DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland says relievers Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit wont pitch in Thursdays fifth game of the AL championship series. Xavier Rhodes . Detroit trails the Texas Rangers 3-1 in the ALCS but sends ace Justin Verlander to the mound for Game 5. Leyland says he hopes the Tigers can make it through this game using just Verlander and reliever Phil Coke. Valverde, Detroits closer, has pitched 4 1-3 innings in the last three days. He took the loss when Texas beat the Tigers 7-3 in 11 innings Wednesday night. Benoit has thrown four innings in the last three days. Alan Page . Pushing the pace to earn free throws, getting inside for a layup, popping a mid-range jumper, he had done it all. And the Denver Nuggets were never able to answer. Fran Tarkenton . Featured is a main event pitting two fighters looking for redemption in the heavyweight division.MIAMI -- Suspended Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito says teammate Jonathan Martin sent him a threatening text message as an apparent joke only a week before their relationship became the subject of a harassment case that has prompted an NFL investigation. In an interview with Fox Sports televised Sunday, Incognito said he never took the threat seriously. Incognito said he regrets the racist and profane language he used with Martin, but said it stemmed from a culture of locker-room "brotherhood," not bullying. "A week before this went down, Jonathan Martin texted me on my phone -- I will murder your whole ... family," Incognito said, quoting Martin as using a profanity. "Now did I think Jonathan Martin was going to murder my family? Not one bit. ... I knew it was coming from a brother. I knew it was coming from a friend. I knew it was coming from a teammate. That just puts in context how we communicate with one another." Responding to the interview, Martins attorney tweeted the message Incognito quoted. The message was accompanied by two photos of a laughing woman holding a dog, suggesting it was intended as a joke. "JMarts text 2 Richie Incognito. U decide....." attorney David Cornwell tweeted. That was the only response by Cornwell or Martins agent to requests from The Associated Press for comment on Incognitos interview. Incognito said Martin also sent him a friendly text four days after leaving the team to undergo counselling for emotional issues. The message came on the heels of the Dolphins overtime victory against Cincinnati. "Wassup man? The worlds gone crazy lol. Im good tho congrats on the win," Martin said in a text verified by Fox Sports. "Yeah Im good man. Its insane bro but just know I dont blame you guys at all. Its just the culture around football and the locker room got to me a little." Martin left the team two weeks ago, and Cornwell alleges the second-year pro was harassed daily by teammates, including Incognito. Martin hasnt spoken publicly but will discuss the case late next week with a special investigator hired by the league. "This isnt an issue about bullying," Incognito told Fox. "This is an issue of my and Jons relationship. You can ask anyone in the Miami Dolphins locker room who had Jon Martins back the absolute most, and theyll undoubtedly tell you me. Corey Wootton. "All this stuff coming out, it speaks to the culture of our locker room, it speaks to culture of our closeness, it speaks to the culture of our brotherhood." Incognitos phone showed 1,142 text messages between the two players over the past year, Fox reported. The network said Incognito declined to answer only one question: Did coaches order him to toughen up Martin? The NFL will investigate the role of coach Joe Philbin, his staff and Miami management in the case. The Dolphins (4-4) play for the first time since Incognito was suspended when they face Tampa Bay (0-8) on Monday night. Incognito is white and Martin is biracial. Teammates both black and white have said Incognito is not a racist, and theyve been more supportive of the veteran guard than they have of Martin. Incognito acknowledged leaving a voicemail for Martin in April in which he used a racist term, threatened to kill his teammate and threatened to slap Martins mother. "When I see those words come up across the screen, Im embarrassed," said Incognito, adding that Martin used the same racist term "a lot." "Im embarrassed by my actions. But what I want people to know is the way Jonathan and the rest of the offensive line and our teammates communicate. Its vulgar. Its not right. ... I understand why a lot of eyebrows get raised when people dont know how Jon and I communicate to one another." Incognito said he never sensed that football or the locker-room culture were getting to Martin. "As his best friend on the team, thats what has me miffed -- how I missed this," Incognito said. "I never saw it coming." Long labeled one of the NFLs dirtiest players, Incognito acknowledged his reputation for out-of-bounds behaviour -- and the impact the much-quoted, threatening voicemail has had on his image. "It sounds terrible. It sounds like Im a racist pig. It sounds like Im a meathead. It sounds a lot of things that its not. ... If you go just by all the knucklehead stuff Ive done in the past, youre sitting in your home and thinking, This guy is a loose cannon. This guy is a terrible person. This guy is a racist. That couldnt be farther from the truth." Incognito said if he met with Martin and his family, he would apologize for anything they took as malicious. ' ' '
