I talked with a friend this morning, and he said, “who was the new guy pitching for the Tigers last night?”

I replied there was none – and then I understood his subtle humor. He was talking about Justin Verlander, who really did look like a new guy.

Our ace was back! It felt good.

Verlander pitched brilliantly, and masterfully. Enroute to his first win of the year, he pitched seven shut-out innings, striking out nine batters. The Tigers won the game, beating the New York Yankees 4-2.

Bobby Seay pitched, as did Fernando Rodney to help nail it down.

Funny thing, we are not out of April yet, and the first thing I did was to turn to the scoreboard to see what the Royals were doing. Chicago was rained out. But, we are still in first place, a game up on Kansas City.

QUICK NOTES

Brandon Inge singled to keep his streak alive. He has hit in all 19 games this season.

Dontrelle Willis will start for the Mud Hens Friday night. Provided that things continue to go well during his rehab, he could be back soon.

The Tigers face the Yankees tonight in game 2. Look for Edwin Jackson (1-1) to face a newcomer, Phillip Hughes, making his first major league start.

Clay Rapada was recalled from Toledo, and Jeff Larish optioned to the Mud Hens