TommyHunter
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W4 | 30 |
| L7 | 23 |
| G21 | 86 |
| IP112.0 | 447.0 |
| BB21 | 105 |
| SO62 | 248 |
JustinVerlander
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W12 | 119 |
| L7 | 64 |
| G24 | 223 |
| IP175.2 | 1491.0 |
| BB41 | 451 |
| SO174 | 1389 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W4 | 30 |
| L7 | 23 |
| G21 | 86 |
| IP112.0 | 447.0 |
| BB21 | 105 |
| SO62 | 248 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W12 | 119 |
| L7 | 64 |
| G24 | 223 |
| IP175.2 | 1491.0 |
| BB41 | 451 |
| SO174 | 1389 |
The Detroit Tigers are feeling good after a strong finish to their road trip. Having Justin Verlander on the mound at home against the Baltimore Orioles should have them bursting with confidence.
Detroit opens a nine-game homestand Friday night with the first of three against the Orioles.
After losing three of the first four on their six-game trip, the Tigers (63-55) rebounded with consecutive wins over Minnesota. Miguel Cabrera became the first player in franchise history to reach 30 home runs in five straight seasons and Max Scherzer threw seven scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory Wednesday.
"I'm awful proud of our guys," manager Jim Leyland said.
Leyland's club has won 27 of 43 since June 28, the best record in the AL during that stretch.
Detroit enters this series 2 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox and one game in back of Baltimore and Tampa Bay for the two wild-card spots.
Verlander (12-7, 2.46 ERA) dominates most opponents, but he seems to save some of his best performances for the Orioles (64-54). The reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner is 7-0 with a 2.71 ERA in 10 starts against Baltimore - the only AL team he has not lost to.
He allowed three hits over eight innings in a 4-0 victory at Camden Yards on July 15, striking out eight and walking two.
The Detroit ace is 6-2 with a 1.51 ERA at home, winning four consecutive starts there behind a 1.13 ERA.
Verlander was very good at Texas on Saturday, yielding one run and seven hits over seven innings but left without a decision in a 2-1 loss.
"I was able to make my pitches when I needed to and kept us in the ballgame," Verlander told the team's official website.
The right-hander will be pitching on five days' rest, but the extra day hasn't been much of a benefit. Verlander is 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in seven starts on five days' rest this season.
That probably won't make Nick Markakis , J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones feel any better. Those Baltimore hitters are a combined 11 for 76 (.148) with 22 strikeouts against Verlander.
Cabrera should also be thrilled to be facing the Orioles. He's batting .511 (23 for 45) with seven homers and 13 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak versus Baltimore.
Cabrera went 10 for 24 on the six-game trip and is batting .348 with 23 homers and 81 RBIs in his last 88 games.
"I marvel at him all the time," Leyland told the Tigers' official website. "I probably don't brag on him as much as I should."
Baltimore failed to complete a sweep of Boston on Thursday, allowing the Red Sox to rally for a 6-3 victory. Mark Reynolds hit his fourth homer in six games and Jones knocked in two runs as the Orioles settled for a 7-3 homestand.
"Our guys wanted to win all 10. That's the way we approached it," manager Buck Showalter said.
Tommy Hunter (4-7, 5.54) has the unenviable task of opposing Verlander. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 5.09 ERA in his past four starts and last earned a victory July 18 at Minnesota.
He gave up three runs and eight hits over five innings of a 5-3 victory against Kansas City on Sunday, surrendering at least one home run for the 10th straight start.
This will be Hunter's first appearance against the Tigers with Baltimore after going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts while with Texas.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Robert Andino | 6 | .333 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Wilson Betemit | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Endy Chavez | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | .250 | .000 |
| Chris Davis | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .286 | .453 | .167 |
| J.J. Hardy | 20 | .150 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | .182 | .382 | .200 |
| Adam Jones | 16 | .063 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .063 | .126 | .063 |
| Nick Markakis | 30 | .233 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | .281 | .581 | .300 |
| Nolan Reimold | 7 | .286 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .286 | .572 | .286 |
| Mark Reynolds | 6 | .167 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .167 | .834 | .667 |
| Matt Wieters | 12 | .167 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .167 | .584 | .417 |
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Alex Avila | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Brennan Boesch | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .333 | .333 | .000 |
| Miguel Cabrera | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .500 | .333 |
| Austin Jackson | 3 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 | .666 | .333 |
| Don Kelly | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | 1.000 | .500 |
| Gerald Laird | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jhonny Peralta | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .500 | .333 |
| Ryan Raburn | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Danny Worth | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Delmon Young | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .500 | .333 |
Baltimore Orioles |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 13, 2012 | Troy Patton | 15-Day DL | Sprained right ankle |
| August 12, 2012 | Wilson Betemit | 15-Day DL | Sore right wrist |
| August 02, 2012 | Ryan Flaherty | 15-Day DL | Bacterial infection |
| July 28, 2012 | Jim Thome | 15-Day DL | Herniated disc |
| July 16, 2012 | Robert Andino | 15-Day DL | Left shoulder subluxation |
| July 16, 2012 | Robert Andino | 15-Day DL | Left shoulder subluxation |
Detroit Tigers |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 01, 2012 | Ryan Raburn | 15-Day DL | Sprained right thumb |
| July 07, 2012 | Drew Smyly | 15-Day DL | Right intercostal strain |
| July 07, 2012 | Drew Smyly | 15-Day DL | Right intercostal strain |
| July 02, 2012 | Max Scherzer | Day-to-Day | Left hamstring soreness |
| June 25, 2012 | Alex Avila | Day-to-Day | Left knee tendinitis |
| June 19, 2012 | Jose Valverde | Day-to-Day | Right wrist |
DETROIT (AP) -- Prince Fielder hit a pair of long two-run homers, and hardly seemed impressed by his display of power.
