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Verlander, Tigers stifle Orioles

Aug 17, 2008 - 3:49 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Justin Verlander pitched six strong innings as the Detroit Tigers topped the Baltimore Orioles, 5-3, on Saturday.

Verlander (9-13) entered the game with a personal four-game losing streak, surrendering more runs (24) over that span than in any other four-start stretch of his career. The righthander rebounded against Baltimore, however, allowing two unearned runs and four hits while striking out six and walking three.

"Nothing really," Verlander said of the reason for his turnaround. "Just a better quality of pitches."

Of the 110 pitches he threw, 69 were for strikes.

"I thought Verlander pitched real good against a good offensive lineup," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

"He threw strikes," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "He pitched great against us back-to-back times. He was better, plain and simple."

Francis Beltran was touched for a run while recording two outs in the seventh before Bobby Seay got Nick Markakis to fly out to center field to end the inning. Kyle Farnsworth allowed two hits in the eighth, but Baltimore's Jay Payton was ejected for disputing a close play at first base on his grounder to shortstop that ended the inning.

Fernando Rodney worked the ninth for his fourth save in eight opportunities.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 25th home run and Carlos Guillen belted his 10th for Detroit off Dennis Sarfate (4-3), who allowed four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

"You have to learn what you can and can't do," Sarfate said. "I thought this was definitely a learning step, a big step in the right direction. You have to look back on the positives and move forward."

Cabrera had three of the Tigers' 10 hits and scored two runs. Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco each added a pair of hits.

"He's a professional hitter," Leyland said of Cabrera. "He's got a good feel for what they're trying to do to him."

Melvin Mora continued his torrid hitting for the Orioles, going 2-for-3. The veteran is 46-for-113 (.407) with seven home runs and 37 RBI in his last 27 games.

"It was one of those days that they pitch around you or you get an accidental hit off the end of the bat," Mora said.