ST GDT: 03/31/12 - DET @ ATL - 1:05 PM

ST GDT: 03/31/12 - DET @ ATL - 1:05 PM



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DETROIT TIGERS
AT.
ATLANTA BRAVES
SATURDAY, March 31, 2012
Champion Stadium, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Game Time - 1:05 p.m.
FS-D TV 97.1 FM, MLBN (delay), MLB.TV
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TODAY’S STARTERS
RHP Justin Verlander vs. RHP Tommy Hanson

TODAY’S TIGERS STARTER - JUSTIN VERLANDER
Makes his sixth start of the spring this afternoon versus the Braves. ...selected the American League Most Valuable Player and he was unanimously named the American League Cy Young Award winner following the 2011 season...led all American League pitchers with 24 wins, a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts during the 2011 season to become just the second Tigers pitcher to ever lead all three categories in a single season (Hal Newhouser accomplished the feat for the Tigers in 1945)... selected by the Tigers in the first round (second overall) of the 2004 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

2012 Spring: 1-0, 2.18 ERA, 5 G, 5 GS, 0 CG, 0 SHO, 0 SV, 20.2 IP, 18 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 20 SO
2011 Season (Detroit): 24-5, 2.40 ERA, 34 G, 34 GS, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 0 SV, 251.0 IP, 174 H, 73 R, 67 ER, 57 BB, 250 SO

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TIGERS ALSO SCHEDULED TO PITCH:
RHP Joaquin Benoit, RHP Collin Balester and LHP Phil Coke.

BRAVES ALSO SCHEDULED TO PITCH:
RHP Craig Kimbrel and RHP Cory Gearrin.
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TIGERS TOP THE ORIOLES: The Tigers knocked off the Orioles 6-4 yesterday afternoon in Sarasota. Brayan Villarreal (1-0) worked two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win for Detroit. Tony Plagman finished with a triple, home run and three RBI for the Tigers, while Miguel Cabrera added two doubles and two RBI.

GOING YARD: Through 28 games of Grapefruit League action this spring the Tigers have belted 38 home runs. Detroit is tops among all American League clubs with 38 home runs this spring.

BOESCH IS BASHING: Brennan Boesch has hit safely in each of his last six games, batting .400 (8x20) with a double, triple, three home runs and six RBI. He is tied for the lead in the Grapefruit League with six home runs and 39 total bases this spring, while he is tied for fifth with 15 RBI.

DIRKS IS DIALED IN: Andy Dirks is hitting .500 (11x22) with six RBI over his last nine games for the Tigers. He is leading the Grapefruit League with a .422 batting average this spring, while he is tied for fifth with 19 hits.

DELMON DOES DAMAGE: Delmon Young is tied for the lead in the Grapefruit League with 39 total bases and 19 RBI this spring, while he is fourth with a .365 batting average, tied for fifth with 19 hits and tied for sixth with five home runs.

RABURN ROLLING THIS SPRING: Ryan Raburn is tied the lead among all Grapefruit League players with six home runs this spring, while he is third with 18 RBI and tied for seventh with 35 total bases.

ELEVEN MINOR LEAGUERS JOIN TIGERS FOR TODAY’S GAME: The following 11 minor league players have joined the Tigers for today’s game versus the Braves: righthanded pitchers Jared Gayhart (#19), Matt Little (#53) and Zach Samuels (#29), lefthanded pitcher Matt Crouse (#47), catcher Luis Sanz (#18), infielders Brandon Douglas (#73), Corey Jones (#25) and Dixon Machado (#29) and outfielders Tyler Collins (#24), Jamie Johnson (#28) and Michael Rockett (#26).
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Next Games:


SUNDAY, April 1 - HOU at DET (ss) (Lakeland) 1:05 p.m. 1270 AM, KTRH 740, Gameday Audio
RHP Doug Fister, LHP Phil Coke, RHP Collin Balester and RHP Jose Valverde
vs.
LHP Wandy Rodriguez.


SUNDAY, April 1 - DET (ss) at NYM (Port St. Lucie) 1:10 p.m. WPIX, MLB.TV
RHP Thad Weber, and LHP Daniel Schlereth
vs.
RHP R.A. Dickey.


MONDAY, April 2 - TOR at DET (Lakeland) 1:05 p.m.
LHP Drew Smyly, RHP Octavio Dotel, LHP Daniel Schlereth and LHP Phil Coke
vs.
LHP Brett Cecil.


TUESDAY, April 3 - DET at TOR (Dunedin) 12:05 p.m.
RHP Max Scherzer, RHP Jose Valverde and RHP Joaquin Benoit
vs.
RHP Henderson Alvarez.


WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 - DET at TOL Mud Hens (Toledo) 12:00 p.m. FS-D TV, MLB.TV, MLBN

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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)