By LARRY LAGE By LARRY LAGE ADVERTISING AP Sports Writer DETROIT — Justin Verlander raised his left arm to acknowledge a roaring, standing ovation. It was his right arm, though, that gave the New York Yankees so much trouble. Verlander
By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
DETROIT — Justin Verlander raised his left arm to acknowledge a roaring, standing ovation.
It was his right arm, though, that gave the New York Yankees so much trouble.
Verlander matched a career high with 14 strikeouts and got home-run support from Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, leading the Detroit Tigers over New York 7-2 Monday night.
“Felt pretty good,” Verlander said.
He looked good, too.
Verlander (12-7) threw 132 pitches, his most in a regular-season game, to lift the Tigers to a fifth straight win.
Before this opener of a four-game series, manager Jim Leyland said the Tigers needed a big effort from Verlander.
“Hopefully your ace is an ace,” Leyland said.
Verlander was, putting together one of his best performances of the season. He started strong and didn’t let up.
The reigning AL MVP and Cy Young award winner struck out former teammate Curtis Granderson — for the first of three times — with an 85 mph breaking pitch to lead off the game and struck out the first two Yankees in the second inning. Verlander also fanned Ichiro Suzuki and Mark Teixeira three times each.
Verlander gave up two unearned runs after his fielding error extended the fifth inning.
Leyland visited Verlander at the mound in the eighth after he gave up a walk to Raul Ibanez, and left him in the game following a brief chat about how he felt following Derek Jeter’s comebacker off his left leg the previous inning.
Verlander said he told Leyland his left calf was OK.
“He said, ‘Then let’s get this last batter and we’ll see what happens,’” Verlander recalled Leyland saying.
With many of the 41,381 fans on their feet, Verlander responded by striking out Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez and Suzuki to tie his strikeout high set last year against Arizona.
“In the eighth inning, he still had a 100 mph fastball,” Suzuki said through an interpreter. “The rest of his pitches are great, too.”
Suzuki snapped his 12-game hitting streak with the Yankees. He also struck out for the first time with his new team and finished with three to match a career high.
Verlander hit low and outside corners with fastballs and buckled knees with an assortment of breaking pitches that left the Yankees standing and looking or swinging and missing.
“Did you see some of those pitches?” Detroit catcher Alex Avila asked. “That last curveball, I don’t think anybody could’ve hit it. I had enough trouble catching it.”
When New York did make contact for base hits, Verlander was at his best.
“He shut us down,” Yankees star Derek Jeter said. “A lot of time great pitchers get a little attitude when they have guys on base and they bear down. He did that.”
After Verlander’s night was over — one pitch shy of the career-high 133 he threw in Game 5 of the AL championship series last year against Texas — closer Jose Valverde retired the side in order in the ninth.
Detroit, which is chasing Chicago in the AL Central, has won 19 of its last 23 home games. The AL East-leading Yankees have lost 11 of 17 overall.
Ivan Nova (10-6) was roughed up for seven runs and 11 hits — matching a career high — in 5 1-3 innings. Nova is 1-4 over his last eight starts since June 28.
“Every pitcher goes through it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “You’re going to go through struggles. For the most part, the kid has been pretty good for us but right now, he’s struggling. He’ll find his way out. Verlander, as good as he is, goes through struggles. He’s not 20-0 this year.”
Nova said he still has confidence in his stuff.
“I’ve got to keep my head up and keep working,” he said. “It’s just location. I left too many pitches over the plate.”
Cabrera sent a thigh-high pitch over the middle of the plate 454 feet, clearing the second row of shrubs in center field, for his 28th homer in the fourth inning. Fielder cleared the fences for the 19th time with a no-doubt shot to right in the second.
The Tigers broke it open with three runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to go ahead 7-2.
TWINS 14, INDIANS 3
CLEVELAND — Justin Morneau homered twice and drove in four runs, Joe Mauer had three RBIs and Ryan Doumit hit a three-run homer and the Twins handed the Indians’ their 10th straight loss.
Ben Revere had four of the Twins’ 14 hits and extended his hitting streak to 20 games while Josh Willingham hit his 29th homer, matching his career-high.
ORIOLES 3, M’s 1
BALTIMORE — Chris Tillman took a three-hit shutout into the eighth inning to extend a run of successful starts by Baltimore pitchers, and the Orioles beat Jason Vargas and the Mariners.
Nick Markakis homered and Mark Reynolds had three hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who have won six of eight to improve to 58-51.
WHITE SOX 4, ROYALS 2
CHICAGO — Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham homered late, Chris Sale pitched eight solid innings and the White Sox beat Kansas City.
Konerko tied it leading off the seventh and Beckham gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead with a solo shot in the eighth off Luis Mendoza (5-8). Kevin Youkilis added an RBI double in the inning, and the White Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games.
RED SOX 9, RANGERS 2
BOSTON — Dustin Pedroia had three of Boston’s eight doubles, Aaron Cook pitched seven solid innings and the Red Sox beat the Rangers.
Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford each doubled twice and Adrian Gonzalez once as the Red Sox increased their major league high to 248 doubles. Crawford and Gonzalez drove in three runs each.
PIRATES 4, D-BACKS 0
PITTSBURGH — Erik Bedard allowed two hits over seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates opened a season-long 11-game homestand with a 4-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Bedard (6-12) leads the majors in losses but lowered his home ERA to 2.38. Pittsburgh has won 23 of its past 29 games at PNC Park.
BREWERS 6, REDS 3
MILWAUKEE — Yovani Gallardo pitched seven innings, and Martin Maldonado homered and drove in three runs to help the Milwaukee Brewers beat Cincinnati.
Gallardo (10-8) gave up six hits, three walks and one run to equal his longest outing of the season and reach a double-digit win total for the fourth straight year.
John Axford got his 18th save in 25 chances.
CARDS 8, GIANTS 2
ST. LOUIS — Jake Westbrook threw six solid innings and Carlos Beltran hit his 26th home run as the St. Louis Cardinals beat Matt Cain and the Giants.
The Cardinals have won four in a row overall and seven straight at home. San Francisco had a three-game winning streak stopped.
ROCKIES 2, DODGERS 0
LOS ANGELES — Colorado’s Adam Ottavino gave up one hit in three innings of relief, a single that was the result of a reversed call.
Ottavino (3-1) took over in the fifth inning for a tiring Drew Pomeranz, who allowed three hits and walked three while striking out seven.
Carlos Gonzalez had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and rookie Jordan Pacheco added an RBI single in the third for the Rockies.
BRAVES 6, PHILLIES 1
PHILADELPHIA — Ben Sheets pitched into the eighth inning and Jason Heyward homered to lead the streaking Atlanta Braves over Philadelphia.
Sheets (4-1) had his longest outing since joining Atlanta’s rotation on July 15 after missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He allowed one run on seven hits while walking one and striking out none.
John Mayberry Jr. homered for the Phillies, who have lost seven straight to Atlanta.
Vance Worley (6-7) had his shortest outing of the season, just 3 2-3 innings.
