Detroit Tigers
Curtis Granderson, CF
Marcus Thames, LF
Gary Sheffield, DH
Magglio Ordonez, RF
Carlos Guillen, SS
Ivan Rodriguez, C
Sean Casey, 1B
Ryan Raburn, 2B
Brandon Inge, 3B
Justin Verlander, RHP (12-4, 3.58)
New York Yankees
Johnny Damon, LF
Derek Jeter, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Hideki Matsui, DH
Jorge Posada, C
Jason Giambi, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Melky Cabrera, CF
Mike Mussina, RHP (8-7, 4.50)
Looks like Torre wants his big sticks out there tonight against Verlander with Giambi playing 1B and Phillips sitting on the bench. This is as close to the Opening Day lineup as we've seen since May.
Moose has outstanding career numbers against the Tigers (17-5, 2.50 in 29 starts). Of course, most of those numbers were complied against Tigers' teams that sucked for nearly two decades. At any rate, Moose is 4-0, 2.84 in his last four starts and hasn't issued a walk in 22 consecutive innings.
Verlander has made just one regular season start against the Yanks (0-0, 10.80).
The Yanks are 23-7 against the AL Central, but 34-38 against the rest of the AL.
On this day in 1948, George Herman Ruth died of cancer at the age of 53.
The featured graphic for tonight's game is the official team logo of the Detroit Tigers.