For those who missed it this morning, Curtis Granderson was selected by MLB players as this year's Marvin Miller Man of the Year for excellence on and off the field. The story is on the site if you want to read more, but from what I've looked up, it's the first time a Tiger has won a national baseball award for community service since Al Kaline.

Here's Granderson's reaction to the award:

"I am honored to not only be receiving such an award, but also humbled that this was voted on by other Major League Baseball players. I am in a position to use my status as a professional baseball player to help others in need to rally others to help those in need.

"Working with the Detroit Tigers Foundation, the Detroit Action Team and the various other programs along with my own Grand Kids Foundation, I have seen first-hand impacts being made in Detroit and other inner cities throughout Michigan. I am excited at being able to continue to help enhance the educational experience for many of Michigan's students.

"I want to help others realize that they do not have to be rich and famous to make a positive impact in their community. Volunteering just one hour a week at any community organization or school can make a difference."

Granderson also was on the Mike and Mike show this morning talking about it. There's a sound clip available on the show's home page on the ESPN Radio site.

Whatever your reactions on Granderson's season at the plate, and I know there's a range of reax, this is a nice award to get. The way the postseason awards are shaping up, it's probably going to be the only individual award the Tigers get this year.

Scott Sizemore underwent surgery on his fractured left ankle Tuesday, including screws inserted to stabilize it, but the Tigers still expect him to be healed and ready for the start of spring training next February.

According to the Tigers, Sizemore will spend two weeks with a splint on his ankle, then a CAM boot to immobilize the ankle and foot. If all goes well, doctors will remove the screws in January.

While the surgery will obviously alter Sizemore's offseason rehab -- before the tendon damage was discovered, the Tigers hoped the simple fracture could be healed with six weeks in a protective boot -- it shouldn't impact his season. He'll begin full weight-bearing activity once the screws are out and have at least a month between then and the time position players report to camp.

Jason Beck / MLB.com

Add the Tigers to the meeting list for Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman as he talks with Major League teams.

Tom Moore, the team's director of international operations, confirmed a published report that the team has shown interest in meeting with the highly-regarded left-hander and his representatives in the next couple weeks.

The interest was first reported by SI.com. The report lists the Tigers among nine teams to have shown some level of interest in Chapman, joining the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, White Sox, Cubs, Mets, A's and Cardinals.

That doesn't mean the Tigers are going to get into a bidding war. At this point, the Tigers don't go in with financial expectations. But with Chapman and his representatives meeting with clubs and allowing teams to get to know the highly-touted hurler, the Tigers will take the opportunity and talk.

"We're basically just at the interest level," Moore cautioned. "Because of the nature, I think it's a situation where they're going to take the time to allow clubs to spend some time with the player and see who he is."

Tigers 2B prospect Scott Sizemore visited a team doctor for a follow-up exam on the left ankle he fractured last Thursday in the Arizona Fall League. Should be hearing something out of that on Tuesday.

UPDATE @ 8pm: Sizemore is expected to require surgery, though the team has no comment. Detroit Free Press reports quotes Sizemore saying it'll be Tuesday. Nothing firm on timetable, though Sizemore told the Freep he hopes to be ready for spring training.

Still a few weeks to go until the Rookie of the Year award from baseball writers. However, various other publications have come out with their own choices, and Rick Porcello isn't winning any of them. White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham won AL honors from The Sporting News, while Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen won Baseball America's Major League Rookie of the Year award. Porcello didn't even make the list of three AL finalists for the Players Choice award as voted on by players; Beckham, Jeff Niemann and Elvis Andrus beat him out there.

To be fair, a lot of the credit given to Porcello this year was more about what he showed for his age, rather than what he has done as a rookie. But without Porcello, the Tigers wouldn't have led the AL Central for as long as they did, and they almost certainly would've been in trouble in the division tiebreaker game a few weeks ago. Porcello's performance in that game may or may not bolstered his award hopes, depending on how many writers waited until then to vote. Ballots were due when the postseason began, which technically wasn't until the next day.

The Tigers' second baseman of the future won't be playing anymore this year. Scott Sizemore will miss the rest of the Arizona Fall League season after breaking his left ankle trying to turn a double play during a game Thursday.

