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Royals-Tigers Preview

Aug 15, 2009 - 3:54 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Kansas City (45-69) at Detroit (60-54), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Outstanding pitching has been a major factor in the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers winning consecutive games. It's been even more impressive because both victories have come via shutouts, but facing the Kansas City Royals has also helped.

The Tigers look to continue their dominance of the Royals on Saturday night when the teams play the middle game of this series at Comerica Park.

Detroit (61-54) ended a three-game slide Thursday when Justin Verlander and Fernando Rodney combined on a four-hitter to beat Boston 2-0. Jarrod Washburn and Brandon Lyon followed that up Friday by holding the Royals to three hits before Brandon Inge connected for a walk-off homer for a 1-0 victory.

The Tigers have accumulated 21 consecutive shutout innings, two shy of the season high set during a four-game stretch May 7-10. They haven't posted three consecutive shutouts since July 30-31, 1949.

Detroit has won seven of 10 season meetings with the Royals (45-70), with its starters going 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA.

One of those losses, however, came with Edwin Jackson (8-5, 2.79 ERA) on the mound May 26, when he gave up four runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 6-1 defeat. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA in five games - four starts - against the Central rivals.

Jackson is also looking to rebound from another short outing. He was pulled after throwing 104 pitches in four innings Monday, while allowing four runs and nine hits and not getting a decision in a 6-5 loss at Boston. It was the second time in three starts he's failed to reach the fifth.

"I just didn't get the job done," Jackson told the Tigers' official Web site. "There isn't really one particular thing. The main thing is, as a starting pitcher, you go out and you try to get the job done. Either you do, or you don't."

Inge is seeking to build on his clutch homer, only his third hit in seven games. The third baseman has a .143 average with four RBIs in that span, and he's batting .191 with two homers and seven RBIs in 28 games since appearing in his first All-Star game last month.

"Any homer is fun, but hitting one to win a game is something special," said Inge, who is hitting .115 with one homer and one RBI in his last nine home matchups with Kansas City. "I felt a little better tonight, but I feel a heck of a lot better now. Winning a game like that will do that."

The Royals have alternated wins and losses in their last nine games.

Luke Hochevar (6-5, 5.38) will try to keep that trend intact as he seeks his first victory in four starts.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in his last three outings. Those numbers are in stark contrast to his previous six starts, during which he was 4-0 with a 4.43 ERA.

Hochevar's struggles continued Sunday, when he allowed four runs and two homers in seven innings of a 6-3 loss to Oakland.

He's 1-1 with a 5.02 ERA in three games - two starts - against the Tigers, but hasn't faced them since a loss on July 21, 2008.