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Pirates-Tigers Preview

Jun 11, 2010 - 4:06 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Pittsburgh (23-36) at Detroit (30-28), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Justin Verlander didn't look like himself during a rocky April, but the Detroit Tigers ace has returned to form over the past six weeks.

With the heart of the interleague schedule getting underway, there's no reason to expect him to slow down.

Verlander totes a 9-1 career record in 13 interleague starts career starts into Friday night, when the struggling Tigers face the Pittsburgh Pirates to open a nine-game homestand against sub-.500 clubs.

Verlander (6-4, 3.65 ERA) made it through six innings once in five April starts, but he's lasted at least that long in all seven of his outings since May 1. He bounced back from losses to Seattle and Oakland on Saturday at Kansas City, holding the Royals to two runs and five hits over seven innings of a 4-2 victory.

The hard-throwing right-hander has been especially tough to hit at Comerica Park this season, limiting opponents to a .186 average and one homer in 32 2-3 innings.

He's been even tougher to touch at home during interleague play. Verlander hasn't faced Pittsburgh but is 5-0 with a 2.03 ERA and a 1.68 opponent batting average in six starts versus the NL at Comerica.

The Tigers (30-29) could use a spark from their No. 1 starter. Detroit has dropped 12 of 18, and its starters went 1-4 with a 7.29 ERA on a six-game road trip to Kansas City and Chicago.

Max Scherzer pitched seven solid innings Thursday against the White Sox, but the Tigers' offense totaled three singles in a 3-0 loss.

"I think we're just one click away from getting it going," catcher Gerald Laird told the Tigers' official website. "We've just got to find this click."

Detroit's starters are clicking at Comerica, where they're 10-8 with a 3.66 ERA - they're 7-15 with a 6.01 ERA on the road - and facing the light-hitting Pirates (23-37) should help that home mark get even better.

Now trailing Minnesota by 4 1/2 games in the AL Central, the Tigers realize how critical a nine-game stretch against Pittsburgh, Washington and Arizona is.

"We have to go in there and look to win at least seven games," Laird said. "We play good at home, and that's our comfort zone. If we can catch a good homestand, I think we can go and catch fire."

This is the Pirates' first interleague series of 2010. Despite going 8-7 against the AL in 2009, they're a major league-worst 71-110 all-time in interleague play.

Right now, Pittsburgh is probably happy to get a break from the NL. The Nationals completed a three-game sweep of the Pirates with a 4-2 win Thursday, sending the Central's last-place club to its fifth straight loss and 11th in 14 games.

"We just can't create runs. That's been our problem," manager John Russell said. "... The pitcher's backs are against the wall too often."

Ross Ohlendorf (0-3, 4.30) will try to hold down Miguel Cabrera and the rest of the Tigers.

The right-hander has made three consecutive quality starts but has no wins to show for it. He allowed three runs over six innings in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to San Francisco on Sunday.

Perhaps facing the Tigers will help Ohlendorf crack the win column. He limited Detroit to a run and two hits over six innings of a 6-3 win at PNC Park on June 14, 2009.

Cabrera, hitting .481 with six homers in his last seven home games, is 1 for 5 against Ohlendorf.