Sizemore is traveling to Detroit this weekend for follow-up exams. However, he told the Detroit Free Press that the injury is not expected to require surgery to repair, meaning he should be ready in time for Spring Training.

The 24-year-old was off to a scorching start to the AFL campaign, going 7-for-19 with two doubles, three homers and nine RBIs in five games for the Peoria Javelinas. He was following up a regular season in which he batted.308 with 39 doubles, 17 homers and 66 RBIs between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

Those numbers, combined with his progress defensively over the course of the season -- he turned 100 double plays and made 21 errors in 118 games at second base -- convinced team officials that he's ready for the jump the Major Leagues. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said in his end-of-season remarks that Sizemore would be their starting second baseman if they can't re-sign soon-to-be free agent Placido Polanco.

This injury isn't expected to change those plans. Barring a setback, he'll be fully recovered well ahead of the start of camp in February. He'll be the second Tigers infielder there to have spent the offseason recovering from injury. Brandon Inge will undergo surgery on both knees Nov. 3 but is on schedule to be ready for baseball activity around the start of February.

 

Just got confirmation from the Tigers, who say Inge will have surgery on both knees, which Inge did not confirm Wednesday night. He's still expected to be ready for the start of spring training. Team physician Dr. Stephen Lemos will perform the surgery Nov. 3 at Detroit Medical Center.

Jason Beck / MLB.com

Brandon Inge will undergo surgery on his left knee to repair the damage inflicted this summer that hobbled him the last few months.

Inge confirmed the surgery to MLB.com via text message Wednesday evening, adding it was scheduled for the end of October or early November. No official announcement has been made.

The timing should give Inge enough recovery and rehab time to be ready for Spring Training.

An examination since season's end apparently revealed enough damage in Inge's left knee to prompt doctors to recommend surgery. Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said two weeks ago that they hadn't yet determined whether Inge would need surgery, but that there was the possibility he could recover without it. That was apparently before doctors took another look.

"I think it's more a matter of looking at what they have on MRI and X-rays and examining those," Dombrowski said two weeks ago, "and they'll have a feel of where he is now compared with where he was before."

The surgery isn't a complete surprise; Inge openly wondered about the possibility last month. At the time, he said his knee felt worse at times down the stretch than it did over the summer. When Inge made diving stop on two occasions in September, he said it was the worst his knee had felt in a while.

Plus, if the rehab option hadn't progressed as hoped, Inge could've ended up needing surgery anyway.

Jason Beck / MLB.com

Carlos Guillen said a lot about his own situation, both last week and over the weekend. What separated his comments over the weekend, beyond his stance that he didn't want to play left field because of how the situation played out last year, was his frustration over Leyland's lineup tinkering. Those comments weren't just about himself, but the team in general.

It painted a picture of frustration over how much criticism hitters received for the Tigers' struggles. To listen to Guillen tell it, the amount of lineup tinkering made it difficult for any hitter to get into a groove.

"Before he points the finger at the offense, he'd better look in the mirror and see what he did," Guillen said Sunday. "I don't want to make an excuse, but nobody in the big leagues feels comfortable when you play [lineups] that way. It's not fun to play like that."

Those are remarks that go beyond Guillen's own situation and towards the team as a whole.

According to baseball-reference.com, manager Jim Leyland used 126 different batting orders this year, not including pitchers during Interleague Play. The most common order was used just seven times. That's actually more stable than last year, when Detroit used 131 different orders, none more than five times. But it's still more lineups than in 2007 or 2006. The Tigers used 107 orders in '07, one of them 25 times.

Guillen said it's difficult for an offense to be consistent when someone gets three hits one night and is sitting the next. Leyland countered that maybe some guys were productive precisely because they didn't play day in and day out. He also indicated it was a shared responsibility for the organization for not getting it done, and that both he and GM Dave Dombrowski had accepted their blame.

By the way, Guillen confirmed Tuesday he had talked with Leyland on Monday, and that they basically reached an understanding about his situation. It isn't exactly bliss, but it's something he's accepting now.

After Carlos Guillen said Tuesday that he wants an everyday job again, manager Jim Leyland said answered publicly Saturday by saying that if Guillen wants to play every day, he needs to stay healthy and produce.

