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Tigers look to begin a fifth consecutive month in first place

Sep 21, 2006 - 12:59 PM Detroit (91-61) at Baltimore (66-86) 4:05 pm EDT

BALTIMORE (Ticker) - Exactly four months since moving into sole possession of first place in the American League Central Division, the Detroit Tigers battle to retain that perch in the opener of a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.

The Tigers posted a 6-2 triumph in Wednesday's rubber match of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox, maintaining a half-game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central. Detroit has won its last two series after going 0-6-2 in its previous eight.

Nate Robertson (13-12, 3.68 ERA) helped the Tigers break their series victory drought with a masterful performance on Saturday. The lefthander allowed six hits in eight innings of a 2-0 win that clinched a three-game series triumph against the Orioles.

Robertson has gone 2-1 with a 0.82 ERA in three starts this month. He has allowed two runs or fewer in a minimum of seven innings four straight times since surrendering a career-high 10 runs and nine hits in a 10-0 loss to the White Sox on August 24.

For the second time in six days, Robertson matches up against righthander Kris Benson (10-11, 4.54). On Saturday, Benson gave up two runs and seven hits in eight innings of the 2-0 defeat, falling to 1-6 in 11 starts since the beginning of July.

Like Robertson, Benson has given up two runs in at least seven innings in each start since being roughed up on August 24. On that day, Benson surrendered six runs and a season high-tying 10 hits in 3 2/3 frames of an 11-2 loss to Minnesota.