GDT: 4/19/12 - DET (9-3) VS TEX (10-2) - 7:05 p.m. ET 
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Detroit Tigers VS Texas RangersThursday, April 19, 2012
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Game Time - 7:05 p.m. EDT ______________________________________
Preview Tigers set to host Rangers in ALCS rematchBy Jon Star / MLB.com | 4/19/2012 1:29 AM ET
The Rangers and Tigers followed up their meeting in the 2011 American League Championship Series with plenty of action on the free-agent market during the winter. The two sides didn't have to wait long this season for a rematch, as they meet for a four-game series in Detroit starting Thursday.
While both teams are once again favored to reach October, an early-season meeting is bound to provide plenty of excitement, said Rangers infielder Michael Young.
"It will be a fun series," said Young. "They've got a great team. They had a great team before Prince Fielder. They are even better now. The ALCS, it was a great series. Over a long series, one thing that happens is you respect how good the other team is. That whole series, we knew how good Detroit was. They're a great team. We saw it last season."
The biggest addition during the Rangers' offseason, Yu Darvish, will get his first look at arguably the AL's best lineup. The right-hander has yet to go a full six innings in either of his starts, but Darvish (1-0, 4.76 ERA) comes off a positive outing in which he held the Twins to two runs (one earned) over 5 2/3 innings. Rangers manager Ron Washington acknowledged Darvish has a challenge ahead of him.
"They're a very good club," Washington said. "They've got pitching and they've added Fielder to the lineup. They got [Brennan] Boesch back, which makes them even more dangerous. They have a potent lineup. They can play."
A fellow new face will be sharing the mound with Darvish, as Adam Wilk makes his second Major League start and seventh big league appearance. Wilk (0-1, 3.60 ERA) allowed two earned runs over five innings against the White Sox on Saturday.
Originally, there had been some concern that Wilk would not be available for Thursday's series opener after he was removed from his previous outing when he was struck by a foul ball while in the dugout. A line drive off Fielder's bat resulted in a bruised right shoulder, but the right-hander showed no lasting ill-effects.
"It was disappointing," Wilk said following the injury. "I'd like to keep going out there and try to keep the team in the game where it was, just try to give them an opportunity to come out. But we might as well just be safe at this point. Getting hit in your throwing shoulder isn't always a good thing."
Rangers: Cruz breaks out of his slump• Nelson Cruz suffered through an 0-for-12 stretch over a four-game period from April 10-13. However, the slugger has turned a corner over the last four games, going 7-for-18 with one home run, two RBIs, five runs scored and three doubles. Cruz's average had dipped as low as .138 prior to his outburst. Cruz hit .314 (11-for-35) with three home runs and nine RBIs against the Tigers last season.
• Young could return to the lineup Thursday after sitting out Wednesday due to lower back stiffness.
Tigers: Jackson setting the table• Despite an 0-for-4 night on Wednesday, Austin Jackson's hot start has set the table for the Tigers' potent lineup. Jackson is hitting .333 (15-for-45) with two home runs, three doubles and four RBIs. The center fielder's start is a stark contrast to 2011, when Jackson opened the year with a .178 average in April. Jackson tallied just 18 hits in 101 April at-bats last season.
Worth noting• The Rangers were 3-6 against the Tigers in 2011 -- with four losses decided by one run -- and 5-16 since the start of the 2007 season.
• The Rangers began the season 9-2 for the second straight season -- the second-best start in franchise history, only surpassed by their 10-1 start in 1989.
• Tigers starting pitchers own a 2.74 ERA (18 earned runs in 59 innings pitched) over their last nine games since April 10.
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Pitching matchup
Tigers: LHP Adam Wilk (0-1, 3.60 ERA)Wilk wasn't knocked out by the opponent in his first Major League start so much as a teammate's foul ball into the dugout, taking a Prince Fielder liner off his left shoulder. It ended a relatively strong outing at five innings with two runs allowed.
