Tigers lead after one

Here’s another reason why I love coming to Lakeland: The Tigers wear their home uniforms. No blue jerseys and white knickers. It’s white on white, just like you’d see if you caught a game at Comerica Park in Detroit.

We’re underway here at Joker Marchant.

The Rays went quietly in the first. Jeremy Bonderman got Akinori Iwamura and Carlos Pena to bounce out to short. In between he got Carl Crawford swinging.

Matt Garza, making his Rays debut, got Curtis Granderson to line out to second – Aki needed to climb the ladder to make the catch. Rays right fielder Justin Ruggiano made a shoestring catch of Placido Polanco’s sinking liner for out No. 2.

It appeared Garza was out of the inning, but what looked like strike three to Gary Sheffield was called a ball. Sheff eventually walked, and Carlos Guillen followed with a single to center field.

Miguel Cabrera singled to right to score Sheff and move Guillen to third.

Tigers 1, Rays 0

Rays manager Joe Maddon doesn't know much about the righty acquired in the trade for Delmon Young. Maddon talked before the game about wanting to see Garza's command of the strike zone. Maddon hasn't seen it yet.

Garza worked his way out of the jam by getting Timo Perez to bounce weakly to second.