A nice change of pace for Detroit as they take the field at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal for the first of two exhibition games against the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic squad, the first time in history that the Dominican national team has hosted a Major League club on home soil. 

Tonight (Game 1, 6:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network)

Right-hander Ty Madden gets the ball for Detroit, the only starting pitcher A.J. Hinch brought on the trip. That tells you what this is: a showcase, not a pitching showcase. The Dominican lineup is not a spring training lineup. Albert Pujols is managing a roster that includes Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Ketel Marte and Julio Rodríguez — all of them motivated, all of them playing in front of a home crowd hours before the WBC begins pool play Thursday. Nelson Cruz, a man who has done real damage to the Tigers over the years, is running the operation as general manager. Set to pitch after that is left-handers Brant Hurter and Bryan Simmons and righties Brenan Hanifee, Scott Effross and Matt Seelinger. 

On Detroit's side, the names worth watching are Javier Báez, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Spencer Torkelson alongside top prospects Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark, who are both on the travel roster. But the two most compelling storylines wear Dominican flags on their hearts. Wenceel Pérez — born in Azua, about 90 minutes from Santo Domingo — will play in front of his family in a Tigers uniform for the first time. He has an apartment 20 minutes from the stadium. When Hinch asked him if he wanted to make the trip, Pérez said: "I didn't think you would leave me here and not take me." He will start.

Thayron Liranzo, the 22-year-old catching prospect acquired in the Jack Flaherty trade, is also Dominican-born and is expected to start both games behind the plate. Framber Valdez made the trip as well, he is a native of the Dominican Republic — but is not scheduled to pitch due to his throwing program.

The games are being played in memory of the more than 200 people killed in the Jet Set nightclub collapse in Santo Domingo last April. MLB is donating to the Dominican Red Cross. Former Tigers reliever Octavio Dotel and another former MLB player Tony Blanco were also among the lives lost. 

While the second Dominican Republic game tips at 2:05 p.m. ET in Santo Domingo — again on MLB Network, with Liranzo expected in the lineup, the Tigers will simultaneously run a second squad back in Lakeland against Panama at Joker Marchant Stadium. That game will carry the bulk of the pitching development work and will give the team a chance to look at players who did not make the Santo Domingo trip.

Two games on two different islands on the same afternoon. Not a bad Wednesday in spring training.