GDT: 4/11/12 - DET (4-0) VS TB (3-1) - 1:05 p.m. ET 
---
VS ---
Detroit Tigers VS Tampa Bay RaysWednesday, April 11, 2012
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Game Time - 1:05 p.m. EDT ______________________________________
Preview Shields, Rays set to solve Verlander in DetroitTigers' ace can pitch team to first 5-0 start since 2006By Joey Nowak / MLB.com | 4/10/2012 4:40 PM ET
Every time Justin Verlander takes the hill for the Tigers, he gets an opponent's best shot. On Wednesday against the Rays, he'll get arguably their best pitcher, too.
Tampa Bay, off to a 3-1 start after dropping the series opener on Tuesday in Detroit, is in the Motor City for a three-game set that will continue Wednesday at Comerica Park.
James Shields will be on the hill for the Rays, looking to improve on his last outing, in which he allowed nine hits and six earned runs in five innings in a no-decision against the visiting Yankees on Opening Day. It snapped the righty's Major League-best streak of 11 straight starts of seven innings of more.
"I'm looking forward to just getting back out there," Shields said. "Obviously my last outing wasn't the way I wanted it to go. If we won the game, that's all that really matters. I feel really good right now. I had a really good bullpen session with [pitching coach Jim Hickey] and worked on a few kinks that were going on in the game. Now we're ready to go."
Verlander was exceptional against the Red Sox on Opening Day, but he suffered the same fate of a no-decision despite pitching eight scoreless innings.
It could be a good sign for the defending American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner, who has suffered from slow starts in his career. The right-hander is 9-14 with a 4.56 ERA in his career in March and April. But you won't catch the Rays resting on their laurels.
"He's obviously, arguably, the best pitcher in baseball," first baseman Carlos Pena said. "Cy Young Award winner, MVP, so we all know the accolades. When you step into the box, we know why. He's special. He's not one dimensional, and that makes him even better. He's got incredible talent, which is evident. But again, he's not one dimensional. He can do many things. He can be many different kinds of pitchers at once."
Detroit has won eight of the club's last nine games against Tampa Bay, dating back to Aug. 11, 2010. In those eight wins, Tigers pitchers have a 2.06 ERA (19 earned runs in 82 2/3 innings).
Detroit's four-game winning streak to start the season is the club's best start since it went 5-0 to start the 2006 season. The Tigers advanced to the World Series that year.
Rays: Pena back in Motown• Pena, who played for the Tigers from 2002-05, has played 234 career games at Comerica Park, second only to the games he's played at Tropicana Field. He's a career .239 hitter in Detroit, with 38 home runs and 122 RBIs.
The slugger was 1-for-3 in the series opener Tuesday.
• The Tigers feature a formidable ace on the hill, but Shields is more concerned about their powerful lineup.
"I'm more concerned about the hitters than what Verlander's doing to our hitters," he said. "It's going to be a tough battle."
• Shields is 2-0 in three career starts at Comerica Park, and he is 4-0 with a 3.74 ERA against the Tigers overall.
Tigers: Jackson a spark at top of the lineup• It took Austin Jackson just four games to reach nine hits on the season -- with a solo homer to tie Tuesday's game with two outs in the seventh inning -- after it took him 11 contests to reach the nine-hit mark last year.
Jackson, who made some adjustments to shorten his stride at the plate, is hitting .563 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBIs, four walks and seven runs in four games this year.
• Second baseman Ramon Santiago was a late scratch from the Tigers' lineup on Tuesday due to an illness that has been going around the clubhouse. He was replaced by Danny Worth, who went 0-for-4.
Worth noting• Miguel Cabrera already has as many intentional walks ahead of Prince Fielder (two) through four games as National League MVP Award winner Ryan Braun did last season ahead of Fielder with the Brewers.
• The Tigers have won 53 of the 104 games all-time between the two teams.
______________________________________
Pitching matchup
Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (0-0, 0.00 ERA)Verlander pitched eight scoreless innings on seven strikeouts Thursday, but he saw his would-be first Opening Day win spoiled by Jose Valverde's first blown save since 2010. Still, Verlander's best April outing may be a good sign for the month.
Rays: RHP James Shields (0-0, 10.80 ERA)Shields is coming off a five-inning performance against the Yankees that snapped his streak of 11 straight starts of seven innings or more -- the longest active streak in the Major Leagues. He is 2-0 in three career starts at Comerica Park.
______________________________________
Tiger's MLB Game Notes
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers scored three runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Rays 5-2 yesterday afternoon. Phil Coke (1-0) earned the win in relief for Detroit, while Jose Valverde closed out the game for his first save. Austin Jackson belted a solo home run for the Tigers, while Brennan Boesch and Delmon Young both finished with two hits. Detroit’s season-opening homestand continues with the second game of a three-game series versus the Rays this afternoon. Following tomorrow afternoon’s game, the Tigers hit the road for the first trip of the season to Chicago and Kansas City.
