Detroit Tigers Links: Rick Porcello's latest tease & Jose Valverde is proving his worth

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Tigers links:

Tigers closer Jose Valverde proves he's still got it
The Detroit News, Lynn Henning

Because of Valverde's knack for handling the ninth, Tigers manager Jim Leyland now has a bullpen that is more functional, more efficient, more trustworthy.

Detroit Tigers' Rick Porcello has company in tossing a gem in lost cause
Detroit Free Press, John Lowe

Pitching against the Pirates on the final Tuesday of May, Rick Porcello found an unfortunate way to salute what left-hander Harvey Haddix once did for the Pirates on the final Tuesday of May.

Rick Porcello’s Latest Tease
FanGraphs Baseball, Jeff Sullivan

The easy joke is that Rick Porcello’s like "**** you defense" after a BABIP-heavy 2012.

Detroit Tigers Missing Austin Jackson
Motor City Bengals, Garret Craig

Don Kelly has not done much to make the Detroit Tigers forget about the injured Austin Jackson, who may begin a rehabilitation stint soon.

Around the AL Central:

Cubs 9, White Sox 3: Navarro'd
South Side Sox

Dioner Navarro ate all of his cheerios this morning.

MLB Final Score: Cleveland Indians 5, Cincinnati Reds 2
Let's Go Tribe

Jason Giambi's three-run homer in the sixth gave the Indians some much-needed breathing room.

Elsewhere in baseball:

Triage in the Bronx
The Hardball Times, Shane Tourtellotte

How the Yankees of 1949 mirror the Yankees of today, and how they don't.

Organizational droughts: third base
Baseball Nation, Grant Brisbee

When was the last time your team developed a star third baseman? To the stat cave! Let me just move this laundry basket out of the way so you can get to the stat cave ...

It's time for a new approach to the role of closer
SI.com, Tom Verducci

If it seems like it has been a hard year on closers, well, yes, it has, but that makes this year no different than any other year.

More Roars:

• Pirates 5, Tigers 3: 7th inning dooms Sanchez

• Thursday’s links

•Saves are bunk but better than losses

•Beer of the Series: Pittsburgh

•Extending Austin Jackson makes sense