Saturday, September 5 Tropicana Field | 7:08 PM ET
Armando Galarraga, RHP (6-10, 5.05) @ James Shields, RHP (9-10, 3.86)

Scouting Report:
Tigers: Galarraga had been scheduled to start Friday for Triple-A Toledo after missing his scheduled turn for Detroit last week with inflammation in his right elbow. Jarrod Washburn's sore left knee changed the plan. Galarraga was already scheduled to be recalled from the Mud Hens on Saturday, but now he'll be doing so to pitch that day. His lone outing at Tropicana Field, last August, saw his allow one run in seven innings.
Rays: Shields, who has received little run support all season, benefited greatly in his last start from a six-run outburst by his teammates in the first inning. The right-hander then shifted into even more of a strike-throwing mode than he normally employs. By the time he was lifted after the seventh, he had allowed four earned runs on 10 hits -- four by Carlos Guillen -- en route to picking up his ninth win of the season. While facing the same team twice in the same week can always be a dangerous proposition, Shields has historically pitched well at Tropicana Field, where he is 23-14 with a 3.27 ERA in 57 career starts.

Sunday, September 6 Tropicana Field | 1:38 PM ET
Edwin Jackson, RHP (11-6, 3.09) @ Wade Davis, RHP (0-0, -.--)

Scouting Report:
Tigers: With a month to go in what has been a breakout season for Jackson, the right-hander finally gets a matchup against the team that traded him to Detroit last offseason for outfielder Matt Joyce. Jackson's recent struggles -- including a .302 opponents' batting average and an .889 opponents' OPS since the All-Star break and a start on Tuesday against the Indians in which he allowed four runs over five innings -- prompted manager Jim Leyland to plan a chat with Jackson, but the righty said he feels strong going into the stretch run.
Rays: Davis, one of Tampa Bay's most highly-touted prospects, will make his Major League debut on Sunday, having been called up from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday. The 23-year-old right-hander, a third-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, was 10-8 with a 3.40 ERA with 140 strikeouts and just 36 walks for Durham this season. He was also the 2007 Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Davis boasts a low-90s fastball to go with a strong curveball and developing changeup. Rays manager Joe Maddon also likes his feistiness and competitiveness. Rays fans have been waiting a while to see him pitch. On Sunday, they'll finally get the chance.

A rocky 9th all around, but Detroit prevailed 4-3 in the end expanding their AL Central lead.

A pitcher's duel between Justin Verlander and rookie Jeff Niemann ended in a 9th inning runfest, as 5 of the game's 7 runs were scored in the last two frames.

Verlander went 8 innings in his gem, gave up just 4 hits and 1 ER while striking out seven. Niemann countered with 7.2 strong, allowing just 1 ER on six hits and striking out six.

Miguel Cabrera tied things up in the 6th with a solo shot, his 28th of the season setting the table for the exciting 9th inning that started as a 1-1 game.

The Rays gave the Tigers two freebies in the 9th and made them pay as Adam Everett plated Ryan Raburn with a one out single to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Granderson followed that up with an RBI single, and Polanco plated the third run of the inning with a sac fly. 4-1 Tigers.

Fernando Rodney loves making things interesting and he took it to a whole new level on Friday night. Rodney walked the first two batters he faced in the 9th, bringing the tying run to the plate with no outs. After getting a big strike out, Rodney gave up an RBI single to Carlos Pena to put runners at the corners, make it a 4-2 game, and Tigers fans increasingly sweaty.

Rodney got another huge strikeout, the Rays were down to their final out. Evan Longoria is no final out though as he battled and ultimately, doubled to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position in an all of a sudden, 4-3 game.

It was all up to Willy Aybar and luckily for Rodney and the Tigers he took a poor swing on a 3-1 pitch and rolled it over to Cabrera at first. Tigers win, 4-3!

In frustration, Rodney heaved the baseball into the crowd, although he said there was no malice behind it (clearly just frustrated). According to Rob Neyer after the game, he will probably face a fine, but that's it. It was his 32nd save of the season in 33 tries.

With the win, and a Twins loss, Detroit is now 6 games up in the AL Central. Verlander picked up his 16th win and it really seems like the Tigers are clicking on all cylinders. Let's keep it up and sweep the Rays permanently out of playoff contention and put the Tigers into a much better, more comfortable position going forward.

Galarraga returns to the mound tomorrow for the Tigers in a 7:08 PM EST matchup opposite James Shields.

A rocky 9th all around, but Detroit prevailed 4-3 in the end expanding their AL Central lead.

A pitcher's duel between Justin Verlander and rookie Jeff Niemann ended in a 9th inning slugfest, as 5 of the game's 7 runs were scored in the last two frames.

Verlander went 8 innings in his gem, gave up just 4 hits and 1 ER while striking out seven. Niemann countered with 7.2 strong, allowing just 1 ER on six hits and striking out six.

Miguel Cabrera tied things up in the 6th with a solo shot, his 28th of the season setting the table for the exciting 9th inning that started as a 1-1 game.

The Rays gave the Tigers two freebies in the 9th and made them pay as

Tigers sweep. Brandon Inge is THE DUDE.

Funny story... I was following the game on my phone as I was going to my own baseball game. I announce aloud to my father as I was driving to my game that Brandon Inge was hitting with the bases loaded, and with 1 out. He says, "I hope he visited a hospital patient today." Sure enough, Inge hits a grand slam on a 2-2 pitch. Whether he actually visited a hospital patient or not, good call pops.

Tigers sweep.