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Verlander takes mound with stars on bench

Sep 29, 2007 - 1:33 PM Detroit (87-73) at Chi White Sox (71-89) 7:05 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) - Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers will continue their final series of the season against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

The American League's leading hitter, Magglio Ordonez, will not be in the lineup in order to rest his sore right heal for the season finale on Sunday. The Detroit outfielder is hitting .360 on the season and holds a 10-point lead over Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners, who is hitting .350.

Gary Sheffield, who is suffering through an injured shoulder, has been shut down for the rest of the season after hitting .265 with 25 home runs and 75 RBI.

Starting in place of Ordonez and Sheffield will be players with far less experience than the two veterans. However, regardless of who is in the field, the Tigers will have a good opportunity to win when Verlander (18-6, 3.68 ERA) takes the mound.

Verlander, who has five wins in his last six starts, dominated the Kansas City Royals in his last start on Sunday. The 24-year-old righthander allowed two runs and five hits over six innings, picking up his 18th win of the season, the most by a Tigers pitcher since Bill Gullickson won 20 in 1991.

Gavin Floyd (1-5, 5.71) will try to end his three-game losing streak when he toes the rubber for the White Sox.

During his last start, Floyd gave up four runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins. The 24-year-old righthander suffered the loss as the Twins routed the White Sox, 7-1, on Sunday.