Leyland said he, too, liked the idea of the switch-hitting Guillen playing every day.

"That's music to my ears," Leyland told MLB.com. "But playing every day comes with production."

Leyland traditionally would rather have his players discuss their issues with him privately rather than take them public. He has not talked with Guillen since season's end.

Leyland stood by his comments from the final days of the season, when he said he made his late-inning outfield moves for defensive purposes. He also kept in mind concerns about his shoulder prior to the stretch run, notably in terms of throwing.

Scott Sizemore, quite possibly Detroit's second baseman next year, is back for a stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he had a good early game Thursday. He homered in consecutive bats Thursday for the Peoria Javelinas in their 17-9 win over the Peoria Saguaros.

Sizemore hit out a slider for a solo shot in the fifth inning off Logan Ondrusek before adding a two-run homer in the sixth off Mike DeMark.

Jason Beck / MLB.com

Tigers second-round draft pick Andrew Oliver made his pro debut Tuesday in the Arizona Fall League and took the loss for the Peoria Javelinas with a four-run third inning.

Oliver, the left-hander the Tigers drafted out of Oklahoma State, replaced Javelinas starter and fellow Tigers farmhand Scot Drucker, who gave up a run on a hit -- a Brandon Laird RBI single -- in two innings. A leadoff single and back-to-back walks -- one on four pitches, the next on five -- loaded the bases on Oliver. He fell behind on a 3-1 count to left-handed hitting Mets prospect Ike Davis, who got a fastball on the inside part of the plate and pulled it out to right for a grand slam.

Oliver retired the side from there, finishing with a 29-pitch inning. Tigers relief prospect Robbie Weinhardt came in later and gave up five runs on six hits over 1 2/3 innings.

Casper Wells went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Cale Iorg had an RBI single.

According to Sports Business Journal, FS Detroit saw a 10.1% increase in its ratings for Tigers telecasts up to 6.89, fourth-highest among regoinal sports networks for Major League clubs behind the Red Sox on NESN (9.46), Cardinals on FS Midwest (7.97) and Phillies on Comcast Sports Net (7.13). The Twins on FS North (6.25) rounded out the top five, even though they had a big drop.

FS Detroit reported record ratings for at least two Tigers games down the stretch of this year's playoff race.

Jason Beck / MLB.com

The Tigers have invited back all but one of their coaches for next season, including hitting coach Lloyd McClendon and pitching coach Rick Knapp. Third-base coach Gene Lamont, bullpen coach Jeff Jones and infield coach Rafael Belliard are also invited back. The one coach not returning is first base coach and outfield instructor Andy Van Slyke, who "has decided to pursue other opportunities," according to a Tigers press release.

Van Slyke was one of manager Jim Leyland's first hires when he took over the Tigers. He said Friday he might return to a job in radio and television, either back home in St. Louis or nationally.

"I don't actually have a game plan yet," Van Slyke said, "but I'll come up with one."

Van Slyke would not get into how the decision came about or who decided, calling it "irrelevant." However, he complimented the team for his four years there.

"I've had a great time in Detroit, and the Tigers organization has treated me well," Van Slyke said.

Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said Friday that while it "has not been totally decided" that the current coaches will all stay in their current roles, he called it "most likely" that they'll be looking for a first-base coach who can also coach outfield and baserunning. Manager Jim Leyland said it's "99.5 percent certain" that they'll hire from within the organization. If that's the case, organizational instructor Gene Roof would be a likely in-house candidate, having handled those duties in the farm system for several years.

Jason Beck / MLB.com

As expected, LOTS of stuff coming out of Thursday's year-end media availability (no, it's not a press conference) with GM Dave Dombrowski, first among them the Miguel Cabrera situation, which sounds like it's being taken care of.

"We know he made a mistake. He knows he made a mistake," Dombrowski said. "And I feel he's going to take the steps."

After talking several times with Cabrera and his agent, Diego Bentz, Dombrowski said he's "very satisfied they are dealing with the issue that they need to address."

Asked about his emotions when it happened, Dombrowski pointed to the situation.

