Read More: Justin Verlander (P – DET), J.P. Arencibia (C – TOR), New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball in 2011, already with a no-hitter to his name this season already. But Justin is looking to make history once again as he has another no-hitter going through the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Comerica Park. 

Verlander threw his second career no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 7 during a 9-0 Tigers victory, and narrowly missed throwing a perfect game after he allowed a walk in the eighth inning to rookie J.P. Arencibia on Verlander’s 12th pitch of the at bat. Justin threw 108 pitches during his outing, striking out four Blue Jays along the way. 

If he can navigate his way to his second no-hitter of the year Verlander would join a short list of players to throw multiple no-hitters in one season:

Virgil Trucks, Detroit Tigers, 1952 
Allie Reynolds, New York Yankees, 1951 
Nolan Ryan, California Angels, 1973 
Johnny Vander Meer, Cincinnati Reds, 1938

Verlander has given up two walks thus far, but has struck out seven and thrown 92 pitches on the day already. 

DETROIT —

The Detroit Tigers started the day on a high note. They had just made a major trade and their top prospect was making his major league debut in front of a sold-out crowd.

Then Dan Haren showed up and ruined everything. Again.

Haren pitched a six-hitter for his second complete game against the Tigers in 25 days, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-1 victory Saturday.

“That’s a tough lineup, and he’s gone out there and pitched very well,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We got some runs and Dan did the rest.”

Haren (11-6) walked one and struck out one. In two starts against Detroit, he is 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA.

“I’ve had success against them twice, but that’s a great lineup,” he said. “They were hacking at first-pitch strikes today, which is good, because you don’t want to get behind them.”

Jacob Turner, Detroit’s top prospect, allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1-3 innings of his debut. He walked three and struck out six.

“For a kid out of Double-A, he showed great poise,” Scioscia said. “That’s a nice arm, and he spins the ball very well.”

Turner (0-1) was on the mound for five stolen bases, the most in a pitcher’s first game since Brian Barber allowed six for the Cardinals on Aug. 12, 1995.

“Obviously, he’s going to have to work on the running game,” Leyland said. “With his work ethic, though, I expect him to be one of the best in the game at holding runners by the time’s he’s ready. He did a very nice job today, though.”

The Tigers announced before the game that Turner would be going back to the minors after the game, with his rotation spot going to Doug Fister. Fister and reliever David Pauley were acquired from the Mariners in a six-player trade earlier Saturday, and Fister is scheduled to start Wednesday against Texas.

“One run, 10 runs, perfect game, no-hitter – this is going to be one start,” Leyland said of Turner.

The teams traded early runs, with the Tigers taking a 1-0 lead on Magglio Ordonez’s fourth-inning RBI single and the Angels tying the game on Torii Hunter’s run-scoring base hit in the fifth.

Los Angeles then took a two-run lead in the sixth off Turner and Phil Coke. With one out, Turner walked Howie Kendrick and was taken out to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd of 40,573.

Coke gave up a double to Erick Aybar and intentionally walked Mark Trumbo to load the bases. He then hit Peter Bourjos with his next pitch, forcing in a run, and allowed a sacrifice fly to Jeff Mathis.

Trumbo made it 4-1 with a RBI double in the eighth – his seventh RBI in three games – and scored on a double by Maicer Izturis.

Trumbo was also part of a big play in the seventh. The Tigers had runners on the corners and no one out when Victor Martinez grounded to first. Trumbo looked Magglio Ordonez back to third, then threw to second.

Aybar took the throw and stepped on the bag, then realized Ordonez had broken for home. He threw home and Jeff Mathis applied the tag for an unusual 3-6-2 double play.

“He broke on my throw, and Erick made a great play,” Trumbo said. “If he had gone right away, I would have thrown home.”

NOTES: Turner was the sixth pitcher since 1919 to allow at least five steals in his major league debut. Roger Clemens and Dave Righetti were two of the others. … The Tigers gave up reliever Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, minor league third baseman. … The game was delayed for a moment before Turner’s last pitch when a fan ran out of the stands and appeared to “plank” in right field, lying motionless on his face until security arrived. A second fan ran into the outfield in the ninth. … Bourjos went 0 for 0 in the game. He walked once, was hit by two pitches and had a sacrifice bunt.

Read More: Jacob Turner (P – DET), Doug Fister (P – SEA), Duane Below (P – DET), Los Angeles Angels, Detroit Tigers

First, the news was that the Detroit Tigers were calling up star pitching prospect Jacob Turner.

That was followed up by reports that Turner would be starting Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Finally, rumor had it that this would be a one-and-done start for Turner. After facing the Angels, regardless of the result, Turner would be headed back down to the minors.

The Tigers made that official shortly after announcing their trade with the Seattle Mariners for Doug Fister.

As manager Jim Leyland put it:

“He’s going to start one game and that’s it. He’ll be sent back after the game,” Leyland said. “10 runs, no runs, perfect game, no hitter — (it’s) one start, that’s it.”

General manager Dave Dombrowski told reporters that Turner would be optioned back to the minors after Saturday’s game. But he won’t be going back to Double-A Erie. Turner will instead report to Triple-A Toledo.

