Tigersground.com | Detroit Tigers News, tigers Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> The decision to add rookie RHPs Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry to the opening-day roster looked like a sound one through the first week of the seas</div>on. Porcello looked way more poised than your typical 20-year-old with one year of pro ball experience and Perry throws easy mid-90s fastballs teamed with a wicked slider. Both have a chance to have a major impact before the season is over, Porcello as a stabilizing factor in a rotation that was constantly under siege last year and Perry as part of a bullpen remake whose effectiveness is still under construction. PLAYER NEWS: --RHP Justin Verlander was perfect through four innings Friday night, striking out seven, before the wheels fell off and Seattle scored five times in the fifth. Verlander was flashing a fastball that was largely 95-98 mph and used more breaking balls and changeups than he did in his last start, when he relied mostly on hard stuff. But the Mariners started going after those early strikes he was throwing, with the first three batters hitting a fastball, fastball and a good low curve for base hits. Two excellent bunts, one a squeeze, an error and a wild pitch prolonged the inning and added to Verlander's frustration. Verlander lost his composure during the inning and started rushing instead of backing off and taking a little more time between pitches. He rebounded to post scoreless sixth and seventh innings. He lasted one out into the eighth, giving up his sixth run, before being relieved. --SS Ramon Santiago, starting only because regular SS Adam Everett was still ill, laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt in the first inning and beat it out for an RBI single. Santiago dropped down a perfect short bunt toward first base on a 1-0 pitch with runners at the corners and one out Friday night. C Gerald Laird waited until the ball was down before sprinting to the plate as RHP Felix Hernandez failed in his attempt to swipe the ball to the plate. Santiago has performed well filling in for Everett, both while he was ill the last two games and in giving the regular a rest. --SS Adam Everett was ready to return to the starting lineup Friday night but was scratched after running out of energy in the clubhouse prior to the game. Everett could be ready to play Saturday. He missed Wednesday's game with the flu. --1B Miguel Cabrera put on another display of professional hitting Friday night, collecting three singles. Cabrera rifled a fastball off the right field fence but was held to a single in the first inning, then took a low curve ball and pulled it to left for a single his second time up. Cabrera took a 3-2 curve and pulled it sharply to left for his third single. --DH Marcus Thames was in the Detroit lineup Friday despite not feeling well. Thames collected a single before leaving the game. "We need to get him going," manager Jim Leyland said, writing Thames into the batting order. --LF Carlos Guillen returned to the field Friday night but is struggling both on offense and defense. Guillen hit into a double play that limited Detroit to three runs in the second. He also missed a double off the wall that a more experienced left fielder could have gotten as Seattle was scoring five times in the fifth to erase a 3-0 deficit. MEDICAL WATCH: LF Carlos Guillen (strained right Achilles tendon) left the April 12 game. He served as the Tigers' DH on April 13 and 15. LHP Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder) went on the 15-day disabled list March 29. The disorder was diagnosed through blood tests, and there was no timetable for his return. Willis, for his part, didn't understand the diagnosis and said he felt fine. RHP Joel Zumaya (right shoulder soreness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Lakeland on April 11, moved to Class AAA Toledo on April 17 and he will stay in the minors until he shows he can pitch back-to-back games successfully. RHP Jeremy Bonderman (right rib removal, blood clot surgery in June 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He won't return until he nudges his fastball back up 90 mph on a consistent basis. ROTATION: RHP Justin Verlander RHP Edwin Jackson RHP Armando Galarraga RHP Rick Porcello BULLPEN: RHP Brandon Lyon (closer) RHP Fernando Rodney LHP Bobby Seay RHP Eddie Bonine RHP Juan Rincon LHP Nate Robertson RHP Ryan Perry RHP Zach Miner CATCHERS: Gerald Laird Matt Treanor INFIELDERS: 1B Miguel Cabrera 2B Placido Polanco SS Adam Everett 3B Brandon Inge INF Ramon Santiago INF Jeff Larish OUTFIELDERS: LF Carlos Guillen CF Curtis Granderson RF Magglio Ordonez DH Marcus Thames OF Josh Anderson

The decision to add rookie RHPs Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry to the opening-day roster looked like a sound one through the first week of the seas

on. Porcello looked way more poised than your typical 20-year-old with one year of pro ball experience and Perry throws easy mid-90s fastballs teamed with a wicked slider. Both have a chance to have a major impact before the season is over, Porcello as a stabilizing factor in a rotation that was constantly under siege last year and Perry as part of a bullpen remake whose effectiveness is still under construction.

