2012 TIGERS' SPRING TRAINING Grapefruit League Schedule

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

Box score

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Box score

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Box score

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Box score

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

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

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

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

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

Both starters settled down after that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Box score

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson, Boesch homer in loss to Astros
Speedy center fielder rounds the bases on inside-the-parker
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com | 03/27/12 4:00 PM ET

Box score

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A two-run single by shortstop Jed Lowrie and a two-run homer by right fielder Brian Bogusevic pushed across four runs in the fourth inning and enabled the Astros to complete a comeback from five runs down to beat the Tigers, 14-7, on Tuesday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium.

The Tigers had jumped on Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez with a run in the first inning on a Brennan Boesch homer, and they scored four times in the second, including an inside-the-park home run by leadoff hitter Austin Jackson, to take a five-run lead.

While Rodriguez got his act together, the Astros roared back against Detroit left-hander Andy Oliver. Jason Castro ripped a two-run double to right in the second, and J.B. Shuck added an RBI to get the Astros within one run after two innings.

Chris Johnson tied the score in the third with an RBI single before the Astros seized control of the game with two more runs against Oliver and two off reliever Luis Marte. Oliver worked three-plus innings and allowed seven hits and six earned runs.

Rodriguez worked a spring-high six innings. He allowed six hits and five earned runs, and struck out four. He retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced following Jackson's homer in the second.

Up next: Drew Smyly gets what could be his final audition in his quest to jump from Double-A to the big leagues in his second pro season when the Tigers visit the Cardinals on Wednesday in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. It'll be his first extended start of the spring against Major League hitters, and possibly the biggest start of his pro career to date. Alex Avila, Jackson, Boesch, Jhonny Peralta and Brandon Inge are among the regulars scheduled to make the trip.

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

Smyly strong in longest outing, but Tigers fall
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com | 03/28/12 4:00 PM ET

Box score

JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright's spotless spring ERA column incurred a few blemishes on Wednesday, but the Cardinals jumped on the Tigers' bullpen for six unanswered runs to grab a 9-5 win over Detroit at Roger Dean Stadium. The two clubs split their pair of Grapefruit League matchups.

Utility man Matt Carpenter, who is making a push for one of the Cardinals' final bench spots, broke a 5-5 tie with a one-out run-scoring triple off Tigers reliever Phil Coke in the seventh. Lance Berkman followed with an RBI single to pad the lead. Coke's afternoon ended there. He had allowed a bases-loaded walk the previous inning.

After not allowing an earned run in his first 16 Grapefruit League innings, Wainwright gave up three in his third inning of work on Wednesday. He issued a one-out walk, which was followed by singles from Brennan Boesch, Jhonny Peralta and Andy Dirks to give the Tigers an early lead.

Detroit then padded that lead with an unearned run off Wainwright the following inning when Rafael Furcal couldn't corral a two-out grounder.

Wainwright's final line included six hits and one walk. It was his first outing without a strikeout, and it was his most inefficient. He was pulled with two out and no one on in the fifth after reaching a pitch count of 77. Fifty of those pitches were strikes.

Tigers starter Drew Smyly also made a 4 2/3-inning appearance, and it marked the left-hander's longest outing of the spring. After retiring seven of the first eight hitters he faced, he got himself into some third-inning trouble that began with walking Wainwright. The Cardinals ended up scoring twice in the frame, with RBIs from Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday.

Tyler Greene, who is expected to be St. Louis' Opening Day second baseman, led off the fifth with a homer off Smyly, who faced two more batters before being replaced by Brayan Villarreal. Smyly's final pitch count was 80, 52 of which were strikes. He allowed only three hits and struck out four. He also hit two batters.

Brandon Inge drove home Detroit's fifth run with a sixth-inning double off Cardinals reliever Mitchell Boggs. Inge entered the game with only one hit in his previous 15 at-bats. St. Louis answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to even the score at 5.

Holliday watched his hitting streak come to an end at 13 games with his 0-for-2 day. He did draw a walk before being replaced with a pinch-runner in the sixth, which extended his on-base streak to 15 games.