Rangers: RHP Yu Darvish (1-0, 4.76 ERA)Darvish allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings, but did not get the decision in the Rangers' 6-2 victory over the Twins on Saturday. Opponents are hitting .340 off him over his first two starts, including .316 with runners in scoring position.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Royals with a 4-3 win at Kauffman Stadium last night. Max Scherzer (1-1) picked up the win for Detroit, while Jose Valverde closed out the game for his third save of the season. Prince Fielder led the Tigers with two hits, including a double, and two RBI. Miguel Cabrera and Gerald Laird both added two hits for Detroit. The Tigers open a seven-game homestand with the first game of a four-game series versus Texas this evening. Following an off day on Monday, the homestand concludes with a three-game series against Seattle beginning on Tuesday.
OFF TO THE BEST START SINCE 1984: The Tigers have won nine of the club’s 12 first games this season, tied for the third-best 12-game start in club history. Detroit’s 9-3 start is the best record through 12 games by the team since the 1984 Tigers won 11 of the club’s first 12 games that season.
HAPPY AT HOME: The Tigers have compiled a 158-91 record at Comerica Park since the beginning of the 2009 season, a .635 winning percentage. Detroit is second among all major league clubs with a .635 winning percentage at home during that stretch, trailing a .659 winning percentage at home by the New York Yankees.
RACKING UP THE WINS OVER THE RANGERS: The Tigers enter tonight’s game having won 16 of the club’s last 20 games versus the Rangers at Comerica Park during the regular season dating back to September 11, 2007. Detroit won two of the three games played versus Texas at Comerica Park during the 2011 American League Championship Series.
MIGGY MASHES AGAINST THE RANGERS: Miguel Cabrera enters tonight’s game versus Texas hitting .371 (65x175) with 16 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 45 RBI in 42 games during his career against the club. He is tops among all active major league players with a .371 batting average versus the Rangers, while he is second with a .611 slugging percentage and third with a .411 on-base percentage.
FOR STARTERS: Tigers starting pitchers have combined to post a 2.75 ERA (59.0IP/18ER) over the club’s last nine games dating back to April 10. The starting pitchers have combined to post 50 strikeouts during the nine-game stretch, while limiting opponents to a .227 batting average against (49x216).
PILING UP THE PUNCHOUTS: Four Tigers pitchers combined to fan three batters last night at Kansas City, bringing the club’s season total to 101 strikeouts for the season. Detroit is second among all American League clubs with 101 strikeouts this season.
GLOVE WORK: The Tigers enter tonight’s game versus Texas having committed three errors in the club’s first 12 games of the season. Detroit is second among all American League clubs with a .993 fielding percentage this season.
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 tied for sixth with 202 home runs. Cabrera is third in the major leagues with 704 RBI since the start of the 2006 season, while Fielder is sixth with 654 RBI.
MIGGY HEADED TOWARDS 1,000 RBI: Miguel Cabrera enters this evening’s game versus Texas with 994 RBI during his major league career, six RBI shy of 1,000 in his career. He would become the 21st active major league player with at least 1,000 RBI.
DOTEL CLOSING IN ON HIS 700TH APPEARANCE: Octavio Dotel enters tonight’s game against the Rangers having appeared in 699 games during his major league career, one appearance shy of 700 in his career. He would become the 93rd pitcher in major league history to appear in at least 700 games.
INJURY UPDATE:•
RHP Al Alburquerque (right elbow surgery,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
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RHP Doug Fister (left costochondral strain,
15-day disabled list on April 7),
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RHP Luis Marte (strained left hamstring,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
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C Victor Martinez (left knee surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 12).
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XM Channel Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers) (RHP
Rick Porcello (1-0, 1.84 ERA))
VS Rangers (LHP
Matt Harrison (2-0, 0.64 ERA)),
7:05 p.m. ET (FSD PLUS HD, / WXYT 1270 AM)• SATURDAY, April 21: Tigers (RHP
Justin Verlander (1-1, 2.13 ERA))
VS Rangers (RHP
Neftali Feliz (1-0, 2.25 ERA)),
1:05 p.m. ET (FSD HD, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)• SUNDAY, April 22: Tigers (LHP
Drew Smyly (0-0, 0.90 ERA))
VS Rangers (RHP
Colby Lewis (2-0, 1.83 ERA)),
1:05 p.m. ET (FSD HD, TBS[b]
, / 1270 AM & 97.1 FM)/b]
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Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:47 am
out swinging.