"One part of that is obvious," Dombrowski said. "You're at home at 7:30 in the morning and you get a call to come to the police station and pick up one of your players. Of course you're upset."

That said, he later added, "Even though you're upset, you have to give tough love."

As far as why Cabrera played after the incident Saturday, when he went hitless with two strikeouts and an inning-ending double play, Dombrowski said, "The feeling was at the time, he was capable of playing in the game."

Other matters:

• The opinions Dombrowski gave about the final few weeks of the season and the division lead that evaporated was very much a view of a team that didn't necessarily collapse, but a team that wasn't very good in the first place. "I never felt we had a powerhouse club," he said. "I felt we had a good club. We have a club with shortcomings."
• Later, Dombrowski said, "I really didn't think we'd win a lot more than 86 games this year. For a very long time, I thought 86 wins would win the division. Unfortunately, I was wrong, 87 won."
• More Dombrowski: "I don't think our club lacked for urgency whatsoever. But it was a club that was befuddling at times."
  
• No major changes were announced in the session, which was why they didn't label it a press conference. Dombrowski gave a vote of confidence to Lloyd McClendon, whom he called "a very good hitting coach." However, Dombrowski would not say that all of the coaches would be back, nor would he say there were changes coming. "We're not done with all those conversations," Dombrowski said, referring to his talks with manager Jim Leyland.
• In regards to moves, though Dombrowski hasn't yet talked about a budget with owner Mike Ilitch, he compared this coming offseason to last one, when the Tigers didn't go big into free agency and made more complementary moves. "It's really very similar to the challenge we faced last winter, to me," Dombrowski said. "It's a situation where you have to make wise decisions with some of our acquisitions. ... I would think there would be a lot of similarities at this time, and that's what we would look to do."
• Not a whole lot of insight on free agents, whether they could keep both Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon, and what it would take to bring back Placido Polanco. He stated the obvious, that they would not be able to keep all of their free agents. Keep in mind, Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff are also free agents.
• Though he didn't get into the chances of resigning Polanco, he sounded very much like a GM who's prepared to move on and give prospect Scott Sizemore a shot unless they can get a reasonable deal done with Polanco. "We think he's ready to play," Dombrowski said. "He's a good hitter. He has a nice, short stroke. And he has more power than you think."
• By contrast at shortstop, Dombrowski said, "I don't think Cale Iorg is ready to play."
  
• Expect another rotation in the designated hitter role, rather than a full-time guy. "Most likely, we won't have a full-time DH," he said. "We have candidates, Ordonez and Guillen, who could DH."
• After the trio of Verlander, Porcello and Jackson, Dombrowski sounded like he expects to fill out the rest of the rotation internally. He expects Bonderman to be back in the rotation next season, that the stuff is back. He sees Galarraga and Robertson as candidates for the fifth spot. "I can't even exclude a guy like Eddie Bonine," Dombrowski said.
• Dombrowski supported the decision not to pitch Verlander or Porcello on short rest last Saturday. "We were never close," he said. "They both volunteered."
• He said in his 20 or so years as a Major League GM, he doesn't think he has ever had a young pitcher come back and pitch on three days rest. It isn't something I've had a chance to look up.
• On Porcello: "If he came back and pitched on three days rest, he's in a spot where if anything happened, you'd never forgive yourself."
• He still sees Granderson as a leadoff hitter, but he has to make some adjustments, especially against left-handed pitching. "We debate that all the time," he said. "The Curtis Granderson we saw this year was not an effective leadoff hitter."
• What surprised Dombrowski the most, he said, was that they finished last in the league in doubles.
• Part of the team's upgrade offensively is going to have to come from the players they have. He doesn't see anyone who had a career year at the plate, including Granderson despite his 30 home runs.
• Very telling remarks from Dombrowski on the future of their offense. He plans to have meetings with his staff about discipline at the plate, and how to improve that at all levels, not just in Detroit.
• Dombrowski: "We also have to realize there's been an adjustment in the game the last couple years. I don't think you can live and die with the home run all the time."
  
