Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander has made a couple of mistakes tonight and the Red Sox hitters have made him pay for them.
In the bottom of the 7th inning, David Ortiz hit a no-doubter to right field to add an insurance run to the Red Sox lead. J.D. Drew's solo home run in the 4th inning initially gave the Red Sox a one-run lead.
Verlander, at 98 pitches through seven innings, struck out the next two batters to give him nine for the night, but the two solo jobs for the Sox have hurt the Tigers. With the Tigers’ bats lost somewhere amidst the fog, it’s hard to see a comeback. We’ll see with the big sticks coming up in the 8th inning, though.
Verlander has now thrown a quality start in each of his first ten starts this season.
The hard throwing right-hander Daniel Bard will enter in the 8th inning for the Red Sox.