clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Tigers Try To Avoid Sweep By Orioles

(Sports Network) - Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander will try to stay unbeaten against Baltimore and avoid a sweep today, when Detroit plays the Orioles in the finale of a three-game series at Comerica Park.

Baltimore made it two straight wins in the series on Saturday when Felix Pie and Cesar Izturis each drove in a pair of runs to back a strong effort from Jeremy Guthrie in a 5-3 victory.

Ty Wigginton drove in the other run for the Orioles, who have won six of seven.

Guthrie (10-13) turned in seven scoreless innings, during which he scattered five hits while fanning four and walking one. Koji Uehara tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his ninth save.

Jhonny Peralta provided a two-run double for the Tigers, who had won three in a row entering the series.

Max Scherzer (10-10) was charged with the loss for allowing 12 hits and four runs with five strikeouts in six full frames.

Verlander, the second overall pick in the 2004 draft, has picked up four of his 80 career big-league wins against the Orioles in six starts, allowing 35 hits in 42 innings and posting a 2.57 earned run average.

He's unbeaten in his last four starts (2-0) since an Aug. 17 loss to the New York Yankees, including wins over Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox while surrendering 27 hits and 10 runs in 29 innings.

He struck out seven and walked one in the Sept. 7 win over Chicago, which got him to 15 wins in a season for the fourth time in five full big-league seasons.

Verlander is 10-3 at home in 14 starts in 2010.

For the Orioles, righty Chris Tillman faces the Tigers for the second time in a 19-start major-league career.

A second-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2006, Tillman debuted in the big leagues with 12 starts for Baltimore in 2009. He was 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA.

Tillman returned to the majors on May 29 this season for a no-decision at Toronto and lost three subsequent starts before beating Texas, 6-1, on July 10. In that game, Tillman allowed just two hits and an unearned run in 7 1/3 innings.

In one start against Detroit in 2009, Tillman gave up seven hits and five runs in six innings of a no-decision.