Detroit Vs. Minnesota 8-17-11
After their ace became the majors' first 18-game winner, the Detroit Tigers hope things are once again headed in a positive direction.
The AL Central-leading Tigers try to conclude their series against the Minnesota Twins with a second straight victory Wednesday night at Comerica Park.
A night after Jim Thome hit his 600th homer in Minnesota's 9-6 win, Detroit (65-57) bounced back to avoid a third consecutive defeat with a 7-1 win Tuesday behind 7 2-3 strong innings from Justin Verlander and three RBIs from Miguel Cabrera.
The Tigers are in the midst of an important six-game divisional homestand that concludes this weekend against Cleveland, their closest pursuer in the Central. Though Verlander has a chance to match his career high win total in his next start, all he's concerned with is for the Tigers to keep winning games.
"Every win is important for us right now," Verlander said. "Right now it's a time to get ready (Wednesday) for us to go out there and win another baseball game."
One of six Tigers with two hits Tuesday, Cabrera is batting .397 with 10 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak. Delmon Young, meanwhile, had his second straight two-hit night in his second game since Detroit acquired him in a trade with Minnesota prior to Monday's contest.
The Tigers hope Brad Penny (8-9, 4.99 ERA) can settle down and give them a strong outing as he tries for a second straight victory. Penny allowed four runs in 5 1-3 innings in a 5-4 win at Baltimore on Friday to snap a personal three-game skid.
"We won, and that's all I care about," said Penny, who has given up 16 runs in 15 1-3 innings over his last three starts.
The right-hander will look to beat the Twins for the first time this year after going 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in his previous two starts against them. Penny allowed four runs in seven innings of a 4-1 loss at Minnesota on July 23.
Thome, who struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance Tuesday, has hit one of his 600 homers in 15 at-bats versus Penny.
Joe Mauer had two hits Tuesday for the Twins (53-68), who have lost 12 of 15.
Though scheduled Twins starter Carl Pavano (6-9, 4.55) is 0-3 with a 6.03 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break, he has allowed two earned runs and pitched into the eighth inning in each of his last two outings. His teammates, however, have scored three runs over both contests.
Only one of the two runs the right-hander allowed in 7 1-3 innings Friday was earned during a 3-2 loss at Cleveland.
"He throws strikes and he pitches on the black all the time," Indians manager Manny Acta told the Twins' official website. "He's not leaving pitches right over the plate. He's tough. He knows how to pitch."
Pavano, however, has given up at least nine hits in five straight starts, including July 21, when he allowed that many and five runs in six innings of a 6-2 loss to Detroit.
Cabrera is a lifetime .310 hitter with a homer versus Pavano, while Young is 3 for 5.
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