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Tigers' Penny hopes to pay off vs. White Sox

Apr 23, 2011 - 3:27 PM (Sports Network) - Brad Penny's first stint with the Detroit Tigers hasn't gone so well and he will get the nod this afternoon versus the Chicago White Sox in the second meeting of a three-game series at Comerica Park.

Penny is 0-2 with an 8.44 earned run average in four starts in his new digs and lasted just five innings in Sunday's 5-1 loss at Oakland. He allowed all five runs and four hits in five innings of work, while striking out five batters and issuing four walks.

The bulky right-hander, who was limited to nine starts a year ago with St. Louis, hasn't tasted victory since last April 25 at San Francisco. Penny has never faced the White Sox in his career.

Detroit hopes Penny's initial encounter with the Pale Hose is a good one, as it's coming off Friday's 9-3 triumph in the series opener. Ryan Raburn hit a two-run homer and finished with four RBI, while Casper Wells added two hits and two runs batted in for the Tigers, winners in two straight and seven of 10 games.

Tigers starter Justin Verlander fanned eight batters to reach 1,000 career strikeouts while allowing three runs -- all on solo homers -- and four hits over seven innings.

"I felt like I had good control of everything," Verlander said. "If you're going to give up homers, give up solo homers. That's what I did. Our guys put up runs to allow me to be a little more aggressive."

The Tigers have won seven straight and nine of the past 10 games against the White Sox. They're also unbeaten in three straight at home.

Chicago got two home runs from Carlos Quentin and a solo shot out of Paul Konerko in last night's loss. Quentin and Konerko clubbed back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning for the White Sox, who have lost eight of nine games and fell to 1-4 on a lengthy 11-game road trip.

White Sox starter Mark Buehrle was tagged for six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings to absorb the loss.

"It's too early to be worried," Buehrle said about the White Sox's struggles. "We haven't been hitting well or pitching well. Things just aren't clicking right now."

Edwin Jackson's first full season with the White Sox seems to be clicking, as he sports a 2-1 mark and 3.51 ERA in four outings. He will take the ball this afternoon.

However, Jackson dropped his last start in Monday's 5-0 blanking at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, who reached Jackson for a season-high four runs and 11 hits in seven innings.

Jackson, a right-hander and former Tiger, is 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA in nine career games (7 starts) against Detroit.