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Verlander hurls no-hitter against Brewers

Jun 13, 2007 - 4:00 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Justin Verlander didn't see the last out. Apparently, the Milwaukee Brewers couldn't get a look all night.

Verlander pitched a no-hitter and struck out a career-high 12 batters in the Detroit Tigers' 4-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old struck out the first two batters in the ninth before J.J. Hardy flied out to right field on an 0-2 pitch to end it, sparking a wild celebration in the middle of the diamond.

"I didn't even see the last out," Verlander said. "(Catcher Ivan Rodriguez) was hugging me and yelling in my ear that I couldn't turn around and see (right fielder Magglio Ordonez) catch the ball."

The righthander faced three batters over the minimum in his second career complete game.

"I really didn't think about the no-hitter until the last out," Verlander said. "Anyone of those hitters could have broken it up with one swing. Just before that last pitch, I stepped off the mound to calm down a little.

"My last pitch was up and I didn't want to make the same mistake again. The last out was the most memorable thing of the night for me."

The 235th no-hitter in major league history is the sixth in Tigers' franchise history and the first since Jack Morris held the Chicago White Sox hitless on April 7, 1984.

It was the first no-hitter in the eight-year history of Comerica Park.

The 2006 Rookie of the Year's effort is the second no-hitter in the majors this season. Chicago White Sox lefthander Mark Buehrle tossed one against the Texas Rangers on April 18.

"The guys were amazing tonight," Verlander said. "I couldn't have done it without them. I was using my fastball for first-pitch strikes and they helped me out by swinging at a lot a first pitch strikes. I really think I had the advantage because they had never faced me before"

Verlander (7-2) walked three batters and received some good defense in the seventh, when right fielder Magglio Ordonez made a sliding catch coming in on a ball hit bay Corey Hart.

"When I saw the ball hit, I ran really hard," Ordonez said. "I was able to catch it with the slide."

"He had great stuff," a visibly choked-up Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I'm very happy for him, he's something very special. This is something he can take with him forever."

Verlander pitched seven scoreless innings in his last outing, a 10-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Brandon Inge gave Verlander all the runs they needed with a solo homer in the first inning off Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan.

"It was the most amazing performance I have ever witnessed," Inge said of Verlander. "Every pitch was in the black or on the corner."

Detroit opened a 3-0 advantage in the sixth, when Curtis Granderson tripled to plate Inge and Placido Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to score Granderson.

In a game like this you don't want to make better plays," Granderson said. "You just want to make the play and make sure the ball doesn't hit the ground."

Inge's seventh-inning single scored Craig Monroe for a 4-0 lead, as Detroit recorded its third straight victory and seventh in its last nine contests.

Suppan (7-7) pitched 6 1/3 innings, yielding four runs, seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.

"Soup (Suppan) threw great," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "I don't have any problem with what he did."