GDT: 4/9/09 - DET (1-2) AT TOR (2-1) - 12:37 p.m. ET

It's a special day for a special situation.

That's the terminology the Tigers have used to describe Rick Porcello and the decision the Tigers faced with him. It's a description team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski estimates he has used for five or six players in his three decades in baseball.

Josh Beckett, to whom Porcello is so often compared, was one. Miguel Cabrera, the guy who homered off the restaurant at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, was another.

"We don't throw that out very easily," Dombrowski said.

It's the terminology team officials used to explain their decision to jump at Porcello when he was still available with the 27th pick of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and then sign him to a lucrative Major League contract despite concerns over salary.

"There are cases we think are special talents and circumstances where you make a decision that you think is best for our organization," Dombrowski said when they announced the signing two years ago.

"A lot of times with high school players, you're looking at five or six years down the road. I don't think that's the case here."

In Porcello's case, it ended up being little more than a year.

It's certainly a special case for the Porcello family, many members of which were trying to catch a flight from their New Jersey home to Toronto on Thursday evening. It's special enough that older brother Zach, an assistant coach with Seton Hall University, was excused from the Pirates' doubleheader against Villanova on Thursday afternoon to make the trip. Friends and other family members were planning to make the long drive across the state of New York to get here.

It's a special case for the record books, too. With Porcello pitching for Detroit and Ricky Romero taking the hill for Toronto, it'll mark the first time in Major League history that two first-round Draft picks have made their big league debuts as starting pitchers against each other, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

For the 20-year-old Porcello, though, he's trying to make it as normal as he can.

"Obviously, my first time out there, I'm sure it's going to be special," he said. "It's going to be hard for me to calm down and relax. But I think once the first pitch gets out of the way, I'll be fine. I think I was probably more nervous in Spring Training."

Porcello didn't come off as particularly nervous in Spring Training, though. He never has, which is part of the reason the Tigers believed he could make the jump.

"He's confident and mature beyond his years," Dombrowski said during Spring Training. "He's very mature. He's very talented."

And Porcello has stayed that way since breaking camp with the club. If he was getting jittery, reliever Bobby Seay would probably know, having the locker next to him in the visitors' clubhouse at Rogers Centre. He hasn't seen it.

"He's a real cool cat," Seay said. "It does amaze me. You would never think he's 20."

How cool is Porcello? At one point, manager Jim Leyland said, the Tigers briefly considered starting him in Friday's home opener. They didn't want to do it, and they were able to avoid it by putting Armando Galarraga on turn for the assignment. But they wouldn't automatically rule it out.

Nonetheless, Leyland expects Porcello to be nervous once game time approaches.

"I hope so," Leyland said. "I think that's good. But I think nervous and scared are two different things."

Whether Porcello gets nervous remains to be seen. But he's a special situation because he doesn't pitch scared.

"I feel confident that if I go out there and execute my pitches, I can go out there and be successful and keep us in the game to win," Porcello said Wednesday. "That's my main objective: to make sure when I come out of the game that we're in the game. I feel like I can do that, and I'm looking forward to it."

Pitching matchup

DET: RHP Rick Porcello (MLB debut)
Less than two years after Porcello graduated from high school, he formally graduates to the big leagues. The Tigers' first-round Draft pick from 2007 accelerated his timetable dramatically and earned a rotation job with a consistent, solid spring and a bunch of nasty sinkers for quick groundouts, not to mention a maturity well beyond his tender age of 20. He was on a 75-pitch limit last year at Class A ball, but the Tigers appear inclined to let him stretch out as the season goes along.

TOR: LHP Ricky Romero (MLB debut)
Romero, who was the first pitcher selected (sixth overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, beat out fellow left-handed prospects Brett Cecil and Brad Mills for a spot in the rotation this spring. Romero, 24, was considered out of the race after a handful of spring outings, but pitching coach Brad Arnsberg went to work on retooling the lefty's delivery and results came fast. Romero impressed the Jays in his final two Spring Training starts and convinced the club to take him north. Last season, Romero was 8-8 with a 4.55 ERA in 28 Minor League starts between Double-A and Triple-A.

Tidbits
Take away the first-round distinction, and the Porcello-Romero matchup will mark the 19th time since 1901 that both starting pitchers are making their Major League debuts.
... Look for Ramon Santiago to get another start Thursday, this time in place of second baseman Placido Polanco to keep him off the artificial turf in a day game after a night game. Marcus Thames will start in left field, with Carlos Guillen the designated hitter. ... Miguel Cabrera has reached base safely nine times in 12 plate appearances so far this series.

