(My Sportsbook) - Young right-hander Rick Porcello makes his major-league debut today at Rogers Centre, as the Detroit Tigers close out a four-game season-opening series with the host Toronto Blue Jays.

A 20-year-old native of Morristown, N.J., Porcello was the Tigers' top pick in the 2007 draft and has never pitched above the Class A level of pro ball.

He was 8-6 with a 2.66 earned run average for Lakeland of the Florida State League in 2008, allowing 116 hits and striking out 72 in 125 innings.

Porcello earned an early spot in the rotation thanks in part to the health issues of established starters Jeremy Bonderman and Dontrelle Willis, but also on the strength of his outings in spring training.

He made five appearances for Detroit in the Grapefruit League and pitched to a 2.64 ERA.

For the Blue Jays, rookie southpaw Ricky Romero will also make his major- league debut.

The 6-foot, 210-pound right-hander earned the No. 4 spot in the rotation out of spring training for Toronto manager Cito Gaston, who will alternate left- handers and right-handers in spots 1 through 5.

Romero has pitched for four teams in four years in the Blue Jays' farm system, breaking in with Dunedin and Auburn as a 20-year-old in 2005 and going 1-0 in nine starts with a 3.58 ERA.

He was 4-8 in 22 starts in 2006 and 3-6 in 19 starts in 2007, then went 8-8 in 28 outings last season - including seven with Triple-A Syracuse of the International League.

Overall, in 78 minor-league starts, Romero has allowed 434 hits and 200 earned runs in 415 2/3 innings.

On Wednesday, Miguel Cabrera homered twice, singled and finished with four RBI to carry the Tigers to a 5-1 win.

Detroit, which did not register a win until its eighth game last year, was routed in the opener of the four-game set, 12-5, and blew a three-run lead on Tuesday before Toronto's Rod Barajas drove in the winning run on a sac fly.

Zach Miner (1-0), in his fourth year in the big leagues, pitched well over 5 2/3 innings, scattering six hits, two walks and a run while striking out four to earn the victory.

Helping on the offensive end was Brandon Inge, who homered for the third consecutive game for the Tigers.

Jesse Litsch (0-1), coming off a 13-win campaign, surrendered five runs on seven hits while fanning five in a six-inning start for Toronto, which has not opened a season 3-0 since 1996.

Toronto was 5-3 against the Tigers last season, including a 2-2 mark north of the border.