• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Tigers and Blue Jays meet in rubber game

Apr 5, 2007 - 2:04 PM Toronto (1-1) at Detroit (1-1) 1:05 pm EDT

DETROIT (Ticker) -- Reigning American League Rookie of the Year Justin Verlander makes his first start of the season when the Detroit Tigers host the Toronto Blue Jays in the rubber game of their three-game series.

Verlander went 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA in 30 starts last season.

He hopes to get the same kind of run support that the Tigers provided for Nate Robertson on Wednesday in a 10-9 victory. Curtis Granderson hit his first career grand slam for Detroit, capping an eight-run third inning.

Granderson added an RBI triple in the seventh inning to match his career high in RBI, previously set last May 26 against Cleveland.

Injury-prone starter A.J. Burnett was abysmal in his 2007 debut for the Blue Jays, allowing six runs and five hits in two-plus innings.

Lefthander Gustavo Chacin starts on Thursday for Toronto. Chacin was 9-4 with a 5.05 ERA in 17 starts last season.