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Up next
• Friday: Tigers (Armando Galarraga, 13-7, 3.73 in 2008) vs. Rangers (Kris Benson, 11-12, 4.82 in 2006), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Tigers (Justin Verlander, 0-1, 19.64 ERA) vs. Rangers (Matt Harrison, 9-3, 5.49 ERA in 2008), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 0-0, 1.23 ERA) vs. Rangers (Kevin Millwood, 1-0, 1.29 ERA), 1:05 p.m. ET
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Starting Lineups:

Detroit AVG
Granderson, CF .273
Thames, LF .250
Ordonez, RF .273
Cabrera, M, 1B .700
Guillen, DH .100
Inge, 3B .364
Treanor, C .000
Santiago, 2B .250
Everett, SS .000

Toronto AVG
Scutaro, SS .333
Hill, 2B .250
Rios, RF .300
Wells, V, CF .364
Lind, DH .333
Bautista, J, 3B .000
Overbay, 1B .083
Barrett, C .000
Snider, LF .200

Current Conditions

Outside Rogers Centre

Sunny 46 F

Humidity: 40 %

Wind: from the W at 15 mph

Barometer: 29.78 in

last updated: 4/9/09 11:00 AM Local Time

Inning 1
Top Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Curtis Granderson flies out to right fielder Alex Rios.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Marcus Thames pops out to first baseman Lyle Overbay in foul territory.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Magglio Ordonez strikes out swinging.
Bottom Half

B:0 S:1 O:0 -
Marco Scutaro reaches on fielding error by first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:2 S:2 O:1 - Aaron Hill grounds into a force out,
third baseman Brandon Inge to second baseman Ramon Santiago. Marco
Scutaro out at 2nd. Aaron Hill to 1st.

B:1 S:0 O:3 - Alex Rios grounds into double play,
pitcher Rick Porcello to second baseman Ramon Santiago to first baseman
Miguel Cabrera. Aaron Hill out at 2nd.

0-0

Inning 2
Top Half

B:4 S:2 O:0 -
Miguel Cabrera walks.

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Carlos Guillen singles on a soft line drive to center fielder Vernon Wells. Miguel Cabrera to 2nd.

B:0 S:2 O:2 - Brandon Inge grounds into double play,
shortstop Marco Scutaro to first baseman Lyle Overbay. Miguel Cabrera
to 3rd. Carlos Guillen out at 2nd.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Matt Treanor strikes out swinging.

Bottom Half

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Vernon Wells grounds out, pitcher Rick Porcello to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:3 S:1 O:1 -
Adam Lind singles on a sharp ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Jose Bautista lines out to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Lyle Overbay singles on a line drive to center fielder Curtis Granderson. Adam Lind to 3rd.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Michael Barrett called out on strikes.

0-0

Inning 3
Top Half

B:1 S:0 O:1 -
Ramon Santiago grounds out, shortstop Marco Scutaro to first baseman Lyle Overbay.

B:2 S:1 O:2 -
Adam Everett grounds out, third baseman Jose Bautista to first baseman Lyle Overbay.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson homers (2) on a fly ball to left center field


B:1 S:0 O:2 -
Marcus Thames triples (1) on a fly ball to right fielder Alex Rios.

B:1 S:0 O:2 -
Injury Delay.Rios hit on side of the head by the ball.



1-0

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Magglio Ordonez singles on a ground ball to shortstop Marco Scutaro. Marcus Thames scores.

2-0

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Miguel Cabrera singles on a sharp ground ball to center fielder Vernon Wells. Magglio Ordonez to 2nd.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Carlos Guillen hit by pitch. Magglio Ordonez to 3rd. Miguel Cabrera to 2nd.

B:3 S:2 O:3 -
Brandon Inge grounds out, third baseman Jose Bautista to first baseman Lyle Overbay.

2-0

Bottom Half

B:1 S:0 O:0 -
Travis Snider singles on a sharp ground ball to center fielder Curtis Granderson.

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Marco Scutaro pops out to second baseman Ramon Santiago.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Aaron Hill grounds out, third baseman Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Travis Snider to 2nd.

B:1 S:0 O:3 -
Alex Rios grounds out, pitcher Rick Porcello to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

2-0 after 3 innings

Inning 4
Top Half

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Matt Treanor called out on strikes.

B:2 S:2 O:1 -
Ramon Santiago singles on a ground ball to second baseman Aaron Hill.

