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Orioles edge Tigers, deny Verlander 25th win

Sep 25, 2011 - 4:13 AM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - In his final start of the season, Justin Verlander was unable to become MLB's first 25-game winner in 21 years, as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Detroit Tigers, 6-5, on a suicide squeeze in the ninth inning.

Verlander had his 12-start winning streak snapped after allowing five runs in the first three innings. He eventually settled down to toss seven frames, surrendering eight hits and one walk while striking out six in a no-decision.

Bob Welch was the last major league pitcher to earn 25 wins when he went 27-6 for the Oakland Athletics in 1990.

"I wasn't getting ahead of guys the way I would've liked. A combination of that, and they hit some decent pitches and I put myself in a couple jams and they (Orioles) came up big." Verlander said of his outing.

The Tigers offense fought back from the 5-0 deficit to tie it in the eighth on a Jhonny Peralta RBI single.

With the loss, the AL Central-champion Tigers fell one game behind the Texas Rangers for the second best record in the American League. Texas beat Seattle, 7-3, on Saturday.

Daniel Schlereth (2-2) pitched the ninth to absorb the loss. Chris Davis started the frame with a base hit to right and pinch-runner Kyle Hudson advanced to third on a strikeout-wild pitch to Robert Andino.

The Orioles executed the suicide squeeze to perfection as Hudson scored on Matt Angle's bunt. The Orioles have won four of their last five games.

Although Pedro Strop (2-1) was saddled with a blown save, he picked up the win. He allowed the game-tying run to score in the eighth.

Angle laced a leadoff home run to right to put the Orioles on the board in the first inning.

"It was a good night, a lot of firsts and something I'll always remember," Angle said of his first career home run.

They scored three more runs in the second on four hits, all with two outs. Davis and Andino started the rally with consecutive singles, while Angle walked to load the bases. J.J. Hardy brought home Davis and Andino as he shot a single to left. Nick Markakis followed with a base hit to right, which scored Angle.

Mark Reynolds hit a solo shot to center in the third to make it a 5-0 Baltimore advantage.

The Tigers broke through in the home third when Austin Jackson plated Ryan Raburn with a single to center. Raburn started the inning with a walk.

Detroit chipped away with a pair of runs in the fourth. Miguel Cabrera led off with a single, and Victor Martinez followed with a ground-rule double down the right-field line. Alex Avila grounded out to second to bring home Cabrera and advance Martinez to third, while Peralta lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Martinez.

Cabrera lined one out of the park just over the left-field fence in the sixth to cut Baltimore's lead to one.

Game Notes

Randy Johnson and John Smoltz are the last two pitchers to finish the regular season with 24 wins. Johnson went 24-5 for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002, while Smoltz went 24-8 for the Atlanta Braves in 1996.