Up next: Detroit will play under the lights in a 6:05 p.m. ET home game against the Nationals on Thursday on MLB.TV. Right-hander Max Scherzer will make the start, his sixth in Grapefruit League play. Scherzer has allowed nine earned runs over his last three outings (14 2/3 innings). He is scheduled to be followed by closer Jose Valverde.

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Boesch belts sixth spring homer in loss to Nats
Righty Scherzer allows three runs on 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/29/12 8:50 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Brennan Boesch moved into a tie for the Grapefruit League lead with his sixth home run of the spring, but Steve Lombardozzi's three hits paced a scrappy effort for a Nationals split squad in a 5-3 win over the Tigers on Thursday night at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Tigers' lone night game at home this spring was set up for broadcast back to Michigan. The fans up north saw another power display from Boesch, whose third home run in four days was a no-doubt drive into the visiting bullpen beyond right-center field off Nationals starter Mitch Atkins.

Boesch's homer scored Andy Dirks and Ryan Raburn and accounted for all of the Tigers' runs off Atkins, who lasted five innings with four hits allowed while striking out six.

Boesch said he found his swing about two weeks ago, and he has been spending the last part of camp focusing on his approach.

"For me, it's about getting to Detroit as quick as I can," Boesch said.

Detroit starter Max Scherzer had a scoreless outing going in his sixth start of the spring until Lombardozzi's third hit and Chad Tracy's second drove in a run apiece. Once Josh Johnson singled in Corey Brown in the sixth, Washington had a tie game and Scherzer was done, having allowed 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Xavier Paul drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single in the eighth.

Dirks had two singles to stretch his spring average to .422 and further strengthen his case for the final outfield spot on the Tigers' 25-man roster.

Up next: Miguel Cabrera is scheduled to return to third base Friday for the first time since taking a high hopper to his right eye a week and a half ago. He'll man the hot corner as the Tigers visit the Orioles for a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Duane Below is scheduled to start in what should be his final audition for the fifth-starter spot, now a two-man competition between him and prospect Drew Smyly.

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

Cabrera returns with two doubles in victory
Tigers rally past Orioles behind Plagman's homer, triple
By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com | 03/30/12 4:35 PM ET

Box score

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Tigers reserve outfielder Tony Plagman homered in the seventh to tie the score, then tripled home the go-ahead runs in the ninth to steal the spotlight from Miguel Cabrera's return in a 6-4 victory over the Orioles on Friday at Ed Smith Stadium.

Cabrera -- playing his first game since March 19 because of a fractured right orbital bone -- showed no signs of rust, sending Orioles starter Brian Matusz's 0-2 offering into right field for a two-run double. Cabrera then doubled off Matusz in his second at-bat and finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Matusz opened the game by allowing three runs on four consecutive hits, but settled in after that to retire the final nine batters faced.

" just came out of the gates amped up with a lot of energy," Matusz said. "The first inning, it killed me not getting ahead in the count, [and I] gave up some two-strike hits. After that first inning, I was able to shake it off and just get back to work with [catcher Matt] Wieters. I really found a nice rhythm."Right-hander Duane Below, who is still in the running for Detroit's final rotation spot, struggled with his command, allowing a run with four walks in the second inning. Below exited after 3 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs on three hits and four walks. Luis Marte followed with an impressive 2 1/3 scoreless innings, picking up five strikeouts."I just couldn't locate my fastball," Below said. "I didn't throw any other pitches to try to get back to my arm slot or slow myself down. I was just rushing everything today. That's not really the start I wanted to have my last start of the spring.

"It's frustrating, especially as we got out to an early lead, my goal was to attack the strike zone and get as many quick outs as possible, keep our guys out of the sun. That just didn't work for me today."Tigers backup catcher Gerald Laird left the game in the bottom of the second inning with a sprained left knee after colliding with teammate Don Kelly while catching Jai Miller's foul popup.

