Rick Porcello, still in the hunt for that fifth spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation, was asked Saturday, if he had a crystal ball and could look two weeks into the future, what he might see.
        “I don’t believe in magic,” the rookie replied.
        Good answer.
        “I think about it, obviously,” Porcello admitted. “I’m human. But whatever happens, happens. It’s out of my control.”
        The names were there on the lineup card for everyone to see at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday: Melky Cabrera, Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Hideki Matsui --  except for Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, the New York Yankees’ entire regular season array.
        The Tigers wanted to see what the 20-year-old Porcello would do on the big stage.
        Porcello, who hadn’t pitched since March 9 because of a cut underneath the nail on his right index finger that refused to heal,  lasted less than three innings, allowing two runs on four hits before he was replaced by Clay Rapada in the middle of the third of what turned out to be a 4-3 Tigers loss.
        After three starts, covering 6 1/3 innings, Porcello has a 4.26 ERA.
        “Just another team, another game,” Porcello insisted before the game.
        Afterwards, he admitted, “There’s an aura that follows the Yankees. At times, it’s a little more exciting when you’re facing a team like that. I thought about it a little bit. But once I got out there, all that other stuff kind of went away.”
        Saturday’s exhibition was Porcello’s biggest test yet this spring. And he clearly passed, even though Nate Robertson certainly appears to be the front-runner in the race for that fifth starting spot.
        “You find out a little more about guys when they have some adversity,” Leyland said. “I don’t think he (Porcello) had very much adversity in high school. And he did fine.”
        “I’ve got to do a better job of getting ahead of hitters and being consistent with my pitches,” Porcello said afterward.
        “But I’ve learned I can definitely compete here. I know what I have to work on to get better. I’ve learned a lot about myself. I have a lot of confidence.
        “I guess I’ve been throwing the ball well enough to stay here at this point. But I’m not going to get ahead of myself.”
        “He’s a pitcher in camp like everyone else, fighting for a spot,” Leyland said, fending off the New York reporters who came looking for some pithy sound bites on Porcello, who was born and raised in New Jersey and grew up a fan of the Mets and Jets.
        “Is he one of the best young players I’ve seen in a long time? Absolutely,” Leyland continued. “I think he’ll be a real impressive major league pitcher someday. We already know he’s a big league pitcher. It’s just a matter of when. We need to make a decision on whether he’s a big league pitcher right now.
        “But I’ve seen a lot of good young pitchers in my time. There have been a lot of good young players since Babe Ruth died. I haven’t seen the  Second Coming of the Lord.”