch 5 shutout innings while giving up only 2 hits, walking 3 and striking out 5 batters.

Darin Downs came in for relief and pitched a scoreless 6th inning. Downs came back out and got the first out of the 7th inning, then Brayan Villarreal got the final 2 outs of the inning, but allowed a run to score that was charged to Downs, and it was a 2-1 game.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

With only one scheduled left handed hitter in the 9th inning, perhaps Octavio Dotel or Al Alburquerque would be todays closer? Wrong, Joaquin Benoit came back out for the 9th inning, walked a batter then it was Phil Coke's opportunity again. He came in for the 9th and blew the save and the game. Nice managing by Leyland by the way (just kidding, he did a terrible job).

The Tigers finish their series with Minnesota tomorrow as Rick Porcello makes his first start of the year against Mike Pelfrey.

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Tigers Win 4-2 to get Justin Verlander's First Opening Day Victory

Justin Verlander finally won an opening day start! The Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins today 4-2.

The Tigers led off the season with a bang. Austin Jackson had a single to start the game, then Torii Hunter hit a single which advanced Austin Jackson to third, so Miguel Cabrera came up with runners on 1st and 3rd, and grounded into a fielder's choice to drive in Jackson. Prince Fielder came up next and after Cabrera advanced to 2nd base on a wild pitch, Fielder drove him in with a double and the Tigers had a quick 2-0 lead.

Detroit came right back in the 2nd inning after Jhonny Peralta hit a single, then stole 2nd base, and would score on an Omar Infante single and the Tigers took a 3-0 lead.

Justin Verlander didn't have his best stuff today, but he was good enough to throw 5 shutout innings (because Leyland pulled him after 91 pitches) on 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7 batters; he earned his first win of the season and his first career opening day win.

Drew Smyly came in for relief and was, well, not good. He allowed 1 run in the 6th inning. Smyly came back out for the 7th inning and promptly loaded the bases and only got 1 out before being pulled. Al Alburquerque came in to replace him and allowed 1 of Smyly's base runners to score, but got the final 2 outs of the inning to keep a Tigers lead at 3-2.

The Tigers put together a rally in the 8th inning after a single by Prince Fielder, and walks to Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta, Fielder scored on a wild pitch to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead.

Joaquin Benoit came in and pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The answer everyone wanted to know was who will Jim Leyland use to close? Well, Benoit came back out for the 9th inning to get the first out of the inning, then Phil Coke got the final 2 outs to get the Tigers an opening day win; it's Coke's first save of the season.

The Tigers have an off day (already) tomorrow, but play Wednesday as Anibal Sanchez makes his first start of the season against Kevin Correia.

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Tigers & Justin Verlander Agree to a 5 Year Contract Extension

According to Buster Olney the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander have agreed to a contract extension where he can earn up to $202 million over the next 7 seasons. Brian Britten first reported it was a 5 year extension with a vesting option for a 6th year.

Verlander has a career record of 124-65 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He was the 2011 AL Cy Young and MVP winner and may very well end his career with the Tigers now.

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Tigers Release Brennan Boesch

According to Brian Britten, the Detroit Tigers have released Brennan Boesch. This ends an up and town run for Boesch in Detroit that ended on a bad note last year where he had the worst season of his young professional career.

The Tigers only had to pay 1/6th of his salary by releasing him today, according to Danny Knobler.

As a fan of Boesch, I hope he can find a good situation and succeed elsewhere.


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Tigers & Max Scherzer Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

Another year goes by and Dave Dombrowski avoids arbitration as the general manager of the Tigers.

According to Brian Britten, the Tigers and Max Scherzer have agreed to a 1 year deal to avoid arbitration. According to Jon Heyman, Scherzer will make $6.725 million in 2013.

Scherzer in 2012 went 16-7 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 32 starts. He pitched 187 2/3 innings and had a major league high 11.08 strikeouts per 9 innings, it was arguably Scherzer's best season as a Tiger.

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Tigers & Brennan Boesch Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

According to Jason Beck, the Tigers and Brennan Boesch have avoided arbitration and agreed to a 1 year deal. Boesch will make $2.3 million this season; it's his first year being arbitration eligible.

Boesch in 2012 hit .240 with a .286 on-base percentage and a .372 slugging percentage. He had 12 Home Runs, 54 RBI and scored 52 runs in 132 games. Boesch struggled big time in comparison to expectations for him coming into 2012 and has been the subject of trade rumors during the offseason.

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Tigers & Phil Coke Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

According to Jason Beck, the Tigers and Phil Coke have avoided arbitration and agreed to a 1 year deal. Coke will make $1.85 million this season; it's his 2nd season being arbitration eligible.

Coke in 2012 went 2-3 with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP in 66 relief appearances. He pitched 54 innings, had 1 save and 20 holds. Coke was very poor in the regular season, but redeemed himself in the postseason.

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Tigers & Rick Porcello Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

According to MLBTradeRumors.com, the Tigers and Rick Porcello have avoided arbitration and agreed to a 1 year deal. Porcello will make $5.1 million this season; it's his 2nd season being arbitration eligible.

Porcello in 2012 was 10-12 with a 4.59 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 31 starts. He pitched 176 1/3 innings and gave up a major league high 226 hits. Porcello has been rumored in trades ever since Anibal Sanchez was re-signed.

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Tigers & Doug Fister Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

According to Jon Heyman, the Tigers and Doug Fister have avoided arbitration and agreed to a 1 year deal. Fister will make $4 million this season; it's his first year being arbitration eligible.

Fister in 2012 went 10-10 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 26 starts. He pitched 161 2/3 innings and tied the American League record for most consecutive strikeouts in a game; he had some injury problems at the beginning of the season, but pitched great down the stretch.

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Tigers & Austin Jackson Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

According to Jon Heyman, the Tigers and Austin Jackson have avoided arbitration and agreed to a 1 year deal. Austin Jackson will make $3.5 million this season; it's his first year eligible for arbitration.

Jackson in 2012 hit .300 with a .377 on-base percentage and had a .479 slugging percentage. He had 16 Home Runs and 66 RBI in 137 games from the leadoff position, it was a breakout season.

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Tigers & Alex Avila Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a 1 Year Deal

According to Jon Heyman, the Tigers and Alex Avila have agreed on a 1 year deal to avoid arbitration. Avila will make $2.95 million this season; it's his first year eligible for arbitration.

Avila in 2012 hit .243 with a .352 on-base percentage and a .384 slugging percentage in 116 games last season. He had 9 Home Runs and 48 RBI in a down season from 2011.

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