• Asked if they have an internal candidate at closer if they can't bring back Rodney or Lyon, he said they might. His remarks later seemed to be referring to Ryan Perry, though they haven't decided that. "Some people in our organization thought Perry was ready," he said.
• On Zumaya, Dombrowski cited doctors' opinions that he should be fine after surgery to get rid of the bone shard in his shoulder in August. "They think he should be able to throw the ball as well as he had this year [before getting hurt again]," Dombrowski said.
  

Jason Beck / MLB.com

After a day to try to get over Tuesday's loss, Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski is going to talk with the media Thursday morning. However, media relations is emphasizing, it's NOT a press conference. It's a media availability. A press conference after the end of a season, of course, usually means that something's going down. At the moment, that does not appear to be the case, at least not for anything big enough to warrant a press conference.

Nonetheless, what Dombrowski says Thursday should be very interesting. He didn't say a whole lot during September, so we don't know a lot about his views on the division lead that slipped away. We can gather his feelings on the Miguel Cabrera situation. He has been pretty up-front about his opinions at past seasons' end, especially last year.

Not that Tigers fans needed any more shocking news, but news came out yesterday that former pitcher Brian Powell is dead at age 35. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

From the story in his local paper, the Post-Standard in Georgia:

Powell was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1995 and continued playing professional baseball until retiring in 2005.

He owned and operated South Georgia Sports in downtown Bainbridge and attended Bainbridge Church of God.

Following Powell's funeral service, interment will follow at West Bainbridge Cemetery with Jason Andrews, Pete Arenas, Rodney Close, Stan Killough, Greg McDonald and Chris Bibby serving as active pallbearers. Visitation will be held Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ivey Funeral Home, which is in charge of services.

Born Oct. 10, 1973, in Bainbridge, Mr. Powell died Monday, Oct. 5, at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare after a self-inflicted gunshot.

He was preceded in death by his father, Larry Powell.

Survivors include his wife, Glee Putnal Powell of Bainbridge; his son, Will Powell of Bainbridge; his daughters, Chloe and Bree Powell, both of Bainbridge; his mother, Brenda Ingram Powell of Bainbridge; his sister, Leah Bibby of Bainbridge; his maternal grandmother, Jewel Addison Powell of Bainbridge; three nieces, one nephew and several aunts and uncles.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Bainbridge Church of God.

Before anyone second-guesses Jim Leyland on his decision to send closer Fernando Rodney back out for the 12th inning after he entered for the final two outs of the ninth, keep this in mind: Rodney called it.

He told his manager he wanted to go back out.

"He said he wanted one more," manager Jim Leyland said, "so I had to give it to him. He's a horse. I don't have any problem with that."

Rodney was at 36 pitches entering the 12th, already one off his season high. But it was also a must-win situation, and he felt like he had it in his arm.

"I've never seen something like that," Rodney said of that game. "I feel ready to go. I say one more."

Rodney's 48th and final pitch hit 95 mph.

The way Brandon Inge was ranging around third base Tuesday night, one would've thought his knee felt the best it had in months. Truth is, however, that it was the worst he has felt it, maybe all year.

This was Inge's game to push his knee to the breaking point if he had to. He has all offseason to recover.

"It was last game," Inge said. "It could be last game, so I'm leaving it all on that field, whether my kneecaps blow off. Actually, to be honest with you, it was one of the more painful games that I've played in, by far. I just blocked it out. I put my team first and tried to do what I could."

Two stellar stops stand out. One was Matt Tolbert's leadoff single in the third inning, which brought out one of those diving stops down the line that seemed almost routine before the knee injuries. He hit the ground down the line to stop it, then got up enough to fire across the infield and at least make a play. Tolbert beat it out, but the play was impressive nonetheless. Plus, pushing off that painful left knee, those are the ones that usually give him the most pain.

Then, of course, came Inge's diving stop towards the hole to rob Orlando Cabrera of a potential go-ahead single in the ninth.

"I could give you 20 instances [of pain]," Inge said. "Me personally, looking on the game, I know that I felt everything on the field. The funny thing is, it's not only me. I can look at every guy on the team, and everyone played their heart out. Sadly, it's over."

Now that it's over, he's going to have time to get his knees fixed. Depending on what more doctors find in there, it could be as simple as allowing the knees to rest for a long period, or it could involve surgery, potentially major if the microtears have been more like regular tears.

