Verlander sets career high 14 K's as Tigers win, 6-0

Justin Verlander set a new career high with 14 strikeouts as the Detroit Tigers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-0. Tonight's win, coupled with the Indians' 1-0 loss in San Francisco, means Detroit and Cleveland are tied atop the American League Central division.

With his 14 K's, Verlander passed “Wild Bill” Donovan to move into 10th place on Detroit’s career strikeout list. Verlander now has 1,089. Donovan had 1,079.



Verlander (10-3) went eight innings and gave up only four hits and one walk on 119 pitches. Offensively, the Tigers were led by catcher Alex Avila, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double & four RBIs. Austin Jackson, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez (one RBI) each had two singles.

Arizona's starting pitcher Josh Collmenter, a Central Michigan alumni, pitched six innings and gave up six earned runs on 10 hits & two walks while striking out four on 90 pitches.

The Tigers, leading 1-0 early, busted loose for four runs in the fourth inning. After singles by Cabrera and Martinez put runners at first and third to start the inning, Jhonny Peralta doubled into the leftfield corner to score one run. Then, Avila slammed a pitch into the first row in rightfield for a three-run homer.

It was the first sellout crowd at Comerica Park, with 43,163 fans in attendance, since the home opener.