Tigers’ Record: 10-8, 2nd place; 3 GB Minnesota

Today’s Game

Tigers @ Rangers | 3:05 p.m. ET – Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | On the air: FSD/1270 AM & 97.1 FM

Pitching Matchup

Rick Porcello (1-1, 6.46 ERA) vs. RHP Colby Lewis (2-0, 3.12 ERA)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 8 – Rangers 4

• W: Eddie Bonine (2-0)
• L: Scott Feldman (1-2)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

• Jacque Jones, 35
• Tony Phillips, 51
• Larry Pashnick, 54

On this Date in Tigers History

• 1901 – At Bennett Park, the Tigers make an stirring comeback in their American League debut. Trailing 13-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, they score 10 runs in their last at-bat to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, 14-13. Frank Dillon drives in the game-winning run with his fourth double of the game – an opening day record that will be matched by the Reds’ Jim Greengrass in 1954.

• I wonder if Dave Dombrowski thinks of Johnny Damon in Detroit and only sees Jacque Jones.

• I couldn’t see the Tigers making room for Jim Thome without eating another big contract — and we know that isn’t happening. Still, it would’ve been fun to see him play at Comerica Park 81 times in a Detroit uniform. But instead we’re left to hope that Carlos Guillen’s power numbers return. Sigh. (If only the Tigers had made a run at Bobby Abreu last offseason…) Oh, and what about Jermaine Dye? He’s still available.

• It bums me out that the Tigers have apparently cut ties with Lou Whitaker (as loose as those ties were). Sweet Lou was always a bit flaky but he was so good for so long — and revered by Tigers fans — the Tigers should not let him vanish. Alas, it looks like it’s a moot point. And one more thing: I still can’t believe he was a one-and-done guy on the Hall of Fame ballot. That, dear reader, is a crime.

• Happy Birthday to Phil Plantier (41), Rusty Meacham (42) and Steve Demeter (75).

Carry on.

The Twins were able to get to Armando Galarraga for four runs on six hits which was enough to hand him his first loss of the season. Galarraga also gave up a bases loaded walk with nobody out and a RBI double play ground out which accounted for two of those runs. Aquilino Lopez came on in the seventh and got the first out of the inning, but then surrendered four runs on six hits before giving way to Denny Bautista who got the Tigers out of the inning.

I thought the tough night was over, but in the eighth, the Twins were able to get three more runs off Bautista. He allowed a walk, a wild pitch, and a single to score one run which was followed by a passed ball by Brandon Inge. The Twins then got the other two runs in the inning on a double to deep right field and an infield single to first. This was followed by another infield single to first before Francisco Cruceta came on to strike out Mike Lamb to end the inning.

A lot of the Twins 16 hits in this game were legitimate, but they also got a few strategically placed balls that the Tigers just could not field. This was just a game that happens to even the very best teams on occasion.

We’ll just chalk this one up as one of those.

• Speaking of birthdays, Feliz Cumpleaños to former Tigers Tony Phillips (49) and Larry Pashnick (52).

• The Tigers moved up seven slots on ESPN.com’s Baseball Power Rankings this week: from 27 to 20.

• On today’s Baseball Today podcast, another ESPN deal, co-host Eric Karabell spoke about how bad the Giants were. He said that only one player on the Giants would even be able to make the Tigers roster: Aaron Rowand. “You could put Rowand in center and move Curtis Granderson in left.” Hmm…

• Lately I’ve been wondering about the 30-year contract between the Tigers and Comerica Bank for the naming rights to the Tigers’ home ballpark. With Comerica moving to Dallas, does it make sense to have a Texas company on the marquee? I’m sure this deal will go the distance, but personally, I’d prefer to see Faygo Field.

• Looking for something to do this weekend in Detroit? The Detroit chapter of SABR is presenting a symposium on race and integration at the major league level, with a focus on Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox, the final teams to integrate in the late 1950s. Events will be held Saturday and Sunday, including a bus tour of historic sites, a Sunday brunch at the Marriott Hotel, and two panel discussions featuring notable figures representing the Tigers and Red Sox.

Among the scheduled participants are keynote speaker Deacon Jones, and former Tiger greats Willie Horton and Gates Brown. For more info visit SABR-Detroit Online.

• Finally, how are you feeling about Kenny Rogers these days? SportingGurus.com think he’s through.

