Tigers, Verlander top Phillies
DETROIT -- Justin Verlander blanked Philadelphia on three hits over eight innings, Francisco Rodriguez let in a run but still recorded his 400th career save and Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs with a double plus a groundout Tuesday night to help the Detroit Tigers make their eighth win in nine games a 3-1 victory over the Phillies.
Verlander (4-4) struck out 10 and walked two, giving up a double in the first and a single in the second and then just one hit over his final six frames. His last pitch got his highest radar reading of the night, a 97 mph fastball that fanned Odubel Herrera.
In his last four starts (2-1), Verlander has allowed four runs on 16 hits in 30 1/3 innings with 37 strikeouts and nine walks.
Rodriguez got his 14th save for the Tigers this season to become one of six closers in major league history with 400 saves. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Tommy Joseph after Freddy Galvis doubled and went to third on a single by Maikel Franco.
Jeremy Hellickson (4-3) lasted seven innings for Philadelphia and allowed all three Detroit runs on seven hits plus a walk. He struck out seven.
Cabrera has gone 17-for-34 in Detroit's hot stretch with six home runs and 12 RBIs.
Cabrera's slow chopper drove in Cameron Maybin from third in the sixth to put Detroit ahead 2-0. Victor Martinez sliced a single to center chasing home J.D. Martinez from second to make it 3-0.
Maybin, hitting leadoff because Ian Kinsler was ill, singled to center and stopped at third on J.D. Martinez's double down the third base line.
The Tigers scored first on an RBI double to left center by Cabrera, his seventh straight hit over three games. It brought in Maybin, who had singled leading off, from first base.
NOTES: Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler was a pre-game scratch due to flu-like symptoms. He was replaced on the field by LF Steven Moya and at second by UT Mike Aviles, who was originally starting in left. ... CF Odubel Herrera was back in Philadelphia's starting lineup Tuesday night after being replaced in the seventh inning when he didn't run out a ground ball. ... Manager Brad Ausmus said the Tigers will hold rookie RHP Michael Fulmer to an increase of 20-25 percent over the 120 minor league innings he threw last year. ... Manager Pete Mackanin swapped two Phillies' lineup spots. 1B Tommy Joseph traded into DH Ryan Howard's cleanup spot while SS Freddy Galvis moved up to second with 2B Cesar Hernandez dropping to seventh.