Tampa Bay Vs. Detroit 8-22-11
TIME: 07:10 P.M. EST
VENUE: Tropicana Field
Far more often than not this season, Justin Verlander has taken the ball following a loss. The Detroit Tigers' ace won't have to worry about getting the AL Central leaders back on track this time.
Looking to become the majors' first 19-game winner, Verlander will try to lead the Tigers to their fourth straight victory Monday night, when Jeff Niemann and the host Tampa Bay Rays also hope to extend winning streaks.
Verlander (18-5, 2.31 ERA) has made 26 starts since opening day, with 19 of those coming after a Tigers defeat. The right-hander has won 14 such outings, including a 7-1 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday when he struck out eight over 7 2-3 innings.
"I'd rather not be (the stopper)," Verlander told the Tigers' official website after winning his sixth straight start. "I'd rather be the guy who continues a winning streak, but it hasn't been that way."
It will be Monday after Detroit (68-58) completed a three-game sweep of second-place Cleveland on Sunday with an 8-7 victory that extended its division lead to a season-high 4 1/2 games.
Center fielder Austin Jackson threw out Kosuke Fukudome at the plate for a game-ending double play.
"It gives us a little momentum heading into this (seven-game) road (trip) ... we're just going to battle," Jackson said.
The Rays (69-56) can expect the same from Verlander, who leads the majors in strikeouts (204) and innings pitched (202 2-3).
Verlander, though, had his worst outing of 2011 versus Tampa Bay, striking out a season-low two and getting tagged for six runs and nine hits - both season highs - in a 7-6 Tigers home win May 24.
He'll likely need better stuff as Detroit makes its first visit to Tropicana Field since totaling eight runs while getting swept in a four-game series July 26-29, 2010.
The Rays open this four-game set looking to win a sixth straight contest overall for the first time since a 7-0 run that ended two days after the Tigers left town last season.
Johnny Damon was a Tiger then, but now he's on Tampa Bay's side. The designated hitter hit a walkoff solo homer Sunday against Seattle for an 8-7 victory, and he nearly had a grand slam in the seventh inning before video replay ruled the hit a bases-clearing double.
"It was a great team effort, again," said Damon, who went 6 for 15 in three games at Detroit this year - all Rays losses.
Tampa Bay, a season-best 13 games above .500, continues its seven-game homestand with Niemann (8-4, 3.29) trying to win a career-best eighth straight decision. The 6-foot-9 right-hander has won four consecutive starts and is 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 10 outings since coming off the disabled list in June.
"It's just keeping the good roll going," Niemann told the Rays' official website after striking out 10 and throwing his first complete game of the season Tuesday in a 6-2 victory at Boston.
Niemann faces a Tigers offense that's batting .335 and averaging 6.2 runs in the last nine games. Alex Avila is 13 for 28 with 10 walks in that stretch.
Ben Zobrist is hitting a team-best .390 (16 for 41) while helping the Rays win 10 of 12, but the second baseman is 2 for 14 against Detroit this season.
He's 2 for 21 with six strikeouts versus Verlander, who is 5-1 with a 3.88 ERA in nine career starts in this matchup.
Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