With the Tigers trailing 4-3 in the seventh, Plagman went deep off of Luis Ayala. In the ninth, Plagman hit a two-out triple off Jim Johnson to give the Tigers a 6-4 lead.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones extended his team lead in homers to four with a solo shot in the third, upping his RBI total to 12. Endy Chavez had a pair of hits and an RBI in his return from a groin injury, while Miller's sixth-inning RBI double broke a 3-3 tie.

Bullpen hopeful Pat Neshek recorded two outs to start the sixth, running his scoreless total this spring to nine innings and 10 appearances.

Up next: Justin Verlander will make his final spring tuneup before Opening Day with his first start away from Joker Marchant Stadium this year. He's headed to Disney World for a matchup with the Braves in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at the Wide World of Sports complex. He'll likely be stretched to about 95 pitches, which should give him plenty of innings to log against an Atlanta lineup he beat a week and a half ago in Lakeland. The game will be televised on MLB.TV, as well as in Michigan on Fox Sports Detroit.

Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Verlander wraps his Grapefruit season in style
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | 03/31/12 3:15 PM ET

Box score

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Justin Verlander concluded the exhibition season in impressive fashion and Clete Thomas marred Tommy Hanson's strong start with a fifth-inning home run that proved decisive for the Tigers in their 2-1 rain-shortened win over the Braves on Saturday afternoon.

The game was called after heavy rains hit just after the seventh inning had started.

Thomas' two-out fifth-inning home run to right field interrupted a solid pitcher's duel. The Braves had tied the game with Dan Uggla's two-out double in the fourth inning.

Verlander recorded five strikeouts and limited the Braves to four hits while allowing just one run in six innings. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner had faced the minimum before Freddie Freeman produced a two-out, fourth-inning single just ahead of Uggla's double.

Austin Jackson opened the game with a single and stole second base before scoring with the help of consecutive groundouts. That served as the only damage Hanson incurred until Thomas hit the decisive fifth-inning home run.

Hanson surrendered consecutive one-out singles to Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder before escaping that inning without any damage. The Braves' right-hander learned on Saturday morning that he will start Thursday's Opening Day game against the Mets.

Up Next for the Tigers: The Tigers break up into split squads for one final time this spring, but the vast majority of the projected roster will be staying in Lakeland, where Doug Fister will make his first start in nine days since leaving a game with soreness in his right middle finger. He'll face the Astros Sunday in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. Meanwhile, Prince Fielder will accompany a group of mainly Minor Leaguers to Port St. Lucie for a 1:10 p.m. ET meeting with the Mets.

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

Peralta's homer backs up Fister's solid start
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 04/01/12 3:35 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Jhonny Peralta went all of Spring Training last year without driving in a run. He's finishing Spring Training with a bang this year, slugging a two-run homer in the third inning to power the Tigers ahead for good in a 4-2 win over the Astros on Sunday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Astros' first run came on a Jason Castro homer off Tigers starter Doug Fister.

Peralta moved up to second in the order once Brennan Boesch was scratched from the lineup with neck spasms. After grounding out in his first at-bat, he came back up in the third against Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez and went after a 2-0 pitch, sending an opposite-field shot over the right-field fence for his third homer and ninth RBI of the spring.

Miguel Cabrera's ensuing walk set him up to score on Alex Avila's two-out single, providing a big insurance run.

Peralta completed his damage with a ground-rule double in the sixth, driving in Austin Jackson.

That was plenty of run support for Fister, whose return to the rotation from a sore middle finger on his right hand went smoothly to put him on track for his regular-season debut next Saturday. Fister allowed the one home run among four hits over six innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth with a Brian Bogusevic fly out on a 3-0 pitch.

Landon Powell singled in the second Astros run with two outs in the ninth inning.

Up next: What was looking like one last audition for Drew Smyly to try to win the Tigers' open rotation spot is now a final tuneup before the season begins with him in the rotation. He'll face the Blue Jays on Monday in the front half of a spring-ending home-and-home series between Detroit and Toronto. Game time is 1:05 p.m. ET.

