Brandon Inge

DETROIT - Saying "dreams come true," Prince Fielder was introduced yesterday by the Detroit Tigers. Fielder appeared at a news conference at Comerica Park after finalizing a $214 million, 9-year contract, the fourth-largest deal in baseball history. "This is awesome," Fielder said. "I just never thought this could happen. " With Detroit desperate to win its first World Series title since 1984, the big first baseman will combine with Miguel Cabrera to give the Tigers perhaps the most formidable Nos. 3-4 hitters in the major leagues.

The Detroit Tigers did what they needed to in order to hold on to first place in the American League Central. Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run homer in an eight-run fourth inning, Brandon Inge added a grand slam in the sixth and the Tigers routed the visiting Baltimore Orioles, 17-2, last night. "This was a fun day," said Craig Monroe, who homered and scored three runs. Detroit, which had 19 hits, scored more runs against the Orioles than the Tigers totaled in their previous six games combined.

The Minnesota Twins finally got on the scoreboard in the first inning. After retiring leadoff hitter Shannon Stewart, Detroit starter Jason Johnson (1-1) gave up seven straight hits, a walk and five runs as the Twins went on to top the visiting Tigers, 8-4, last night. Terry Tiffee had a two-run homer and a career-high three RBI in his first game of the season for the Twins. Jacque Jones also hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, which has won three straight games. "[Bench coach]

Next time, keep your mouth shut Tigers manager Jim Leyland was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball on Wednesday for "inappropriate and aggressive" conduct in Monday night's game against Tampa Bay. The manager was ejected during an argument in which Leyland said he accidentally sprayed second base umpire Marty Foster with sunflower seeds. Leyland was philosophical. "You take your medicine and move on," Leyland said.   Find fun where you can In the continuing absence of a Roy Oswalt trade, we bring you this instead: Cleveland sent third baseman Jhonny Peralta to Detroit for minor-league lefthander Giovanni Soto.

The Detroit Tigers had lost two games in a row, and Justin Verlander considered it his job to keep the streak from reaching three. "Absolutely. We lost our last two games, and I really just wanted to go out there and make a statement," he said last night after leading the visiting Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. "Everybody on this team can play that role. I just happened to be the guy today. " Verlander scattered six hits over 7 2/3 innings, and Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez homered.

Deciding the AL Central champion will take a while. Fausto Carmona struck out a career-high 10 and finally got his 14th win as the Cleveland Indians regained a share of the division lead with Detroit by beating the visiting Tigers, 5-2, last night to split the two-game showdown series. Carmona (14-7) dominated Detroit, allowing one earned run and four hits in eight innings. Staked to an early 3-1 lead, Carmona unleashed his breaking pitches on the Tigers, retiring 13 of 14 in one stretch, and earned his first win since beating Boston, 1-0, on July 25. "Whew, Carmona was something," Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said.

The Detroit Tigers built an early lead, then had to hold on to win. Ivan Rodriguez had four hits and the visiting Tigers roughed up Brad Radke and beat Minnesota, 11-8, last night, ending the Twins' six-game winning streak. Craig Monroe had three hits and scored three runs, and Alex Sanchez returned to the lineup and drove in three runs. Detroit led, 9-0, in the third inning. Only once last season did the Tigers score more than 11 runs. On their way to an American League-record 119 losses, they beat Kansas City, 15-6, on Sept.

Craig Monroe hit a three-run homer off Scott Proctor with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Detroit Tigers avoided a doubleheader sweep by rallying past the New York Yankees, 5-3, last night. Chien-Ming Wang (16-5) earned his 16th win in the day game, combining on a four-hitter in a 2-0 Yankees victory in the matchup of division leaders. New York led, 3-2, in the nightcap when Proctor (5-4), trying for his first career save, walked Brandon Inge with one out in the ninth and Curtis Granderson with two outs.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are trying to close a deal to sign infielder Julio Lugo, arrested last month for allegedly attacking his wife. Lugo cleared waivers Tuesday and was given his unconditional release by the Houston Astros. Lugo was arrested April 30 following a loss to the Atlanta Braves and charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly attacking his wife at Minute Maid Park before the game. Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said Lugo would likely start at shortstop.

Justin Verlander shut down the New York Yankees while the Detroit Tigers roughed up Mike Mussina and a couple of relievers in their highest-scoring game this season. Verlander gave up only three hits and Placido Polanco was one of three Tigers with at least three hits, including his homer after Mussina was chased, to lead Detroit to a 16-0 win over visiting New York last night. Verlander (14-5) struck out six and walked two over seven innings. He has won three of his last four starts.