MARTINEZ UPDATE: Dr. Richard Steadman assessed the stability of the ACL in the left knee of Victor Martinez on April 4 and decided reconstruction surgery was not necessary. Dr. Steadman performed a procedure that day to help aid in the healing of the ACL, in addition to assessing Martinez’s progress from microfracture surgery and the repairs to both the medial and lateral meniscus in his left knee, procedures performed on January 27. According to Dr. Steadman, Martinez’s recovery from the surgery in January is progressing well and Martinez will continue his physical therapy until he is examined by Dr. Steadman in one month. The approximate recovery timetable from microfracture surgery is seven months, and any chance of Martinez returning to play late in the 2012 season would be determined at the time of his follow-up MRI in July.
HAPPY AT HOME: The Tigers have compiled a 157-90 record at Comerica Park since the beginning of the 2009 season, a .636 winning percentage. Detroit is second among all major league clubs with a .636 winning percentage at home during that stretch, trailing a .663 winning percentage at home by the New York Yankees.
TIGERS LOOK FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN: The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox to open the season and the earned its fourth straight win to begin 2012 yesterday versus Tampa Bay. Detroit’s four straight wins to begin the season is the longest such streak by the club since it won the first five games of the 2006 season. It marks the 12th time the Tigers have won at least four straight games to begin a season.
WINNING WAYS OVER THE RAYS: The Tigers enter this afternoon’s game having won eight of the club’s last nine games over Tampa Bay dating back to August 11, 2010. During the stretch, Tigers pitchers have compiled a 2.07 ERA (82.2IP/19ER) against the Rays.
JACKSON OFF TO A FAST START: Austin Jackson has collected nine hits and scored seven runs in Detroit’s first four games. He is the sixth player in Tigers history with at least that many hits and runs scored in the club’s first four games. Jackson joins Pop Dillon in 1901 (nine hits, seven runs), Doc Casey in 1901 (10 hits, nine runs), Harry Heilmann in 1923 (11 hits, seven runs), Ty Cobb in 1923 (nine hits, seven runs) and Chris Shelton in 2006 (11 hits, seven runs) in accomplishing the feat. (Source: Elias Sports Bureau)
MIGGY HEADES TOWARDS 1,000 RBI: Miguel Cabrera enters this afternoon’s game versus Tampa Bay with 992 RBI during his major league career, eight RBI shy of 1,000 in his career. He would become the 21st active major league player with at least 1,000 RBI.
CABRERA, FIELDER FORM POWERFUL COMBO: Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are among the leaders in the major leagues in home runs and RBI since the start of the 2006 season. Fielder is third in the major leagues with 230 home runs during that stretch, while Cabrera is sixth with 202 home runs. Cabrera is third in the major leagues with 702 RBI since the start of the 2006 season, while Fielder is sixth with 650 RBI.
INGE ON INJURY REHAB ASSIGNMENT: Brandon Inge was assigned to Triple A Toledo to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment yesterday. He finished 1x3 last night versus Louisville. Inge has been sidelined since March 30 with a left groin strain.
INJURY UPDATE:•
RHP Doug Fister (left costochondral strain,
15-day disabled list on April 7),
•
INF Brandon Inge (left groin strain,
15-day disabled list on March 30),
•
RHP Luis Marte (strained left hamstring,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
•
RHP Al Alburquerque (right elbow surgery,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
•
C Victor Martinez (left knee surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 12).
______________________________________
To track MLB play-by-play, to help post GDT outcomes: http://m.mlb.com/scores/On the Internet 
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio•
SCOREBOARD•
Official Press Pass game notesOn television •
•
Direct TV Extra Innings ScheduleOn radio•
,
•
XM Channel Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers) (LHP
Drew Smyly (0-0, 0.00 ERA))
VS Rays (RHP
Jeff Niemann (0-0, 0.00 ERA)),
1:05 p.m. ET (FS-D HD, / WXYT 97.1 FM)• FRIDAY, April 13: Tigers (RHP
Max Scherzer (0-0, 23.62 ERA))
AT White Sox (RHP
Jake Peavy (0-0, 4.50 ERA)),
2:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD, / WXYT 97.1 FM)• SATURDAY, April 14: Tigers (LHP
Adam Wilk (0-0, 0.00 ERA))
AT White Sox (RHP
Gavin Floyd (0-1, 6.35 ERA)),
4:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD, / WXYT 97.1 FM)• SUNDAY, April 15: Tigers (RHP
Rick Porcello (0-0, 2.57 ERA))
AT White Sox (LHP
Chris Sale (1-0, 1.35 ERA)),
2:10 p.m. ET (FS-D HD, / WXYT 97.1 FM)______________________________________
Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:50 pm
out swinging.
1 - 0