Jon Garland (0-1, 4.66) vs. Justin Verlander (1-0, 1.42)
On what's going to be another gorgeous afternoon, the Tigers try to salvage one win from their opening series against the White Sox. It's disheartening to see Detroit scoring some runs, only to have the pitching fail them in late innings.
In two of his three starts, "Jonny Sinkers" (as the MLB.com "Fantasy 411" guys like to call him) has been pretty generous, giving up five runs apiece. However, he also shut out the A's over seven innings in his other start this season, so that's probably something to consider (as is Garland's 12-6 career record against Detroit).
Also worth considering is that a few Tigers enjoy facing this guy. Don't be surprised if Omar Infante finds himself in the lineup today, with a .438 average (14-for-32) against Garland. Placido Polanco (.417), Carlos Guillen (.343), and Curtis Granderson (.333) have also hit Garland well. So have Gary Sheffield (.556) and Marcus Thames (.357), though in fewer at-bats. (At this point, don't we have to look for any kernel of hope for Ol' Sheff?)
Of course, Verlander's record against the White Sox might cause you to temper that optimism. They kind of owned the kid last year, beating him in four of his five starts. Not only that, Verlander was generous with the long ball, serving up 10 of them in 25 1/3 innings.