Fielder slammed a 462-foot deep drive to right-center and a soaring shot over the right-field wall, to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 5-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.
"As long as they go over, I'm happy," Fielder said.
Baltimore led 3-1 against Justin Verlander after five innings, but couldn't keep the lead because Orioles pitchers failed to keep Fielder in the park.
Fielder tied the game with his first homer in the sixth inning and put Detroit ahead with his 22nd of the season in the eighth. It was his second multihomer game of the season and the 24th of his career.
Miguel Cabrera , who scored on both of Fielder's homers, put the Tigers ahead 1-0 in the first with his 31st home run.
"We got the big blows from the big guys," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "There's no defense for those."
Joaquin Benoit (2-3) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the win. Jose Valverde gave up a leadoff double to Manny Machado in the ninth, then retired the next three Orioles for his 23rd save in 27 chances.
Darren O'Day (6-1) took the loss after J.C. Romero allowed Fielder - the first batter he faced - to hit his second homer of the game.
Nick Markakis hit a game-tying double in the third off Verlander.
Baltimore scored two more runs off Detroit's ace, taking a 3-1 lead on Matt Wieters ' 2-run homer in the fifth.
In the home half, Orioles manager Buck Showalter and first baseman Mark Reynolds were ejected. Showalter and Reynolds became upset after an overturned call put Jhonny Peralta on first base after he was called out.
Machado made a throw that forced Reynolds to fully extend to catch the ball that was low and up the line, and the first baseman appeared to be pulled off the bag. Replays weren't conclusive.
First base umpire Jeff Kellogg called Peralta out after Leyland came out of the dugout to argue. The call was overturned by home plate umpire Tim Timmons.
"I had (Reynolds) off the bag," Timmons said.
Reynolds reacted to that decision by slamming his glove, and he was immediately tossed from the game.
"I stayed on the bag and that's why I got so upset," Reynolds said. "I don't understand how an umpire can miss a play at home plate that's right in front of him and see that play from home plate at first base. It's embarrassing that they would overturn a call that obviously has an impact on the game in the middle of the pennant race."
Showalter stormed out of the dugout, was also ejected, and later said the umpires didn't get the call right.
Kellogg insisted they did.
"We just want to get the play right, and that's what we did there," Kellogg said.
Machado was charged with an error, but Detroit failed to capitalize.
The Orioles didn't take advantage of a vulnerable Verlander.
The reigning AL MVP and Cy Young award winner, who has won only one of his last five starts, gave up six hits and struck out six in six innings. He allowed four walks to match a season high.
"I was definitely out of sync," Verlander said. "I wasn't quite right.
"I was able to keep us in the game, and the big boys did what they do. They can put an entire team on their back."
Baltimore starter Tommy Hunter allowed three runs, four hits and two walks over six innings. Hunter gave up two homers, increasing his season total to 29 - more than any pitcher in the majors this year.
NOTES: The Tigers have given up hope of DH Victor Martinez coming back this season after he had surgery on his left knee. The decision was made this week to aim for him to return at the start of spring training. When Martinez was injured in January, the Tigers signed Fielder to a $214 million, nine-year contract. ... Hall of Famer Eddie Murray , formerly of the Orioles, has agreed to pay $358,151 to settle federal civil charges of profiting in stock trades by using confidential information passed to him by a former teammate. The Orioles declined to comment. ... Detroit expects RHP Al Alburquerque (elbow surgery) and LHP Daniel Schlereth (shoulder tendinitis) to pitch in the minors this weekend. The Tigers hope OF Ryan Raburn (sprained right thumb) will be able to take batting practice next week. ... Wieters has eight extra-base hits in nine games.
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