• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Scherzer eyes 12th victory, series win over White Sox

Jul 27, 2011 - 2:34 PM (Sports Network) - With not much current breathing room atop the American League Central, Tigers starter Max Scherzer knows his team could really use a series victory today over the White Sox.

That will be the task given to Scherzer, who aims for a career high-tying 12th victory of the season in Detroit's finale of a three-game set with rival Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field.

Having split the first two meetings of this set leaves the Tigers with just a two-game edge over the Indians for the division's top spot. The White Sox had hoped to make a move up the standings themselves, but last night's 5-4 loss pushed them to 4 1/2 back of Detroit.

Scherzer will try to widen that gap a little more as he aims to match the 12 victories he had in 31 starts a season ago. He has allowed four runs over his past three starts, with one of those come over seven innings of a victory on Friday at Minnesota. Scherzer struck out four to win for the second time in six starts.

"He made it real tough out there for us tonight," Minnesota outfielder Jason Kubel said of Detroit's right-hander. "Even towards the end he was strong. He's got a really good changeup and he just threw a good game."

Scherzer improved to 11-5 with a 4.35 earned run average in 21 starts this season and has split a pair of solid outings versus the White Sox this season. He lost to them on July 16 despite eight innings of two-run ball after besting the franchise on April 24 with eight scoreless innings.

The 26-year-old is 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA in six career starts versus Chicago.

The Tigers have won seven of 11 over the White Sox this season and 15 of the past 20 meetings overall. They have taken eight of 10 at U.S. Cellular Field in that span, a trend that continued on Tuesday night.

Wilson Betemit broke a tight game with an RBI single in the eighth inning, allowing Justin Verlander to pick up his 14th victory of the season despite giving up four runs on seven hits over eight innings. He also struck out seven in Detroit's sixth victory in nine games and is one of just three pitchers in baseball with at least 14 wins.

"They pulled it out late and we didn't. That's just the way it goes sometimes," said White Sox starter Jake Peavy, who yielded four runs in six innings of a no-decision.

Miguel Cabrera had a pair of run-scoring hits and Jose Valverde recorded his 27th save as the Tigers survived two-run homers by Chicago's Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko. The White Sox had a three-game win streak end.

"Peavy had real good stuff there, so early on in the game we really couldn't get anything going. But we were able to break it open a little bit and Betemit came up with a huge hit," said Detroit outfielder Brennan Boesch.

Chicago, which still has visits from the Red Sox and Yankees remaining on this 10-game homestand, will give John Danks his second start since a near month- long stay on the disabled list.

Returning from a strained right oblique on Wednesday at Kansas City, Danks scattered five hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings, striking out six but getting a no-decision in Chicago's 2-1 loss in 11 innings.

The 26-year-old southpaw is 3-8 with a 3.92 ERA in 16 starts this season and that includes a loss in Detroit on April 24. Facing Scherzer, Danks gave up three runs over six innings, falling to 3-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 12 career games versus the Tigers.