So why pitch Turner for a spot start when Duane Below was originally scheduled to pitch Saturday and is still on the roster? Apparently, the Tigers felt Turner gave them the best chance to win.

“The recommendation of our minor league people was that if we had to win a game today and pitch somebody, he would be the unanimous (choice),” Leyland said. “This is one of the fun parts of managing because you get to be involved in something like this. We’ll see how it goes.”

Still a strange move, if you ask me. But maybe the Tigers wanted to see what they had in Turner and how he’d perform against a good major league lineup. And if he falters, Below is available to pitch long relief. (But pitching Turner instead doesn’t exactly indicate that the Tigers view Below highly.)

To make room on the active roster for Turner on Saturday, Charlie Furbush was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. But he presumably won’t report to the Mud Hens, as he’s one of the players the Tigers traded to Seattle for Fister.

By Ian Casselberry

– Contributor

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Jul 30, 2011 – It’s been no secret that the Detroit Tigers needed to get a starting pitcher. One day before baseball’s July 31 trade deadline, they’ve gotten their man.

The Tigers have agreed to a deal with the Seattle Mariners for starting pitcher Doug Fister and reliever David Pauley. Going to Seattle in exchange are pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, minor league third baseman Fernando Martinez and a player to be named later.

Fister has an unimpressive 3-12 this season for the Mariners. But his ERA is 3.33, and he’s received terrible run support from the Seattle lineup this year. In 16 of Fister’s 21 starts, the Mariners have scored two runs or fewer.

What kind of a pitcher are the Tigers getting? Fister, 27, is a tall right-hander (6-foot-8), but not a fireballer, with 89 strikeouts in 149 innings (5.5 per nine). His fastball tops out at 90 mph, but it’s a sinking fastball so he gets a lot of groundballs (46 percent, to be exact). Fister mixes four pitches in his repertoire (fastball, slider, curveball, changeup).

Providing additional value for the Tigers are Fister’s low salary ($436,500 this season) and his arbitration status. Fister still has all of his arbitration years remaining, meaning he’s under club control for the next three seasons. Even with the raises he’ll surely receive, his cost is still controlled by the Tigers and he won’t be a free agent until 2015.

Pauley fills another hole for the Tigers in the bullpen. He’s appeared in 39 games for the Mariners this season, compiling a 5-4 record and 2.15 ERA. Pauley also isn’t a strikeout pitcher, with 34 in 54 1/3 innings, relying more on groundballs (49 percent) from his sinking fastball. (Jim Leyland likes to have a sinkerballer in the bullpen, which is one reason why he always preferred Zach Miner as a reliever, rather than starter.) He also throws a cutter and curveball, but seems to prefer a changeup to go with that sinker.

The exact details of who the Tigers will ultimately give up in the deal haven’t been clarified. Besides Furbush, Wells and Martinez, the Seattle Times’ Larry Stone says the player to be named “could be a pretty significant name.” Could that be another pitching prospect? Perhaps, but the Mariners have one of the worst offenses in the majors and need help all over the field.

Read More: David Pauley (P – SEA), Fernando Martinez (CF – NYM), Casper Wells (RF – DET), Doug Fister (P – SEA), Charlie Furbush (P – DET), Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners

Read More: David Pauley (P – SEA), Casper Wells (RF – DET), Doug Fister (P – SEA), Jacob Turner (P – DET), Charlie Furbush (P – DET), Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners

Doug Fister, whose 3-12 won-lost record belies a very solid season for the Seattle Mariners, has been traded to the Detroit Tigers Saturday, according to CBS Sports’ Danny Knobler:

To recap on Tigers, Turner starts today, then back to minors. They’ll get Fister and Pauley from Sea for Furbush, Wells plus. #tradedeadline

That tweet mentions today’s starter for Detroit, Jacob Turner, who is being called up from Double-A Erie to make his major league debut. The other principals are Doug Fister and David Pauley, headed to the Tigers, and Charlie Furbush and Casper Wells, who will become members of the Mariners; Knobler hints there may be other players headed to Seattle.

The biggest name in the deal is Fister. He has started 10 games for the Mariners since June 1 and posted a solid 3.42 ERA, but is winless in those 10 starts, in which Seattle scored just 17 runs. Fister ranks dead last (64th) among all qualified American League starters in run support at just 2.4 runs per start.

Fister’s numbers should be helped by spacious Comerica Park and the Tigers’ offense, which is fifth in the American League with 480 runs scored going into Saturday’s game.

Max Scherzer is as hot as today’s weather forecast.

Scherzer, who 2-1 with a 1.66 ERA in his last three starts, seeks win No. 12 today as the right-handed hurler starts the series finale against the third-place Chicago White Sox and closes out the Tigers’ seven-game road trip.

Join The Cutoff Man’s James Schmehl for live play-by-play and up-to-the-minute updates at 2 p.m. as the Tigers (55-48) try to build upon their two-game lead over the Cleveland Indians.

Don’t forget to set your alarm and mark your calendar for The Cutoff Man’s next live blog on Thursday as the Tigers host the Los Angeles Angels. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Click here for the complete Cutoff Man live chat schedule this season.