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Verlander, Tigers top Mets to avoid sweep

Jun 30, 2011 - 11:35 PM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Justin Verlander and the Tigers stymied the red-hot Mets, beating them 5-2 to avoid a three-game sweep.

Andy Dirks went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored and Austin Jackson added an RBI for the Tigers, who have won five of their last eight.

Verlander (11-3) pitched seven strong innings, giving up one run on seven hits while fanning six.

Daniel Murphy and Carlos Beltran hit solo homers, and Jose Reyes went 2-for-3 for the Mets, who had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Mike Pelfrey (4-7) was tagged with the loss, surrendering five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits in just 4 2/3 innings.

Detroit scored three runs in the third inning to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Victor Martinez doubled to right-center then moved to third on a Dirks single. Jhonny Peralta then drew a walk to load the bases for Alex Avila, who knocked in Martinez with a sacrifice-fly to left. With runners on first and second, Ramon Santiago ripped a single to center to score Dirks. Peralta was also able to score on the play after Angel Pagan's wild throw skipped past Murphy at third.

"I made some big pitches when I needed to and our guys picked me up," Verlander said. "It is a lot easier to pitch without your best stuff when you have a three- or four-run lead than it is in a tight ballgame."

The Tigers were able to add another run in the fifth, after Dirks blasted a 2-1 sinker into the right-field stands.

"We expect to win every game, but it doesn't always work out that way," Dirks said. "The way he (Verlander) is pitching right now is unbelievable, we just try to play good defense behind him and put up the runs and win the ball game."

Following a scoreless first inning, Murphy put the Mets on the board with a leadoff home run that barely cleared the right-field wall.

The Tigers managed to even the score in the bottom-half of the second with an RBI single from Jackson. Peralta led off with a base hit through the hole at short, then moved to second on a hit-and-run that resulted in a groundout. Jackson followed with the single to right to plate Peralta.

The Mets added one run in the eighth on a Carlos Beltran homer, but Detroit's relief effort proved to be too much.

Joaquin Benoit gave up just one run, the Beltran homer, in the eighth and Jose Valverde gave up just one hit in the ninth to earn the save, his 19th of the season.

Game Notes

Detroit pitcher Phil Coke was moved to the bullpen; Charlie Furbush will take his spot in the starting rotation...Verlander joined C.C. Sabathia as the only 11-game winners in 2011... Reyes had his 42nd multi-hit game of the season...Willie Harris, who left the Mets on paternity leave, was placed on the bereavement list after losing his newborn baby.