Tigersground.com | Detroit Tigers News, tigers Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - --2B Placido Polanco, who was supposed to be getting a day off, entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth and stuck around to drive in the winning run. Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to center with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 10th for a 4-3 win over Cleveland. His hitting, fueled by occasional rest, has picked up over the last five weeks. --LHP Fu-Te Ni allowed his second inherited runner of the season to score. Ni entered after RHP Ryan Perry, who retired the first four batters he faced, had given up a one-out double in the eighth. Ni was nicked for a scratch single off his glove, got the second out, gave up an RBI single and then hung a 2-2 breaking ball that DH Shin-Soo Choo rapped for a two-run double to right center that created a 3-3 tie. He has been scored upon seven times in 23 games this year. --RHP Zach Miner choked off a Cleveland rally with the last out of the eighth inning and then worked two complete scoreless innings to get the win when the Tigers scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th. Manager Jim Leyland termed Miner's performance the key to the game. "I hope he understands his value to our team," Leyland said. "To me he was the hero." Miner was throwing fastballs up to 95 mph, harder than usual, as well as mixing in sliders and change-ups. --DH Magglio Ordonez struck out as a pinch hitter and walked, inching two plate appearances closer to kicking in his $18 million option for 2010. He needs only 36 more in 29 games to vest the option year. Ordonez still hasn't shown the kind of run production an $18-million-a-year player should show, but he has been stinging the ball again. He's hitting well over .300 for more than a month now. "He is a professional hitter," manager Jim Leyland said. "He keeps innings going. If we can use him to keep throwing hits in there, and keep getting (1B Miguel) Cabrera up there with men on base, that's a real positive for us." His 10th-inning walk loaded the bases Thursday and set things up for 2B Placido Polanco's game-winning sacrifice fly. --C Gerald Laird was one of several Tigers who were supposed to get the day off but didn't. Good thing, too. Laird entered in the ninth inning in what passes for a double switch in the American League. 2B Placido Polanco hit for C Alex Avila and stayed in the game, so Laird replaced the original second baseman, Ramon Santiago. The move paid an immediate dividend when Laird threw out LF Michael Brantley trying to steal second. Laird has a league high 31 throw-outs for a 41-percent success rate. --LHP Jarrod Washburn shrugged off a story that he has a bad knee on Wednesday. But Thursday he confirmed he would skip a start to quiet down his bad left knee. Manager Jim Leyland said the two agreed that he should skip a start. "I got skipped once earlier this year in Seattle, and it helped quiet it down a little bit so the pain level was tolerable," Washburn said. "So we figured it was worth another try." RHP Armando Galarraga, originally slated to make a rehab start Friday for Class AAA Toledo before rejoining the Tigers, will now start Saturday in Washburn's place at Tampa Bay. Washburn said his left knee has had cartilage damage for 3-to-4 months. He has struggled to a 1-2 record and 6.81 ERA with the Tigers after going 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA for Seattle. Leyland said Washburn is scheduled to start Sept. 10 at Kansas City. MEDICAL WATCH: LHP Jarrod Washburn (sore left knee) will miss his Sept. 5 start. He is scheduled to start Sept. 10. RHP Armando Galarraga (inflamed right elbow) was sent down to Class AAA Toledo on Aug. 26 rather than placed on the disabled list. He is scheduled to return to the majors and start for the Tigers on Sept. 5. RHP Alfredo Figaro (sprained right wrist) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 28. INF Michael Hollimon (shoulder surgery) was recalled from the minors and placed on the 60-day disabled list Sept. 1. LHP Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 15. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Toledo on Aug. 19. RHP Joel Zumaya (stress fracture in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list July 18, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 17. He had two cortisone shots to reduce pain and swelling and resumed throwing in late July. He then had a setback, and he had season-ending surgery Aug. 21. C Matt Treanor (torn labrum in right hip) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 24, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 4. He had surgery April 30, and he is likely out for the season. ROTATION: RHP Justin Verlander RHP Edwin Jackson RHP Rick Porcello LHP Jarrod Washburn LHP Nate Robertson BULLPEN: RHP Fernando Rodney (closer) RHP Ryan Perry RHP Brandon Lyon LHP Bobby Seay RHP Zach Miner LHP Fu-Te Ni RHP Jeremy Bonderman RHP Eddie Bonine RHP Casey Fien CATCHERS: Gerald Laird Alex Avila Dusty Ryan INFIELDERS: 1B Miguel Cabrera 2B Placido Polanco SS Adam Everett 3B Brandon Inge INF Ramon Santiago INF Brent Dlugach OUTFIELDERS: LF Ryan Raburn CF Curtis Granderson RF Magglio Ordonez DH Carlos Guillen DH Marcus Thames OF/1B Aubrey Huff OF Clete Thomas OF Wilkin Ramirez Sign up for breaking news alerts from FOXSports.com!