The Gist: Magglio Ordonez goes deep twice, Jeremy Bonderman continues to frustrate and Jacque Jones is added to the injury list, yet the Tigers finally reach double digits in wins, defeating the Rangers 8-2. What else?

• Curtis Granderson led off the Tigers half of the first with a home run
• Zach Miner continues his Jekyll and Hyde act with a solid 3.1 hitless innings pitched, one walk and three strikeouts
• Ryan Raburn sort of slammed his first homer of the year (replays show that it could very well have been touched by a fan in right)
• Placido Polanco returns but still struggles at the plate, going 0 for 3 with a walk. He’s hitting .140 on the year.

The Quote: “I felt like I owed the starters at least one game like that.” — Zach Miner

The Stat: 111. The number of pitches thrown by Bonderman in a mere 4.1 innings pitched.

Up Next: Angels at Tigers

Nate Robertson (0-2, 7.48) vs. Ervin Santana (3-0, 2.67)

The Gist: When Ramon Santiago goes yard, that’s gotta be a good sign for the Tigers, right? It certainly was on Tuesday night when the Tigers’ second baseman drove in three runs and Justin Verlander finally put together the start we’d been waiting for: six innings pitched, six hits, one earned run. Mix it all together and you’ve got a 10-2 win over the Rangers. Jacque Jones also showed some life at the dish with a double and a triple.

The Quote: “I wasn’t expecting to hit one that far.” — Santiago on his 380-foot blast.

The Stat: 39. That’s the uniform number of Santiago, who deserves a nod on his big night at the plate.

Up Next: Rangers at Tigers

Kenny Rogers (1-3, 6.33) vs. Luis Mendoza (0-2, 9.00)

• Call me naive, but I thought the Kenny Rogers thing would be a slam dunk, even with The Scott Boras Factor. Now that Rogers, who turned 43 on Saturday, is testing the market — the market for a mid-40s pitcher coming off a season virtually lost to serious injury that is — one has to wonder if the Tigers have used up the patience they reserve for dealing with Boras. From everything I’ve read, most still expect a deal to get hammered out. And I tend to think so too if only because Dave Dombrowski doesn’t seem to be a cut-off-the-nose-to-spite-the-face kind of guy.Speaking of Rogers, I thought I’d stumbled upon major news over at Yahoo! Sports when I read in this Tigers rumor:
  

  According to the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Tigers and free agent lefty Kenny Rogers have parted ways.  

  If you read to the story referenced in the piece you’ll see that nowhere does it say Rogers isn’t coming back. Perhaps a little fact checking would help.I’m intrigued by the Dontrelle Willis thing but can’t fathom what it would take to acquire him (for starters, Brandon Inge, perhaps?). Sure seems like a drastic change of course going from re-signing Rogers to dealing for Willis.Ah, but you gotta love the smell of hickory on the Hot Stove.

• Our man Ian Casselberry notified me of the Omar Infante-for-Jacque Jones trade this afternoon. I think it’s safe to say Ian and I were both underwhelmed by the move. As Jon Paul Morosi suggests, this is likely a stop-gap solution until Cameron Maybin is ready for prime time, all the time. If that’s the case, I supposed I can live with it.

Still, you have to believe that somewhere in the Dominican Republic, Timo Perez is wondering what he has to do to become more than a September call up.But probably not in those words.

• If you missed it, Joel Zumaya turned 23 on Friday. Here’s hoping his birthday wish was for health and wellness. And, while the Lions were stinking up University of Phoenix Stadium yesterday, Jason Grilli and Chuck Hernandez were celebrating birthdays. A belated #31 to Grilli and #47 to Hernandez. To help you plan your card and gift shopping, here are the upcoming Tigers birthdays of note: Nov. 18 – Gary Sheffield (39); Nov. 19 – Preston Larrison (27); Nov. 29 – Tony Giarratano (25); Nov. 30 – Ivan Rodriguez (36). 
• Mr. Casselberry and I also wondered aloud who the Tigers backup catcher would be on Opening Day. Vance Wilson should be ready to come back and reclaim his job, but Mike Rabelo certainly made a case for himself in 2007. Too bad one of them can’t play another position — or that Ryan Raburn can’t catch. Ian thinks Rabelo comes North. I’m undecided but tend to think Wilson will rejoin the team if he has anything that resembles a decent spring.