Royals 1 - 3 Tigers
Final
  for this game

Verlander flirts with history, settles for win

May 14, 2011 - 4:46 AM

Video

Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Although Justin Verlander's bid at major league history fell short, he was still good enough to pitch the red-hot Detroit Tigers to a 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals to open a three-game series.

Verlander (4-3) was vying to become the second pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in consecutive starts, but the bid was broken up in the sixth inning by Melky Cabrera's two-out RBI triple.

After throwing his second career no-hitter against Toronto on Saturday, the 28-year-old ace went eight innings in this one, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts to get the win, Detroit's sixth in a row.

"I started thinking about the no-hitter around the third or fourth inning," Verlander said. "I just kept making my pitches and didn't hold anything back."

Austin Jackson and Jhonny Peralta both had solo homers for the victors.

Luke Hochevar (3-4) surrendered three runs on seven hits in six innings for the Royals, who were coming off their first series win against the Yankees in the Bronx since 1999.

Verlander surrendered his first hit in 14 2/3 innings in the sixth.

After giving up a one-out walk to Alcides Escobar, Verlander got Chris Getz on a ground out before serving a changeup that Cabrera slapped into right-center field to score Escobar for a 3-1 game.

Verlander, though, shut down the Royals the next two innings, while Jose Valverde worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to get his ninth save of the season.

Following a 1-2-3 first inning by Verlander, Jackson hit his first leadoff homer of the season to put the Tigers on board.

"He did such a good job," Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur said of Verlander. "He started throwing 93-94 mph and then by the sixth inning he's throwing 98."

Victor Martinez led off the second with a single, extending his hit streak to 12 games, and scored later on Alex Avila's grounder to second base.

Peralta added to the lead, helping Verlander's cause with a solo shot in the fourth for a 3-0 edge.

Game Notes

Cincinnati's Johnny Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters in June of 1938...Detroit placed outfielder Magglio Ordonez on the 15-day disabled list before the game with right ankle weakness. The move is retroactive to May 11. To replace Ordonez on the roster, the Tigers purchased the contract of outfielder Andy Dirks from Triple-A Toledo...The Royals took two of three at Detroit from April 8-10.






Related News