Miguel Cabrera was looked devastated on television when reporters interviewed him after the game. Once the cameras left, he might've been even worse.

He sounded like he was blaming the loss on himself.

"I don't know what to say right now," Cabrera said. "I feel bad."

It was difficult to make out what he was saying because he was so emotional, so it was hard to tell if he was blaming his hitting -- later in the game after his double and two-run homer in his first two at-bats -- or his run-in with authorities Saturday becoming a distraction.

Still, it sounded like he was ready to move on. Asked if he might spend his offseason getting his life in order, Cabrera seemed to agree.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to," Cabrera said, trying to find the term.

Right now, though, he's going to go through a pretty tough time.

"It's very tough, very tough," Cabrera said. "It's a very tough loss."

At that point, Cabrera broke down.

There's a bulletin board on the inside of the door to the visiting clubhouse at the Metrodome. On most days, that's where the lineup goes. Tuesday, that's where the Tigers had two clips of the quote Twins speedster Denard Span gave to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

"I don't want to say they've choked," Span said. "But, yeah, they have choked. They've choked a little bit, but they have the opportunity to not choke, I guess."

A yellow highlight marker ran through it, just in case anybody still might've missed it.

That's not to say the Tigers deny they were in the driver's seat. To some, they still are. But a team needing a spark before Sunday might've gotten another one.

Though speculation was rampant whether Miguel Cabrera would play, he's in the lineup in his usual spot. He actually looked pretty relaxed after talking with reporters real briefly once the clubhouse opened.

As Jim Leyland had suggested, he put Ryan Raburn in the starting lineup for this tiebreaker game, batting him sixth and starting him in left field. Carlos Guillen is still in the lineup, but he's the DH. Aubrey Huff is a pinch-hitter for this one.

Though Raburn's bat would've been tough to sit for this one, especially against a pitcher (Scott Baker) who gives up a higher average to right-handed hitters than left-handed ones. It's his first start against a righty since August.

TIGERS

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Magglio Ordonez, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Carlos Guillen, DH
6. Ryan Raburn, LF
7. Brandon Inge, 3B
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Ramon Santiago, SS

P: Rick Porcello

TWINS

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Jason Kubel, RF
5. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
6. Delmon Young, LF
7. Jose Morales, DH
8. Matt Tolbert, 3B
9. Nick Punto, 2B

P: Scott Baker

Before anyone asks what Verlander's outing Sunday did for his chances to win the AL Cy Young Award, let's just answer it now: Probably not much. Votes from BBWAA members are due at the end of the regular season, and it's a pretty safe bet a lot of voters had either turned in their ballots already or had made up their minds.

That said, for those who held off on their ballots until the last minute, Verlander gave quite a show.

Aside from Zack Greinke earlier in the season, I don't know how many other pitchers lift their team when they take the mound like Verlander with the Tigers. Sunday was a must-win game, and Verlander absolutely commanded it for seven innings. The Tigers, frankly, felt like a club spiraling out of the playoff race before Sunday. Their hopes rode on Verlander, and he took over.

For whatever reason, the Tigers seem to score runs when he's on the mound lately, then struggle for much of the rest of the rotation. Verlander, in turn, prides himself on the shutdown inning when his team gives him runs, and paces his game to get his defense off the field and back to the plate.

If that's a major factor in voting, Verlander has it. But Sunday's outing also rounded out a statistical resume that no Tigers pitcher since Jack Morris had put together:

• Verlander's 19th win of the year tied him for the Major League lead with Adam Wainwright, Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia. He missed out on becoming the first Tiger since Bill Gullickson to win 20, but he owns the highest single-season total for a Tiger since then.
• He already had the Major League strikeout title wrapped up, but he finished out his total at 269, eight more than Tim Lincecum and 27 more than his next-closest AL competitor, Greinke. He fell just short of he fourth-highest single-season total for a Tiger, but he still cracked the top 5 with the highest since 1971. He also captured the Tigers' first strikeout title since Morris in 1983.
• With the wins title shared, Verlander and Greinke split the triple-crown categories. Verlander beat out Greinke in strikeouts, while Greinke won the ERA title.

