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Millwood, Rangers look for back-to-back wins against Tigers

Jun 6, 2007 - 3:00 PM Detroit (32-25) at Texas (21-37) 8:35 pm EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Texas Rangers ace Kevin Millwood hopes his second start after a recent injury is better than his first.

Millwood and the Rangers look to win back-to-back games for the first time in over two weeks when they continue a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

Texas beat Detroit, 7-4, on Tuesday for just the third win in its last 13 games. The Rangers send Millwood (2-4, 6.69 ERA) to the mound looking for his first victory since coming off the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

The righthander allowed seven runs - four earned - and 10 hits over five innings as the Rangers out-slugged the Seattle Mariners, 9-8, on Friday. It was only the second start in five weeks for the 32-year-old, who has had two stints on the disabled list in that span.

Millwood is 3-2 with a 3.15 ERA in seven career starts vs. the Tigers.

Detroit, which has lost eight of 11 to fall 3 1/2 games behind the American Central-leading Cleveland Indians, sends Justin Verlander to the mound.

Verlander (5-2, 3.44) hopes to rebound from his worst performance of the season. The righthander surrendered a season-high seven runs and eight hits - including two homers - over five innings in an 11-5 defeat to Cleveland on Thursday.

It was the righthander's first defeat since April 28 after going 4-0 in his previous five starts in May.