PLAYER NEWS:

--RHP Justin Verlander was perfect through four innings Friday night, striking out seven, before the wheels fell off and Seattle scored five times in the fifth. Verlander was flashing a fastball that was largely 95-98 mph and used more breaking balls and changeups than he did in his last start, when he relied mostly on hard stuff. But the Mariners started going after those early strikes he was throwing, with the first three batters hitting a fastball, fastball and a good low curve for base hits. Two excellent bunts, one a squeeze, an error and a wild pitch prolonged the inning and added to Verlander's frustration. Verlander lost his composure during the inning and started rushing instead of backing off and taking a little more time between pitches. He rebounded to post scoreless sixth and seventh innings. He lasted one out into the eighth, giving up his sixth run, before being relieved.

--SS Ramon Santiago, starting only because regular SS Adam Everett was still ill, laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt in the first inning and beat it out for an RBI single. Santiago dropped down a perfect short bunt toward first base on a 1-0 pitch with runners at the corners and one out Friday night. C Gerald Laird waited until the ball was down before sprinting to the plate as RHP Felix Hernandez failed in his attempt to swipe the ball to the plate. Santiago has performed well filling in for Everett, both while he was ill the last two games and in giving the regular a rest.

--SS Adam Everett was ready to return to the starting lineup Friday night but was scratched after running out of energy in the clubhouse prior to the game. Everett could be ready to play Saturday. He missed Wednesday's game with the flu.

--1B Miguel Cabrera put on another display of professional hitting Friday night, collecting three singles. Cabrera rifled a fastball off the right field fence but was held to a single in the first inning, then took a low curve ball and pulled it to left for a single his second time up. Cabrera took a 3-2 curve and pulled it sharply to left for his third single.

--DH Marcus Thames was in the Detroit lineup Friday despite not feeling well. Thames collected a single before leaving the game. "We need to get him going," manager Jim Leyland said, writing Thames into the batting order.

--LF Carlos Guillen returned to the field Friday night but is struggling both on offense and defense. Guillen hit into a double play that limited Detroit to three runs in the second. He also missed a double off the wall that a more experienced left fielder could have gotten as Seattle was scoring five times in the fifth to erase a 3-0 deficit.

MEDICAL WATCH:

LF Carlos Guillen (strained right Achilles tendon) left the April 12 game. He served as the Tigers' DH on April 13 and 15.

LHP Dontrelle Willis (anxiety disorder) went on the 15-day disabled list March 29. The disorder was diagnosed through blood tests, and there was no timetable for his return. Willis, for his part, didn't understand the diagnosis and said he felt fine.

RHP Joel Zumaya (right shoulder soreness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Lakeland on April 11, moved to Class AAA Toledo on April 17 and he will stay in the minors until he shows he can pitch back-to-back games successfully.

RHP Jeremy Bonderman (right rib removal, blood clot surgery in June 2008) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He won't return until he nudges his fastball back up 90 mph on a consistent basis.

ROTATION:

RHP Justin Verlander

RHP Edwin Jackson

RHP Armando Galarraga

RHP Rick Porcello

BULLPEN:

RHP Brandon Lyon (closer)

RHP Fernando Rodney

LHP Bobby Seay

RHP Eddie Bonine

RHP Juan Rincon

LHP Nate Robertson

RHP Ryan Perry

RHP Zach Miner

CATCHERS:

Gerald Laird

Matt Treanor

INFIELDERS:

1B Miguel Cabrera

2B Placido Polanco

SS Adam Everett

3B Brandon Inge

INF Ramon Santiago

INF Jeff Larish

OUTFIELDERS:

LF Carlos Guillen

CF Curtis Granderson

RF Magglio Ordonez

DH Marcus Thames

OF Josh Anderson