(Best E Casino) - The Detroit Tigers were picked by just about everybody to reach the postseason this year. However, if the team is going to live up to those expectations, it is going to have to have a big second half, which gets underway this evening with the opener of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

After a big offseason which saw Detroit acquire the likes of Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, the Tigers stumbled out of the gate, losing their first seven games and going 2-10 over the first 12 contests.

The Tigers, though, have managed to claw their way back to .500 and start the second half of the season in third place in the American League Central, seven games back of the division-leading Chicago White Sox.

Detroit will also get a big piece of its lineup back tonight, as outfielder Magglio Ordonez has been activated from the disabled list. Ordonez, who is batting .307 with 12 homers and 50 RBI, has missed the Tigers' last 14 games with a pulled oblique.

Kenny Rogers will toe the rubber for Detroit tonight and tries to improve upon a first half that saw him go 6-6 with a 4.55 earned run average. Rogers, though, has lost two of his last three decisions, although he received a no- decision last Thursday against Minnesota. He allowed three runs and nine hits in seven innings of his team's 7-6 loss.

Rogers is 10-9 lifetime against the O's with a save and a 4.67 ERA in 46 games, 28 of which have been starts.

Baltimore will counter with lefty Garrett Olson, who is 6-4 with a 5.65 ERA. Olson was hammered by the Toronto Blue Jays in his last start before the break on July 9, as he surrendered seven runs and seven hits in just 3 2/3 innings.

Olson has never faced the Tigers.

While Detroit seems to be hitting their stride, the Orioles are going in the opposite direction. Since moving three games above .500 on July 4, Baltimore dropped seven of its final eight before the break and has fallen into last place in the AL East.

Detroit won five of its six matchups with the Orioles last season.