THE UNLIKELY comeback began rather innocently, with a pair of hits that didn't make it out of the infield. Then came two drives off the outfield wall, providing the Baltimore Orioles with an exclamation point on a successful homestand and a wave of momentum heading into Yankee Stadium. Wilson Betemit hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning after Matt Wieters doubled in two runs, and Baltimore rallied to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

DETROIT - Saying "dreams come true," Prince Fielder was introduced yesterday by the Detroit Tigers. Fielder appeared at a news conference at Comerica Park after finalizing a $214 million, 9-year contract, the fourth-largest deal in baseball history. "This is awesome," Fielder said. "I just never thought this could happen. " With Detroit desperate to win its first World Series title since 1984, the big first baseman will combine with Miguel Cabrera to give the Tigers perhaps the most formidable Nos. 3-4 hitters in the major leagues.

MIGUEL CABRERA told a Venezuelan newspaper that he's moving to third base to accommodate the Detroit Tigers' newest slugger, first baseman Prince Fielder. "It was something we were talking [about at the Tigers'] fan fest [last week]. Return to third base, that is my natural position," Cabrera told Lider en Deportes . "Fielder's arrival will benefit us. " Fielder, on Tuesday, agreed to a 9-year, $214 million contract with the Tigers, multiple media outlets reported. MLB.com, citing an unnamed source, reported that the Tigers agreed to sign the former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman only after they talked to Cabrera first and received his approval.

DETROIT - One moment, Justin Verlander and the Tigers were on the verge of watching their season slip away. After a doubleplay and a lucky bounce, they were headed back to Texas. Verlander helped save Detroit's season with a gutsy effort and the Tigers hit for a sudden cycle to break away in a 7-5 victory yesterday that cut the Rangers' lead to 3-2 in the AL Championship Series. Delmon Young hit two of Detroit's four homers and Miguel Cabrera had a tiebreaking double in the sixth inning - thanks to a bizarre bounce off third base.

DETROIT - The Texas tag team of Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli was too much for the Detroit Tigers. Cruz made a rocket throw to keep the score tied, then hit a crushing three-run home run in the 11th inning off Jose Valverde that helped send the Rangers over the Tigers, 7-3, Wednesday night for a three-games-to-one lead in the American League Championship Series. Napoli had put Texas ahead with an RBI single earlier in the 11th. Cruz, whose grand slam in the 11th inning won Game 2, once again starred for the Rangers in a game delayed 2 hours, 13 minutes at the start by rain.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports has an interesting twist on what the Mets should do with MVP candidate Jose Reyes - rent him out, then re-sign him. "If Reyes really is intent on re-signing with the Mets this offseason, he'd encourage them to deal him," Passan wrote. "Get some more talent to put around him and David Wright. A Reyes rental would pull at least three good pieces. That's three more than the Mets have now, and as long as they stay among the bottom half of records, they wouldn't even lose their first-round pick for signing him. " Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik said he will not trade ace Felix Hernandez, a 16-game losing streak notwithstanding.

DETROIT - Don Kelly entered the game as a pinch-hitter and batted twice before the inning was over. It was an unusual experience for the Detroit utilityman - and a sign that the Tigers' offense is beginning to live up to its potential. Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead single and the Tigers scored seven runs with two outs in the eighth to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-3, on Sunday. Kelly started the rally with a one-out single with the Tigers down a run. By the time he came to the plate again, Detroit led, 7-2. "It doesn't happen too often, but we like it when it does," Kelly said.

Eric Hosmer hit his first career homer then delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 11th inning, sending the Kansas City Royals to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the host New York Yankees last night. Hosmer's homer was a soaring shot into the second deck in rightfield in the fourth inning, hours before the outcome was decided. Wilson Betemit had a tying RBI single in the eighth for Kansas City and Jeff Francoeur drove in a run during the 10th inning. Joakim Soria (3-0)

MINNEAPOLIS - Before the final game of a six-game road trip that would have been deemed successful no matter the outcome of the finale, Detroit manager Jim Leyland walked around to each of his hitters with a quiet message. "Don't give this one away," he told Brandon Inge, Victor Martinez, and the rest of the Tigers. Consider the message received. Inge hit an RBI triple off the center-field wall in the ninth inning to lift the Tigers to their fifth win in a row, 9-7, over the slumping Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

DETROIT - Brad Penny had a no-hit bid broken up on an infield single, but he took it in stride and without a hint of disappointment after the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 9-0, Saturday. With one out in the sixth inning, Brent Morel hit a chopper down the third-base line. Brandon Inge backhanded it behind the bag and made a throw in the dirt that first baseman Miguel Cabrera couldn't field cleanly to attempt a tag on Morel. "I still don't think I would've thrown a no-hitter," Penny said.