--2B Placido Polanco, who was supposed to be getting a day off, entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth and stuck around to drive in the winning run. Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to center with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 10th for a 4-3 win over Cleveland. His hitting, fueled by occasional rest, has picked up over the last five weeks.

--LHP Fu-Te Ni allowed his second inherited runner of the season to score. Ni entered after RHP Ryan Perry, who retired the first four batters he faced, had given up a one-out double in the eighth. Ni was nicked for a scratch single off his glove, got the second out, gave up an RBI single and then hung a 2-2 breaking ball that DH Shin-Soo Choo rapped for a two-run double to right center that created a 3-3 tie. He has been scored upon seven times in 23 games this year.

--RHP Zach Miner choked off a Cleveland rally with the last out of the eighth inning and then worked two complete scoreless innings to get the win when the Tigers scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th. Manager Jim Leyland termed Miner's performance the key to the game. "I hope he understands his value to our team," Leyland said. "To me he was the hero." Miner was throwing fastballs up to 95 mph, harder than usual, as well as mixing in sliders and change-ups.

--DH Magglio Ordonez struck out as a pinch hitter and walked, inching two plate appearances closer to kicking in his $18 million option for 2010. He needs only 36 more in 29 games to vest the option year. Ordonez still hasn't shown the kind of run production an $18-million-a-year player should show, but he has been stinging the ball again. He's hitting well over .300 for more than a month now. "He is a professional hitter," manager Jim Leyland said. "He keeps innings going. If we can use him to keep throwing hits in there, and keep getting (1B Miguel) Cabrera up there with men on base, that's a real positive for us." His 10th-inning walk loaded the bases Thursday and set things up for 2B Placido Polanco's game-winning sacrifice fly.

--C Gerald Laird was one of several Tigers who were supposed to get the day off but didn't. Good thing, too. Laird entered in the ninth inning in what passes for a double switch in the American League. 2B Placido Polanco hit for C Alex Avila and stayed in the game, so Laird replaced the original second baseman, Ramon Santiago. The move paid an immediate dividend when Laird threw out LF Michael Brantley trying to steal second. Laird has a league high 31 throw-outs for a 41-percent success rate.

--LHP Jarrod Washburn shrugged off a story that he has a bad knee on Wednesday. But Thursday he confirmed he would skip a start to quiet down his bad left knee. Manager Jim Leyland said the two agreed that he should skip a start. "I got skipped once earlier this year in Seattle, and it helped quiet it down a little bit so the pain level was tolerable," Washburn said. "So we figured it was worth another try." RHP Armando Galarraga, originally slated to make a rehab start Friday for Class AAA Toledo before rejoining the Tigers, will now start Saturday in Washburn's place at Tampa Bay. Washburn said his left knee has had cartilage damage for 3-to-4 months. He has struggled to a 1-2 record and 6.81 ERA with the Tigers after going 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA for Seattle. Leyland said Washburn is scheduled to start Sept. 10 at Kansas City.

MEDICAL WATCH:

LHP Jarrod Washburn (sore left knee) will miss his Sept. 5 start. He is scheduled to start Sept. 10.

RHP Armando Galarraga (inflamed right elbow) was sent down to Class AAA Toledo on Aug. 26 rather than placed on the disabled list. He is scheduled to return to the majors and start for the Tigers on Sept. 5.

RHP Alfredo Figaro (sprained right wrist) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 28.

INF Michael Hollimon (shoulder surgery) was recalled from the minors and placed on the 60-day disabled list Sept. 1.

LHP Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 15. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Toledo on Aug. 19.

RHP Joel Zumaya (stress fracture in right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list July 18, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 17. He had two cortisone shots to reduce pain and swelling and resumed throwing in late July. He then had a setback, and he had season-ending surgery Aug. 21.

C Matt Treanor (torn labrum in right hip) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 24, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 4. He had surgery April 30, and he is likely out for the season.

ROTATION:

RHP Justin Verlander

RHP Edwin Jackson

RHP Rick Porcello

LHP Jarrod Washburn

LHP Nate Robertson

BULLPEN:

RHP Fernando Rodney (closer)

RHP Ryan Perry

RHP Brandon Lyon

LHP Bobby Seay

RHP Zach Miner

LHP Fu-Te Ni

RHP Jeremy Bonderman

RHP Eddie Bonine

RHP Casey Fien

CATCHERS:

Gerald Laird

Alex Avila

Dusty Ryan

INFIELDERS:

1B Miguel Cabrera

2B Placido Polanco

SS Adam Everett

3B Brandon Inge

INF Ramon Santiago

INF Brent Dlugach

OUTFIELDERS:

LF Ryan Raburn

CF Curtis Granderson

RF Magglio Ordonez

DH Carlos Guillen

DH Marcus Thames

OF/1B Aubrey Huff

OF Clete Thomas

OF Wilkin Ramirez