Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes
--RHP Justin Verlander remained unbeaten against Baltimore in his career, striking out nine and allowing four hits in eight innings. Verlander is 6-0 in eight starts against the Orioles. "They put up some runs," Verlander said, "so I could be aggressive. My off-speed stuff was significantly better. I definitely feel I'm throwing the ball better now than I was the last couple of years." One of Verlander's offseason goals was to prepare better in spring training in hopes of having the first above-.500 April record of his career. Verlander retired the first 10 batters he faced yet did not throw a first-pitch strike to six of them. He gave up a two-run home run in the fourth but rather than muscle up with more fastballs to get through the rough patch, Verlander went more to his curve. Then in the seventh and eighth, he went back to more fastballs.
--C Alex Avila responded to an exhortation to relax with a career-high five RBI in Detroit's second win of the season. Avila had a two-run double in the second inning, a two-run home run in the fourth and an RBI single in the eighth. "With the lineup we have," he said, "I have to swing the bat. Mac (hitting coach Lloyd McClendon) has been helping me out the past couple of days."
"I think he loosened up a little bit," manager Jim Leyland said of Avila, who had just one hit in three previous games. "He was playing a little tense."
Avila was also disturbed at being behind the plate for five of Detroit's six wild pitches. Not one of Justin Verlander's offerings got by him Wednesday, with or without a man on base.
--DH Victor Martinez made a minor adjustment and was rewarded with a single, home run and double. Martinez dropped his hands a little at the start of his swing and got good results with the change. Martinez was to have caught Thursday, but in the wake of C Alex Avila's five-RBI game, Martinez is expected to be Detroit's DH again.
--1B Miguel Cabrera reached a personal milestone with the 250th home run of his career. His third home run of the season was a 396-foot shot good for two runs in the fifth inning. The pitch was a fastball down and a little away that Cabrera muscled over the center field fence.
--RHP Joel Zumaya has received clearance to throw for the first time since Feb. 28 following a visit to Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. Zumaya will do light throwing for five days, then see Andrews for a checkup. If things go well, Zumaya can begin a long-toss program, which would then be followed by throwing off a mound. No timetable has been set for his return, but some time from mid- to late May would seem reasonable.
--CF Austin Jackson continues to struggle with his timing at the plate. Jackson went 0-for-5, and he has three hits this season. Part of his problem is not getting his front foot down quickly enough, leaving him late on his swing, especially on fastballs. He didn't have that problem much of last season.
--OF Casper Wells was the last Detroit position player to get into a game this season. Wells pinch-ran for RF Magglio Ordonez in the seventh inning, then stayed in the game and played right. Wells flied out to center in the ninth, his first at-bat of the season.
BY THE NUMBERS
0 -- Times Baltimore has beaten RHP Justin Verlander in his career. Verlander improved to 6-0 lifetime against the Orioles with eight innings of four-hit ball.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I told him, 'When you were at Alabama, you had a lot of fun. That's what you need to do up here. You're a good big-league player -- and you're going to be a real good big-league player. So you just need to play like you're playing at Alabama. Enjoy it. Have fun.'" -- Manager Jim Leyland, on what he told Alabama product C Alex Avila, who had one hit in three games entering Wednesday night before going 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI.
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