Friday: Tigers vs. Orioles

By Jason Beck

The plan was for Wilson Betemit to start at third base tonight. Rain all day around Detroit changed the plan.

“Damp, cool night, didn’t want to take the chance,” Jim Leyland said this afternoon.

Too bad, too, because Betemit is 3-for-3 with a home run off O’s starter Alfredo Simon. Brandon Inge homered off Simon in their only meeting, but Don Kelly gets another start at third tonight, batting second.

The Orioles don’t have a lot of left-handed bats to test Rick Porcello tonight, just two lefties and a switch-hitter. But the guys they have — Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters and Chris Davis) are pretty good.

TIGERS

1. Austin Jackson, CF
2. Don Kelly, 3B
3. Delmon Young, LF
4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B
5. Victor Martinez, DH
6. Alex Avila, C
7. Jhonny Peralta, SS
8. Andy Dirks, RF
9. Ramon Santiago, 2B

P: Rick Porcello

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ORIOLES

1. Robert Andino, 2B
2. J.J. Hardy, SS
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH
5. Matt Wieters, C
6. Adam Jones, CF
7. Mark Reynolds, 1B
8. Chris Davis, 3B
9. Nolan Reimold, LF

P: Alfredo Simon