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Verlander pitches Tigers past Red Sox for DH split

May 30, 2011 - 5:11 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Justin Verlander pitched into the eighth inning and Miguel Cabrera drove in an insurance run as Detroit silenced Boston, 3-0, in the back end of a doubleheader from Comerica Park.

Verlander (5-3) allowed four hits and two walks while fanning three, posting his second scoreless outing in May.

Don Kelly and Brennan Boesch also knocked in a run each for the Tigers, who dropped Sunday's opener by a 4-3 count but avoided a four-game sweep with a victory in the nightcap.

Josh Beckett (4-2) worked six innings, yielding five hits and two runs for the Red Sox, whose five-game win streak was halted.

A 51-minute rain delay at the outset didn't dampen the Tigers' desire to snag a win from the series, and they gave Verlander all the support he needed in the first inning.

Andy Dirks worked a one-out walk, then scored when Boesch slammed a double to right. Cabrera followed with a base hit to bring in Boesch, but the rally fizzled after a Victor Martinez single when Kelly flied out and Alex Avila fanned looking.

"Going up against a guy like Beckett, if we're able to scratch across two early runs, you know that's probably all you're going to get, or not much more," said Verlander. "At that point, it's my job to go out there and shut those guys down and keep that lead."

Which is what he did.

Verlander didn't allow a runner past first base until Jason Varitek's one-out double in the sixth, and he prevented further trouble by getting the next two batters on fly outs.

Boston put a runner on third in the seventh, but Verlander induced an inning- ending groundout from Carl Crawford.

"You can't stick that guy with a lead," said Beckett. "If it's one run, that's one thing. But it's tough enough without staking him to a couple."

The Detroit starter finally faltered in the eighth after J.D. Drew singled and moved to second on an error, and Jacoby Ellsbury walked with two outs. Joaquin Benoit came on to retire Dustin Pedroia on a fly ball to left.

Cabrera doubled with one down in the home half before scoring on Kelly's two- out base hit. Jose Valverde finished off the win by setting down the BoSox in order in the ninth for his 12th save.

Game Notes

Verlander's previous scoreless outing this month came in his May 7 no-hitter at Toronto...The 28-year-old right-hander has worked at least six innings in each of his 12 starts this season...Both clubs are in action on Monday, as the Tigers host Minnesota and the Red Sox welcome the White Sox.