B:1 S:2 O:2 - Adam Everett doubles (1) on a fly ball
to right fielder Alex Rios. Ramon Santiago out at home on the throw,
right fielder Alex Rios to second baseman Aaron Hill to catcher Michael
Barrett. Adam Everett to 3rd on the throw.

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Curtis Granderson called out on strikes.

2-0

Bottom Half

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Vernon Wells pops out to second baseman Ramon Santiago.

B:2 S:2 O:2 -
Adam Lind grounds out, second baseman Ramon Santiago to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:2 S:0 O:2 -
Jose Bautista singles on a soft fly ball to left fielder Marcus Thames.


B:2 S:1 O:2 -
With Lyle Overbay batting, wild pitch by Rick Porcello, Jose Bautista to 2nd.

B:4 S:1 O:2 -
Lyle Overbay walks.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Michael Barrett singles on a ground ball to left fielder Marcus Thames. Jose Bautista scores. Lyle Overbay to 2nd.

2-1

B:0 S:1 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:1 S:3 O:3 -
Travis Snider strikes out swinging.

2-1 after 4 innings

Inning 5
Top Half

B:0 S:0 O:1 -
Marcus Thames grounds out, third baseman Jose Bautista to first baseman Lyle Overbay.

B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Magglio Ordonez strikes out swinging.

B:2 S:2 O:3 -
Miguel Cabrera flies out to right fielder Alex Rios.

Bottom Half

B:1 S:2 O:1 -
Marco Scutaro grounds out, second baseman Ramon Santiago to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Aaron Hill homers (2) on a fly ball to left field.

tied 2-2

B:1 S:3 O:2 -
Alex Rios called out on strikes.

B:0 S:3 O:3 -
Vernon Wells strikes out swinging.

tied 2-2 after 5 innings

Inning 6
Top Half

B:0 S:1 O:1 -
Carlos Guillen grounds out, first baseman Lyle Overbay to pitcher Ricky Romero.

B:4 S:2 O:1 -
Brandon Inge walks.

B:1 S:2 O:3 - Matt Treanor grounds into double play,
shortstop Marco Scutaro to second baseman Aaron Hill to first baseman
Lyle Overbay. Brandon Inge out at 2nd.

Bottom Half

B:1 S:2 O:0 -
Adam Lind homers (2) on a fly ball to center field.

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Coaching visit to mound.

Jays 3-2

B:2 S:2 O:0 -
Jose Bautista singles on a ground ball to shortstop Adam Everett.

B:2 S:2 O:0 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Pitcher Change: Nate Robertson replaces Rick Porcello.

B:1 S:2 O:1 - Lyle Overbay grounds into a force out,
second baseman Ramon Santiago to shortstop Adam Everett. Jose Bautista
out at 2nd. Lyle Overbay to 1st. (Everett dropped the ball )

B:2 S:3 O:2 -
Michael Barrett strikes out swinging.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Travis Snider doubles (2) on a fly ball to right fielder Magglio Ordonez. Lyle Overbay scores.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

Jays 4-2

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Pitcher Change: Juan Rincon replaces Nate Robertson.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Marco Scutaro homers (1) on a fly ball to left field. Travis Snider scores.

B:1 S:1 O:3 -
Aaron Hill pops out to first baseman Miguel Cabrera in foul territory.

Jays 6-2 after 6 innings

Inning 7
Top Half

B:0 S:0 O:0 -
Pitcher Change: Jesse Carlson replaces Ricky Romero.

B:1 S:1 O:1 -
Ramon Santiago flies out to left fielder Travis Snider.

B:0 S:3 O:2 -
Adam Everett strikes out swinging.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Curtis Granderson singles on a fly ball to right fielder Alex Rios.

B:3 S:2 O:2 -
Coaching visit to mound.

B:0 S:0 O:2 -
Pitcher Change: Brandon League replaces Jesse Carlson.

B:2 S:1 O:3 -
Marcus Thames flies out to center fielder Vernon Wells.

Jays 6-2

Bottom Half

B:2 S:3 O:1 -
Alex Rios called out on strikes.

B:1 S:2 O:2 -
Vernon Wells grounds out, first baseman Miguel Cabrera to pitcher Juan Rincon.

B:1 S:1 O:2 -
Adam Lind singles on a sharp ground ball to left fielder Marcus Thames.

B:3 S:3 O:3 -
Jose Bautista strikes out swinging.

Jays 6-2