Tigers 4 - 3 White Sox
Final
  for this game

Verlander leads Tigers into opener with White Sox

Apr 29, 2014 - 2:13 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Justin Verlander goes after a fourth straight win on Tuesday when the Detroit Tigers open a brief two-game series with the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Verlander beat the White Sox the previous time he took the ball last Tuesday, as he held them to a pair of runs and eight hits in seven innings to improve to 3-1 on the year to go along with a 2.18 ERA.

"Once (Verlander) gets a lead like that, he really goes into power-save mode," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He wasn't really cranking it up and letting it fly. He was just kind of controlling with offspeed stuff and getting guys out in front. He wasn't reaching back trying to blow anybody away. He was just trying to conserve, and it's just smart. He's a smart pitcher."

He's now 15-12 lifetime versus the White Sox with a 3.98 ERA in 30 starts. In fact he's 13-3 in his last 16 starts against them since the start of 2009.

Detroit should be well rested for Tuesday's opener, as the finale of its set with the Minnesota Twins was postponed on Sunday because of inclement weather. With a scheduled off day on Monday, the Tigers haven't been on the field since dropping a 5-3 decision to the Twins on Saturday.

Chicago, meanwhile, took three of four from Tampa Bay and nailed down the series win over the Rays on Monday, as Alexei Ramirez tied the game with an RBI triple in the fourth then scored the go-ahead run on Marcus Semien's double later in the frame to help the White Sox to a 7-3 win.

Alejandro De Aza drilled a two-run homer in the second and after Semien put the White Sox in front in the fourth, Adam Eaton added some insurance with a two-run double in the sixth.

"Taking the series is great," Eaton said. "You want to take three out of four from everyone, or two out of three, so we'll take it."

Jose Abreu collected his 32nd RBI of the season with a single in the eighth, extending his Major League rookie record for RBI in the month of April.

Chicago starter Andre Rienzo (2-0) recorded the win after yielding three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts over six innings.

Now the White Sox turn to lefty Jose Quintana, who has lost his last two starts. Quintana was handled by Detroit on Thursday, as the Tigers reached him for three runs and seven hits in six innings, dropping him to 1-2 on the year to go along with a 3.90 ERA.

Quintana has faced the Tigers five times and is 2-1 against them with a 3.03 ERA.

Detroit split a four-game set with the White Sox last week.






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