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Tigers-Royals Preview

Apr 5, 2010 - 12:21 AM Detroit (0-0) at Kansas City (0-0), 4:10 p.m. EDT

With two of baseball's top pitchers facing teams they often dominate, hits and runs may be hard to find Monday afternoon in Kansas City.

Opening the season for Detroit will be right-hander Justin Verlander, who won 19 games last year and led the majors with 269 strikeouts.

Opposing him will be Zack Greinke, who won the 2009 Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League.

"I'm sure the national media will be focused on other games rather than the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals," said Trey Hillman, beginning his third year as KC's manager. "But I'm not sure you can come up with any better opening day matchup than Greinke vs. Verlander. It's going to be exciting."

Verlander has always loved to face the Royals. He's 9-2 against them with an ERA of 2.32. Greinke's been nearly as masterful of the Tigers, compiling a 9-4 record with an ERA of 2.86.

The two right-handers are also unabashed admirers of one another.

"He's one of the best pitchers in baseball," said Verlander, who was 19-9 with a 3.45 ERA last season. "He's got as good of stuff as any of them. He's a tremendous, unbelievable talent."

Greinke does not simply praise Verlander. He studies him. Watching Verlander work against Kansas City early last year taught him a valuable lesson which Greinke says he carried all the way through his Cy Young-winning season.

"I was kind of thinking I had to switch up how I was pitching," said Greinke, who was 16-6 with a 2.16 ERA. "Then I watched him pitch where he just went with his game plan and I was thinking if I was batting and even if I knew what he was going to do, it would still be hard to hit because that was the best plan for him. It kind of just reminded me not to try to change things up too much if something's working - if you have a good plan, not to switch it. I saw what he was doing was a good idea. Just stick with what you do."

The Royals, 65-97 last year, will unveil a new-look lineup they hope will shore up a defense that led the AL last year in errors (117) and losses at home (48).

New faces will be catcher Jason Kendall, center fielder Rick Ankiel, left fielder Scott Podsednik and second baseman Chris Getz. Willie Bloomquist will be at third base because Alex Gordon has a broken right thumb and Alberto Callaspo is nursing a sore oblique muscle.

The Tigers finished last year 86-77 and in a very foul mood, losing a three-game lead with four games remaining and slipping out of the playoffs.

"It was hard, but we have to take something positive out of the negative from last year," said first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

This year they're expected to compete once again in the AL Central with new faces that include veteran outfielder Johnny Damon, rookie outfielder Austin Jackson, rookie second baseman Scott Sizemore, and righthanders Max Scherzer and Jose Valverde.

"I think we have a competitive club," said manager Jim Leyland. "Are we going to win anything? I don't know."

Jackson and Sizemore figure to see plenty of action, perhaps in the first week of the season.

"It's going to be exciting to break in two kids," said Leyland. "What they've earned to this point is the opportunity. As the season goes on, they will continue to earn confidence. I feel very good about both of them. But I'm smart enough to know there will be growing pains and they don't look too good."

The Royals are hopeful better athletes with more speed will make for a snugger fit in spacious Kauffman Stadium.

"More agile, a little more team speed," said Hillman. "It may allow us to do some other things offensively, specifically. If our pitchers are doing what we need, provided that we are more athletic like we think we are, and we are faster, we should protect the pitching staff better."

The Royals were hoping for no rain for the 4:10 EDT start. A free workout at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday afternoon ended early when fans were asked to leave because of what the scoreboard described as "possible tornadic activity."