Although both teams have four hits, it's the Rangers who are holding the 2-0 lead after three innings.
Similar to 94-percent of Tigers games (or so), Austin Jackson started the game by striking out on three pitches. (Yes, I know, the fire starter). The Tigers then loaded the bases behind singles by Ryan Raburn and Miguel Cabrera, and a walk to Victor Martinez, but C.J. Wilson was bailed out by a double play ball off the bat of Magglio Ordonez.
Justin Verlander had a shaky 25-pitch first inning (two walks), but it only became really scary when Austin Jackson misplayed a fly ball that made a hypothetical morph of Ryan Raburn and Delman Young (Rymon Youngburn) look like a Gold Glover. After Verlander walked his second batter of the inning, he got out of it unscathed with a strike out.
In the top half of the second, the Tigers collected two more hits, but both were singles and Wilson was able to escape by getting Jackson to swing-bunt out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, Verlander struggled again, thanks in part to a biased tight strike zone from home plate umpire Tim Welke getting in his dome. Mike Napoli started the inning with a single to right field and later scored on David Murphy's one-out triple to right center. An Ian Kinsler single later, Verlander finally got out of the inning by getting Elvis Andrus to pop out.
In the top of the third, Wilson walked his second hitter of the game, but struck out Miguel Cabrera looking (on a ball) and then forced Martinez to hit into an inning ending double play.
Through two innings, Verlander had thrown 49 pitches, but benefitted from a relatively quick third inning. He struck out Josh Hamilton and Michael Young on three pitches each and, after a second pitch single by Beltre, got Napoli to ground out on the sixth pitch. 63 pitches through three innings still isn't very good, though.
Hopefully, Verlander will be able to overcome his frustrations and settle down while his offense finally strings some hits together against Wilson.