Los Angeles Vs. Detroit 7-5-11
A marquee matchup is in store with Detroit's Justin Verlander set to renew acquaintances with Dan Haren.
The Tigers ace will try to win his 10th straight decision Tuesday night when he squares off against fellow All-Star Haren and the red-hot Los Angeles Angels.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia is looking forward to seeing Verlander (11-3, 2.32 ERA) duel Haren (8-5, 2.85).
Verlander went 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA and Haren was 1-3 with a 5.17 ERA when they met five times from 2006-07 when Haren was with Oakland. They haven't opposed each other since.
"They're totally different in the way they pitch," Scioscia told MLB's official website. "Verlander has that electric power stuff. He relies on stuff and movement, changing movement from fastball to breaking ball to changeup.
"As opposed to Dan Haren, who relies on locating pitches with a different variety of looks. They have different ways of going about it, but are two of the best pitchers in baseball."
Verlander is 9-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 12 outings since losing to Seattle on April 27. He has posted a 0.79 ERA in winning his last seven starts.
The right-hander's 130 strikeouts lead the AL, and his nine straight wins mark the longest streak by a Tiger since Jeremy Bonderman won 11 in a row from 2006-07.
Verlander struck out six and gave up two runs over seven innings in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the New York Mets.
"I've been on a pretty good run here, had pretty doggone good stuff for a period of time here," Verlander said. "You've got to know that that's not going to last an entire season."
Verlander is 3-3 with a 4.53 ERA in nine outings against the Angels (45-41), going 2-0 despite an 8.62 ERA in three in Anaheim. He can become the majors' first 12-game winner if the Yankees' CC Sabathia does not win earlier Tuesday.
Numerous Angels have enjoyed success against Verlander, including Maicer Izturis (9 for 18), Vernon Wells (6 for 14), Erick Aybar (7 for 18), Torii Hunter (12 for 36) and Bobby Abreu (7 for 22).
Haren has had trouble against Detroit's Victor Martinez and Magglio Ordonez. Martinez is 9 for 18 and Ordonez 9 for 22.
Haren's 4.93 ERA against the Tigers is his second-highest versus any AL club. He's 2-4 in seven starts against them.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge of facing the Tigers," Haren said.
The veteran right-hander yielded two hits through 7 1-3 innings Wednesday to earn a 1-0 victory over Washington. He had been 0-3 with a 3.21 ERA over his previous five home starts.
Los Angeles, tied with Texas atop the AL West, is seeking to capture a seventh straight series after posting its ninth win in 11 games and 14th in 19 with Monday's 5-1 victory. Hunter returned to the lineup after not starting two games with a bruised left hand and homered, while Wells also went deep.
Detroit (45-41) has dropped five of seven overall and six of eight on the road.
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