Verlander probably won't win the Cy Young this year. What Greinke did for much of the year was that good. But Sunday made the case that Verlander deserves to be considered in the same sentence, if not even. We'll see how the votes come down in November.

Carlos Guillen will get the start against a left-handed pitcher that he has wanted for a while. He's the DH today against White Sox southpaw John Danks, with Marcus Thames on the bench. Other than that, it's the regular Tigers lineup against a lefty.

TIGERS

1. Raburn, LF
2. Polanco, 2B
3. Ordonez, RF
4. Cabrera, 1B
5. Guillen, DH
6. Inge, 3B
7. Granderson, CF
8. Laird, C
9. Everett, SS

P: Justin Verlander

WHITE SOX

1. Scott Podsednik, DH
2. Gordon Beckham, 3B
3. Carlos Quentin, LF
4. Jermaine Dye, RF
5. Mark Kotsay, 1B
6. Alex Rios, CF
7. Alexei Ramirez, SS
8. Ramon Castro, C
9. Brent Lillibridge, 2B

P: John Danks

Jason Beck / MLB.com

While the Tigers' offensive struggles over the last three games aren't a complete mystery, given Detroit's troubles scoring runs off and on all season, the struggles of Miguel Cabrera are mysterious. Not only did he go 0-for-4 in Saturday's 5-1 loss to the White Sox, he didn't get the ball out of the infield, including a double play to end the eighth inning after the Tigers scored their only run of the game.

Cabrera is now 0-for-11 since his first-inning single off Scott Baker Thursday, and the fact that the Tigers have scored four runs over that span isn't a coincidence. He has had just two longer hitless streaks this season, and he talked after Friday's game about needing to put his struggles behind him and focus on hitting Freddy Garcia.

FSN Detroit's broadcast Saturday night showed Cabrera with bruising on the left side of his face. Cabrera was not around for comment after the game, and others were put in an awkward position when asked about it.

"I didn't see it, to be honest with you," manager Jim Leyland said.

Likewise, head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said through a team spokesperson that he had not seen Cabrera.

As for the struggles at the plate, it's also a mystery.

"I don't know what's going on there," shortstop Adam Everett said. "I'm sure he'll come out ready to play tomorrow."

Said third baseman Brandon Inge: "He's obviously going to be pitched well. He's a great hitter. It's hard to speak for him, but I don't know. It's kind of strange, because that double play to end the inning, he kind of hit it good. He just hit it down into the ground. If he lifts that ball, oh boy, we have a whole different ballgame going." 

A bad-looking rain cell passed barely to the south -- and judging from the sky, I mean barely. The grounds crew waited it out just in case, and they just removed the tarp a few minutes ago. First pitch is expected around 7:20pm.

Though Jim Leyland is treating this as a starting assignment for rookie Alfredo Figaro, his remarks last night that he would not hesitate to make a change early if Figaro got in trouble essentially made tonight's game sound like a bullpen start. Leyland said he would probably have Ryan Perry ready early if he had to make a real quick change, then Zach Miner going a little later. Eddie Bonine is available if needed tonight.

Perry has pitched in a lot of different situations this year, but one common denominator down the stretch has been that they're usually with the Tigers trailing. He has entered with Tigers deficits in 10 of his last 14 games since August 23, and one of the exceptions was a tie. He has pitched with a lead just five times in the last three months, and just three save situations since mid-June. In most of those situations, his job was to keep the Tigers close, rather than mop-up work.

Depending on what happens tonight with rookie Alfredo Figaro in his first start in three months, the question among more than a few Tigers fans will be why manager Jim Leyland didn't just stay with his core starters and use either Justin Verlander or Rick Porcello on short rest. After all, Porcello was on schedule to start Saturday anyway until Monday's rainout pushed back that outing.

According to Leyland, it wasn't a consideration. Judging from his remarks, their futures beyond this season were the overwhelming consideration.

"I'm not going to pitch Verlander on three days rest, and I'm not going to pitch that kid [Porcello]," Leyland said.

That would be the same decision, Leyland said, even if they were a game back in the race. Wouldn't happen.

"Not with those two kids. I wouldn't do it. We've got our opportunity. We've got enough guys. It's not the ideal situation having to pitch a rookie like this, but we've won two or three big games like this with [Eddie] Bonine pitching."