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

Prince's shot, McCann's slam lead split Tigers
By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com | 04/01/12 3:56 PM ET

Box score

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Most veterans grumble when asked to make a long Grapefruit League road trip, especially with a split squad in action at home. Prince Fielder instead made the most of his assignment, launching a booming home run Sunday against R.A. Dickey, leading the Tigers to a 9-2 victory over the Mets at Digital Domain Park.

Fielder's solo shot was the only run against Dickey, who scaled back his pitch count in preparation for Opening Day. In four innings, Dickey allowed two other hits and walked no one.

"I felt pretty good about this spring," Dickey said. "I gradually got better and better, and that's the hope."

Dickey on Sunday nearly outdueled Tigers starter Thad Weber, who gave up his only hit on Ike Davis' two-run homer in the fourth. But the Tigers broke the game open two innings later, scoring seven runs against Mets relievers Daniel Herrera and Jon Rauch. After Don Kelly singled home a run off Herrera and Daniel Fields drew a bases-loaded walk against Rauch, James McCann cleared the bases with a two-out grand slam.

The Tigers had borrowed McCann, their top pick in last June's First-Year Player Draft, from Minor League camp to make the 2 1/2-hour drive to Port St. Lucie.

Though Herrera did not help his stock by setting the table for McCann's grand slam, he is all but guaranteed a spot in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen if fellow left-hander Tim Byrdak is not recovered from knee surgery. The only other option for the Mets is rookie Josh Edgin, who has not pitched above Class A ball.

Rauch, who is also guaranteed a bullpen spot, has posted a 7.94 ERA this spring.

Up next: What was looking like one last audition for Drew Smyly to try to win the Tigers' open rotation spot is now a final tuneup before the season begins with him in the rotation. He'll face the Blue Jays in the front half of a spring-ending home-and-home series between Detroit and Toronto. Game time is 1:05 p.m. ET.

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

Seven-run second catapults Tigers over Jays
Prince, Young hit back-to-back home runs; Smyly tunes up in start
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 04/02/12 3:56 PM ET

Box score

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Prince Fielder and Delmon Young hit back-to-back home runs, the latter being Young's sixth homer of the spring, as part of a seven-run second inning that allowed Detroit to cruise to an 11-8 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday afternoon in the Tigers' home finale at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The matchup between the two best records in the Grapefruit League turned early in the Tigers' favor once Omar Vizquel and Luis Valbuena ran into each other behind second base on Fielder's popup, allowing Brennan Boesch to score on the errant drop. Young doubled in Fielder for a 2-0 lead.

The real damage came the next inning, when eight consecutive Tigers reached base safely after Blue Jays starter Brett Cecil retired leadoff hitter Jhonny Peralta. The first seven of those were base hits, including Austin Jackson's RBI double and Boesch's two-run single.

After Miguel Cabrera singled, Fielder's ball looked like a sky-high fly out in the making, but it carried enough to clear the fence in the right-field corner as Ben Francisco gradually ran out of room. The three-run shot was Fielder's second homer in as many days and fourth this spring.

By contrast, Young's shot was a line drive off the left-field berm. His two-hit game ended a 1-for-11 stretch and moved him back into a tie with Boesch and Ryan Raburn for the team home run lead this spring.

The long break messed with Drew Smyly's command a bit in his first outing since being named Detroit's fifth starter on Sunday, but he recovered well enough. He retired eight of Toronto's first nine batters, then battled with runners on base for much of the rest of his afternoon. Vizquel accounted for half the damage off of him with a two-run homer in the fifth.

Smyly allowed four runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings, leaving after he struck out Adam Lind for the first out of the sixth inning.

Up next: The Tigers and Blue Jays wrap up their Grapefruit League schedules with the back end of their home-and-home set, heading to Dunedin for a 12:05 p.m. ET matchup. Max Scherzer will make his final tuneup of the spring for Detroit opposite Henderson Alvarez, who's ticketed for the fourth spot in Toronto's rotation after what has been a stingy spring.

