Friday, September 11 Comerica Park | 7:05 PM ET

Brian Tallet, LHP (6-9, 5.31) @ Nate Robertson, LHP (1-1, 5.40)

Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: It appears as though Tallet will be in the rotation for the rest of the season after serving as both a starter (21 games) and as a reliever (12) this season. He was pressed into a starter's role early in the season because of injuries in the rotation. Tallet beat the Yankees in his previous start to end a five-game losing string, four as a starter. It was his first win since June 23. Against New York on Sunday, he allowed five runs in five innings and fell behind, 5-4, but the Blue Jays picked him up with an eight-run bottom of the fifth in a 14-8 win. He probably pitched better than the five runs showed. He gave up three in the third with the hardest-hit ball by Mark Teixeira that hit Tallet's left leg. Tallet was able to retrieve the ball and get the out at first. He said it should not affect him in his next start. He has pitched twice this season against the Tigers, as a reliever, and had a clean inning each time, with two strikeouts in the second outing.
Tigers: It essentially came down to Robertson and Armando Galarraga to see who would get the Tigers' final rotation spot. After Galarraga gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings against the Rays on Saturday, Robertson became the guy. The 32-year-old has only made two starts this season, but those two were good ones, as he combined to give up just one earned run in 10 innings (a 0.90 ERA). He will be facing the Blue Jays on seven days' rest. Robertson's pitched six shutout innings in his last start, against the Indians, giving up four hits and walking two while striking out four. Robertson is 3-3 with a 5.00 ERA in 10 career games (seven starts) against Toronto.


Saturday, September 12 Comerica Park | 7:05 PM ET

Scott Richmond, RHP (6-9, 4.76) @ Edwin Jackson, RHP (12-6, 3.10)
Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: As Richmond tries to earn a spot in next year's rotation and searches for his first win since June 24, he continues to be plagued by one bad inning. Against the Minnesota Twins on Monday it was the first, when his pitches found too much of the plate and he gave up five runs. After allowing a second-inning double, he retired 13 in a row and lasted six innings, giving up one more run in a 6-3 loss. The six earned runs were a career high. He is 0-5, 7.15 ERA, in his past seven starts. He missed most of July with biceps tendinitis but says that has not been a factor, but patches of poor pitch location have been the problem. He has not pitched against Detroit in his career.
Tigers: Jackson's competitive nature was in full swing in a victory against the Rays on Sunday. Opposing Wade Davis, who was making his Major League debut and gave up just one run in seven innings, the ex-Ray kept his team in the game before Brandon Inge rewarded him with a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth. Jackson finished with three runs on six hits in eight innings. Going into the eighth, the 25-year-old -- who turns 26 on Wednesday -- had logged 106 pitches, but he pitched through the frame in order to keep it a two-run game and eventually qualify for the win. Jackson is 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA against the American League East this year, but he has just two wins in his past 10 road starts.

Sunday, September 13 Comerica Park | 1:05 PM ET

Ricky Romero, LHP (12-7, 4.14) @ Rick Porcello, RHP (12-8, 4.26)
Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: After two losses in a row -- to the Red Sox and the Yankees, respectively -- Romero earned a victory over the Twins on Tuesday despite falling behind 3-0 after three innings. He lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowed seven hits, three walks ands struck out four and benefited from Toronto's six-run sixth. With 12 victories, Romero is tied for third on the franchise's list for wins by a rookie. Left-hander Jeff Musselman had 12 in 1987. Romero still needs to learn to finish off hitters when he is ahead 0-2 or 1-2. He made his Major League debut against the Tigers on April 9 and earned the victory in a 6-2 game with six innings, seven hits, two runs, one home run, two walks and five strikeouts.
Tigers: Though many expected Porcello to be ahead of the curve when he made the Tigers rotation out of Spring Training, few could have imagined he'd end up so critical to the Tigers' success this season when he made his Major League debut against the Blue Jays back on April 9 at Rogers Centre. He lost that game in part on a couple of wayward offspeed pitches, but he has been much more of a power pitcher lately, using his fastball early and often to set up his sinker. Another win would give Porcello the highest win total in a season by a pitcher age 20 or younger since Dwight Gooden won 24 in 1985.


Monday, September 14 Comerica Park | 7:05 PM ET

David Purcey, LHP (0-2, 7.01) @ Justin Verlander, RHP (16-8, 3.24)

Scouting Report:
Blue Jays: After starting the season with Toronto, Purcey was soon in Triple-A Las Vegas, where he finished the season 9-6 with a 4.46 ERA in 24 starts with 139 1/3 innings pitched. He was recalled after the Triple-A regular season ended. He has made five starts with Toronto this year but was demoted after his April 27 loss to the Texas Rangers. His first start of the season was against Detroit, a no-decision after going seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Last year he was 3-6 with a 5.54 ERA in 12 starts with Toronto. The first-round Draft pick (16th overall) from Oklahoma in 2004 made his Major League debut against Detroit on April 18, 2008, and held the Tigers to two hits, one earned run, and seven walks in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision as the Blue Jays lost 8-4.
Tigers: Verlander still has a chance at his first 20-win season, but he's more concerned with helping the Tigers' sew up a playoff berth. The way he's pitching, he's giving the Tigers their best chance to sew up an AL Central title down the stretch. He has given up two runs in 14 innings over his last two starts, but split the decisions at Tampa Bay and Kansas City thanks mainly to run support. His Opening Day loss at Toronto dropped him to 0-2 in as many career meetings with the Blue Jays, who have hit him for 14 runs on 15 hits over eight innings.

Tallet's awful mutt chops got the best of the Tigers tonight as he stifled Tigers hitters for 6 innings before getting touched up for a couple in the 7th. He went 6.1 innings, gave up 3 ER on 8 hits and struck out 7 to pick up the win. He's 7-9 with a 5.26 ERA. Funny how the Tigers always let these type of pitchers beat them, ones with atrocious mutt chops no less.

Meanwhile, Nate Robertson and his fu manchu lasted 83 pitches which was good for 3.1 IP before hurting his groin and needing to leave the game. In his short work, laboring work, he walked five (five! count it) guys and struck out zero. He also gave up 6 hits. He got the loss and falls to 1-2 with a 5.35 ERA on the season.

Detroit did threaten late in the game as they scored 3 in the bottom of the 7th and had the go ahead run at the plate in the 8th, but failed to come up with the big 2-out hit. They did have 13 hits as six different guys had at least 2 hits. It's hard to believe Magglio is now hitting .290.

Luckily for the Tigers their magic number decreases again as the Twins lost to the A's and the White Sox lost to the Angels. Detroit remains 5.5 games ahead in the Central and will try to snap their four game losing streak tomorrow when Edwin Jackson takes the bump.

The Lions may have not been able to snap their losing streak, but the Tigers ended theirs. Rick Porcello threw six strong en route to his 13th win of the season. The bullpen, which has struggled recently threw three shutout innings in relief.

Miguel had two hits and an RBI, Magglio had another three hits to raise his average to .294, Inge had two hits and two RBIs, and Gerald Laird had a pair of RBIs as well.

3 runs in the 3rd and 8th inning propelled the Tigers to victory and end their 5 game losing streak.

Verlander takes the bump tomorrow to close out the Blue Jays series. Detroit has a chance to split it and hopefully improve on their 5.5 Central Division lead.