Leyland hinted that he would look over the lineup for Saturday, but his one change was to flip Carlos Guillen and Aubrey Huff in the fifth and sixth spots.

TIGERS

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Placido Polanco, 2B
3. Magglio Ordonez, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Carlos Guillen, LF
6. Aubrey Huff, DH
7. Brandon Inge, 3B
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Adam Everett, SS

P: Alfredo Figaro

WHITE SOX

1. Scott Podsednik, CF
2. Gordon Beckham, 3B
3. A.J. Pierzynski, C
4. Paul Konerko, DH
5. Carlos Quentin, LF
6. Mark Kotsay, 1B
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. Alexei Ramirez, SS
9. Brent Lillibridge, 2B

P: Freddy Garcia

Let's be honest: If Jake Peavy, this batting order might well be irrelevant. But for what it's worth, it's pretty much the same lineup that the Tigers had against Peavy last Friday, except with Laird catching rather than Avila because Jackson is pitching for Detroit. The hope, obviously, is that having seen Peavy once will at least let hitters know what to expect.

TIGERS

1. Granderson, CF
2. Polanco, 2B
3. Ordonez, RF
4. Cabrera, 1B
5. Huff, DH
6. Guillen, LF
7. Inge, 3B
8. Laird, C
9. Santiago, SS

P: Edwin Jackson

WHITE SOX

1. Scott Podsednik, CF
2. Gordon Beckham, 3B
3. A.J. Pierzynski, C
4. Paul Konerko, DH
5. Jermaine Dye, RF
6. Mark Kotsay, 1B
7. Carlos Quentin, LF
8. Alexei Ramirez, SS
9. Brent Lillibridge, 2B

P: Jake Peavy

UMPIRES
HP: Tim Tschida
1B: Mark Carlson
2B: Jeff Nelson
3B: Bob Davidson

Suspensions and fines just came down from Thursday's hijinks between the Twins and Tigers, and the only suspensions are on the Tigers side. Jeremy Bonderman received three games, which he immediately decided to appeal. Hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, who was acting manager when Bonderman hit Delmon Young with a ninth-inning pitch, was suspended one game, even though he wasn't thrown out of the game. He can't appeal, so he's out for tonight's game. Bonderman was fined $1500, McClendon $1000, and manager Jim Leyland (ejected earlier in the game) and catcher Gerald Laird (ejected along with Bonderman) were fined $500 each.

Jose Mijares, whom the Twins and Tigers blamed for escalating matters when he threw behind Adam Everett in the eighth, was fined but not suspended.

Former Tiger Bobby Higginson was not at the park and was neither fined nor suspended.

Forgot about this in all the hubbub of yesterday's game, but Gerald Laird said after the game that he did indeed go online and take a look at the video accusing Twins All-Star catcher and MVP candidate Joe Mauer stealing signs, just to see how legit it was after another reporter asked him about it.

"I looked at it," Laird said. "It didn't look like that big of a deal. We watched [Jason] Kubel's at-bat that at-bat, and it didn't look like he was really on that many pitches. It was just one of the things that was said, and we took a look at it."

That doesn't mean he doesn't believe the Twins steal signs, of course. But he doesn't think that was a video catching them in the act.

"It's part of the game," Laird said. "It happens everywhere."

Placido Polanco gets a day off, while Jim Leyland plays the hot hand a bit with Ramon Santiago at second base today alongside Adam Everett. In that sense, Leyland is playing this like a regular day game after a night game, even though it has a chance to be a lot more than that.

Aubrey Huff again isn't playing against a right-hander.

TIGERS

1. Curtis Granderson, CF
2. Ramon Santiago, 2B
3. Magglio Ordonez, RF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Carlos Guillen, LF
6. Marcus Thames, DH
7. Brandon Inge, 3B
8. Gerald Laird, C
9. Adam Everett, SS

P: Nate Robertson

TWINS

1. Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Cabrera, SS
3. Joe Mauer, DH
4. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
5. Jason Kubel, RF
6. Delmon Young, LF
7. Brendan Harris, 3B
8. Mike Redmond, C
9. Nick Punto, 2B

P: Scott Baker