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

Miggy homers in Tigers' slugfest with Jays
By Adam Berry / MLB.com | 04/03/12 4:50 PM ET

Box score

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Tigers and Blue Jays wrapped up their Grapefruit League schedule with plenty of early offense, and Toronto came out on top, 13-8, on Tuesday afternoon at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

Blue Jays right-hander Henderson Alvarez struggled through a four-hit first inning, giving up two runs on a no-doubt homer by Miguel Cabrera to right-center field. Alvarez went four innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and a walk.

Kyle Drabek was credited with a five-inning save, and he commented after the game on what's worked for him mechanically this spring.

"{I've worked on} being able to drive my body toward home instead of toward first," he said. "Today I walked three, but I thought I did {a} good {job} of making sure I was still going home instead of toward first."

Adam Lind drove in Yunel Escobar on a double to center field in the bottom of the first, but the Tigers extended their lead in the second when Andy Dirks tripled to center and scored on Ryan Raburn's groundout. Toronto took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the inning thanks an RBI ground-rule double from Colby Rasmus, a run-scoring groundout by Rajai Davis and Kelly Johnson's single to right. Eric Thames added another run in the third with a solo shot to center.

Detroit starter Max Scherzer, who will start the Tigers' third game of the season against Boston, allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 11 hits and three walks while striking out four in 4 1/3 innings.

Prince Fielder drew a standing ovation from the crowd in the third inning, but not for his hitting. He stole second base after beating out a double play at first, and about half of the fans in attendance stood and applauded.

The Blue Jays broke the game open with a seven-run fifth, highlighted by Ryan Schimpf's grand slam.

Up next: The Tigers break camp and head north with a stopover in Toledo, where they'll play an exhibition against the Triple-A Mud Hens on Wednesday in a 12:05 p.m. ET game at Fifth Third Field. Rick Porcello will make his final preseason tuneup, getting the start opposite former Tigers reliever Fu-Te Ni. The game will be available online at MLB.TV and in Michigan and Northwest Ohio on Fox Sports Detroit.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Tigers top Mud Hens in charity game, 8-3
04/04/2012 3:44 PM ET

12,000 fans flocked to Fifth Third Field in Toledo, OH, on Wednesday afternoon for the much-anticipated exhibition game between the Detroit Tigers and their Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens. Many came out to the ballpark to get a sneak preview of the vaunted Tigers offense, and they were not disappointed.

Box Score | Tigers vs. Hens Photo Album

The Tigers broke open a 1-1 game in the third inning, plating five runs on six hits and batting around on Mud Hens starter Fu-Te Ni. Austin Jackson got things started with a leadoff double. He moved to third on a ground out by Brennan Boesch. Miguel Cabrera singled in Jackson to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Prince Fielder walked and Delmon Young singled in Cabrera to push the Detroit advantage to 3-1. Former Mud Hen Ryan Raburn broke the game open with a two-run triple to deep center, pushing the score to 5-1. The Tigers added one more run, going up 6-1, as Raburn scored on a single by Alex Avila.

Detroit extended their lead to 8-1 in the fifth inning as third round draft pick Aaron Westlake knocked in a pair on a one-out line drive double to center off of Luke Putkonen.

Toledo countered in the bottom of the fifth with RBI hits by Matt Young and Ryan Strieby, to bring the score to 8-3. That was as close as the Hens would get, however, as the two teams played scoreless baseball from the sixth inning on.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello gave up a run in the second and two in the fifth, allowing seven hits in 4.2 innings of work. Mud Hens starter Fu-Te Ni lasted only 2.2 innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits.

This was the final preseason tune-up for both the Tigers and the Mud Hens. The Tigers open their regular season tomorrow in Detroit against the Boston Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. The Mud Hens home opener is Friday, against the Indianapolis Indians, at 5:00 p.m.

• The Tigers starting lineup for today's exhibition game against the Mud Hens is expected to be the lineup that is featured in tomorrow's regular season opener in Detroit, against the Boston Red Sox.
  
• 44 players saw action in today's exhibition game
  
• This is the 22nd Tigers vs. Mud Hens exhibition game. Detroit leads the series 11-9. Two games have ended in a tie.
  
• All proceeds from the game will be split evenly between the Helping Hens Charitable Fund and the Detroit Tigers Foundation.
  

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.