ST GDT: 03-21-12 - MIN @ DET - 1:05 PM

ST GDT: 03-21-12 - MIN @ DET - 1:05 PM




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DETROIT TIGERS VS MINNESOTA TWINS
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, FL
Game Time - 1:05 p.m.
FS-D TV, MLBN (delay), MLB.TV
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TIGERS TOP THE BRAVES: The Tigers knocked off the Braves 7-2 yesterday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium. Justin Verlander (1-0) earned the win for Detroit. Delmon Young finished with a single, home run and three RBI for the Tigers, while Ryan Raburn added a home run and two RBI.

PORCELLO, SMYLY TO PITCH IN MINOR LEAGUE GAMES: Rick Porcello is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on the back fields in Lakeland this afternoon at 1:00 p.m., while Drew Smyly is scheduled to do so tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.

GOING YARD: Through 18 games of Grapefruit League action this spring the Tigers have belted 26 home runs. Detroit is tops among all American League clubs with 26 home runs this spring.

STINGY STAFF: Tigers pitchers have compiled a 2.84 ERA through the club’s first 18 games of Grapefruit League action this spring. Detroit is second among all American League clubs with a 2.84 ERA.

MAYO SMITH SOCIETY HONORS VERLANDER: Prior to this afternoon’s game against Minnesota, the Mayo Smith Society will present the 2011 King Tiger Award to Justin Verlander. The award honors the Tigers player for both on- and off-field contributions.

NINE MINOR LEAGUERS JOIN TIGERS FOR TODAY’S GAME: The following nine minor league players have joined the Tigers for today’s game versus the Twins: righthanded pitchers Brooks Brown (#59), Jared Gayhart (#19) and Zach Segovia (#8), catchers Zach Maggard (#16) and Luis Sanz (#18), infielders Brent Dlugach (#9) and Dixon Machado (#29) and outfielders Tyler Collins (#24) and Steven Moya (#21).

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TODAY’S STARTERS
LHP Andy Oliver vs. RHP Liam Hendricks

TODAY’S TIGERS STARTER - ANDY OLIVER
Makes his fourth appearance, first start, of the spring this afternoon against the Twins...tied for third in the International League with 143 strikeouts as he spent the majority of 2011 with Triple A Toledo...fourth among all International League starters with 8.76 strikeouts per nine innings during the 2011 season...named the fifth-best prospect in the Tigers organization following the 2011 season by Baseball America...selected by the Tigers in the second round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

2012 Spring: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 0 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
2011 Season (Detroit): 0-1, 6.52 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 9.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 8 BB, 5 SO
2011 Season (Toledo): 8-12, 4.71 ERA, 26 G, 26 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 147.0 IP, 149 H, 83 R, 77 ER, 80 BB, 143 SO

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TIGERS ALSO SCHEDULED TO PITCH:
LHP Adam Wilk, LHP Duane Below and RHP Octavio Dotel

TWINS ALSO SCHEDULED TO PITCH:
LHP Matt Maloney, RHP Jeff Gray, RHP Brendan Wise and RHP Casey Fien.

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Next games:

THURSDAY, March 22 -
OFF DAY


FRIDAY, March 23 - AT PIT (Bradenton, FL) 1:05 p.m., MLB.com
RHP Doug Fister, RHP Jose Valverde, RHP Luis Marte and RHP Brayan Villarreal
vs.
RHP Charlie Morton, RHP Joel Hanrahan, RHP Daniel McCutchen, RHP Chris Leroux and RHP Ryota Igarashi.


SATURDAY, March 24 VS. NYY (Lakeland) 1:05 p.m. 97.1 FM, Gameday Audio
RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Joaquin Benoit, LHP Daniel Schlereth and LHP Adam Wilk
vs.
TBA.
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On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
• MLB Gameday
• Official game notes

• MLB SCOREBOARD
for anyone who wants the play-by-play (it's slow during ST, but at least you get a few more details)

Text Version http://m.mlb.com/scores/
(choose Tigers game at game time, Play by play, hit refresh on your browser to see new data, normally updates at end of each half inning during ST, this version allows copying and pasting of data)