Editing Detroit Tigers (section)

====2009====
{{Main|2009 Detroit Tigers season}}

Going into the 2009 season, the Tigers acquired starter [[Edwin Jackson (baseball)|Edwin Jackson]] from the 2008 AL Champion [[Tampa Bay Rays]], and called up rookie and former #1 draft pick [[Rick Porcello]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Tigers add Jackson to rotation in second trade; Joyce moves to Tampa Bay|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3761515|website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press|date=December 11, 2008|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308220852/https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3761515|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Porcello>{{cite web|first=Gillian|last=Van Stratt|title=A farewell to arm: Looking back at Rick Porcello's career with the Detroit Tigers|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2014/12/looking_back_at_rick_porcellos.html|website=MLive|date=December 11, 2014|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=May 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517230551/https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2014/12/looking_back_at_rick_porcellos.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Jackson was outstanding in the first half, making his first All-Star team, while Porcello was solid most of the year, posting a 14–9 record with a 3.96 ERA and displaying grit and maturity beyond his 20 years of age.<ref name=Porcello/><ref>{{cite web|first=Paul|last=Wezner|title=Three Tigers Named to AL All-Star Team|url=https://247sports.com/mlb/tigers/Article/Three-Tigers-Named-to-AL-All-Star-Team-104625954/|website=247Sports|date=July 5, 2009|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308034324/https://247sports.com/mlb/tigers/Article/Three-Tigers-Named-to-AL-All-Star-Team-104625954/|url-status=live}}</ref> Justin Verlander bounced back from an off 2008 to win 19 games. He posted a 3.45 ERA and led the AL in strikeouts (269) to finish third in the AL Cy Young balloting.<ref name="2009 stats">{{cite web|title=2009 Detroit Tigers Statistics|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/2009.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=October 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018043228/https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/2009.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Kornacki|title=Success for Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is built in offseason|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2009/10/success_for_tigers_pitcher_jus.html|website=MLive|date=October 6, 2009|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=January 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119031246/https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2009/10/success_for_tigers_pitcher_jus.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kansas City Royals' Zack Greinke wins American League Cy Young Award|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=4663979|website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press|date=November 18, 2009|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=July 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730152129/http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4663979|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Fernando Rodney]] assumed the closer role in spring training, replacing the retired Todd Jones.<ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Kornacki|title=Fernando Rodney named Tigers' closer for now|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2009/04/fernando_rodney_gets_first_opp.html|website=MLive|date=April 2, 2009|access-date=October 18, 2018|archive-date=October 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019001613/https://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2009/04/fernando_rodney_gets_first_opp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rodney responded with 37 saves in 38 tries, while [[Bobby Seay]], [[Fu-Te Ni]], [[Brandon Lyon]], and [[Ryan Perry]] shored up the middle relief that plagued the team in 2007 and 2008.<ref name="2009 stats"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Kornacki|title=Lefty Bobby Seay settles down with the Tigers|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2009/06/lefty_bobby_seay_settles_down.html|website=MLive|date=June 27, 2009|access-date=October 18, 2018|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308122714/https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2009/06/lefty_bobby_seay_settles_down.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=James|last=Schmehl|title=Tigers' Fu-Te Ni returns to Taiwan, addresses game-fixing probe|url=https://www.mlive.com/cutoffman/2009/10/tigers_fu-te_ni_returns_to_tai.html|website=MLive|date=October 28, 2009|access-date=October 18, 2018|archive-date=March 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310015732/https://www.mlive.com/cutoffman/2009/10/tigers_fu-te_ni_returns_to_tai.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Kornacki|title=Reliever Brandon Lyon interested in returning to Tigers|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2009/11/reliever_brandon_lyon_interest.html|website=MLive|date=November 10, 2009|access-date=October 18, 2018|archive-date=August 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814152510/https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2009/11/reliever_brandon_lyon_interest.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Kornacki|title=Tigers' Ryan Perry puts motorcycle accident behind, concentrates on pitching|url=https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2010/02/tigers_pitcher_ryan_perry_fina.html|website=MLive|date=February 19, 2010|access-date=October 18, 2018|archive-date=January 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116040828/https://www.mlive.com/tigers/2010/02/tigers_pitcher_ryan_perry_fina.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite the improvements, the Tigers once again found themselves struggling to hold a lead in the AL Central. The team entered September with a 7-game lead in the division, but wound up tied with the [[2009 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]] at 86 wins by the final day of the regular season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Win puts Tigers in tiebreaker with Twins for Central crown|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=291004106|website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press|date=October 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404201350/http://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=291004106|archive-date=April 4, 2019|access-date=January 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Tiebreaker>{{cite web|first=Nick|last=McIntyre|title=October 6, 2009: Twins defeat Tigers in Game 163 to win AL Central tiebreaker|url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-6-2009-twins-defeat-tigers-game-163-win-al-central-tiebreaker|website=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=October 17, 2018|archive-date=October 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018043232/https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-6-2009-twins-defeat-tigers-game-163-win-al-central-tiebreaker|url-status=live}}</ref> The season ended on October 6 with a 6–5 loss in 12 innings to the Twins in the [[2009 American League Central tie-breaker game|tie-breaker game]], leaving the Tigers with an 86–77 record.<ref name=Tiebreaker/><ref>{{cite web|title=2009 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2009.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=October 23, 2018|archive-date=October 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035218/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2009.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The Tigers spent 146 days of the 2009 season in first place, but became the first team in Major League history to lose a three-game lead with four games left to play.<ref name=Tiebreaker/><ref>{{cite web|last=Matuszewski |first=Erik |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=az7vYlJIT_Hg |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721130715/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=az7vYlJIT_Hg |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |title=Tigers Face Historic Collapse in Baseball Tiebreaker With Twins |publisher=Bloomberg.com |date=October 6, 2009 |access-date=December 27, 2013}}</ref>