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Games of the Day

The Tigers look to gain ground in the AL Wild Card race as they host the Orioles Friday night. Tommy Hunter faces the tough Justin Verlander. Hunter could be an example of a pitcher whose control is too good. He only walked 21 batters in 112 innings this season. Opponents put a ton of balls in play against him, however, as he only struck out 62 batters. His BABIP is a perfectly reasonable .299, so luck isn’t playing much of a role. The fact is hitters make a high amount of contact against his pitches, so he rarely gets in three ball counts. This leads to a high BA against (.304) but a decent OBP against (.338). What really kills him is the solid contact, as batters slug .526 against him as he allowed 27 home runs.

Verlander, on the other hand, struck out 174 batters in 175 2/3 innings. Batters don’t walk much against him because they’re swinging and missing, or just taking pitches in the strike zone. Opponents slash line against Justin is .207/.255/.316. He’s doing everything right.

The Dodgers are in the position of needing to worry about both a division title and a wild card, since at this point if they fall out of the NL West race, they may find themselves trailing in the WC race as well. They play in Atlanta against a Braves team with a four-game lead over Pittsburgh for the first wild card slot. Chris Capuano battles Tommy Hanson. The 33-year-old Capuano is having the best year of his career, posting a 3.11 ERA with just 15 home runs allowed. His home runs per fly ball is down compared to his career. Hanson owns an ERA over 4.00 for the first time in his brief career. Everything his a little off this season, with his home runs and walks up a bit, and his strikeouts down a bit.

Finally, the Rays try to put a little more ground between themselves and the Angels as James Shields takes on Jered Weaver. It looks like something clicked for Shields over his last three starts, walked just two and struck out 19, pitching 24 innings. He walked 44 in his previous 21 starts. Weaver goes for his 16th win, to tie David Price for the league lead. His Karen Valentine ERA comes from being tough with runners in scoring position. Opponents have had only 64 at bats in that situation with just nine hits and six walks.

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Max Scherzer takes over major league lead in strikeouts

It’ll be a short-lived lead, but Max Scherzer fanned 10 Twins over seven shutout innings Wednesday to move past teammate Justin Verlander for the major league lead with 178 strikeouts. He’s gotten there in just 140 2/3 innings, while Verlander has racked up his 174 strikeouts in 175 2/3 innings. If Scherzer maintains his current…

Forget Wheaties: Jake Peavy is looking for Lucky Charms

White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy has taken three complete-game losses on his way to going 9-8 with a 3.04 ERA this year. The only other pitcher in either league with more than one is Justin Verlander, and he has two. CSNChicago’s Chuck Garfien has the full rundown on Peavy’s string of bad luck this year, [...]

Mariners end Jered Weaver’s long winning streak

Jesus Montero took the normally unbeatable Jered Weaver deep twice Sunday as the Mariners topped the Angels in Anaheim 4-1. Weaver entered the day having won nine straight starts. He was 8-0 with a 0.92 ERA at home this year and 15-1 with a 2.13 ERA overall. His only previous defeat came in Texas back…

Mariners end Jered Weaver’s long winning streak

Jesus Montero took the normally unbeatable Jered Weaver deep twice Sunday as the Mariners topped the Angels in Anaheim 4-1. Weaver entered the day having won nine straight starts. He was 8-0 with a 0.92 ERA at home this year and 15-1 with a 2.13 ERA overall. His only previous defeat came in Texas back…

Talking with a Dad

Justin Verlander‘s father, Richard Verlander, interviewed me for his website.

Jim Leyland thinks Miguel Cabrera should be the MVP but worries about “Wonderboy”

It’s not terribly surprising that Jim Leyland is going to say that he thinks his guys — Miguel Cabrera — should be the MVP over someone else.* But his comments about why Mike Trout may win the award instead of Cabrera are pretty fun: “I mean this respectfully,” Leyland said during the interview. “I don’t…

Justin Verlander fans 14 to defeat Yankees

Justin Verlander became the first pitcher since Boston’s Pedro Martinez in 1999 to strike out at least 14 Yankees in a 7-2 victory for the Tigers on Monday. Verlander pitched eight innings and allowed both runs in easily outdueling Ivan Nova on the night. Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera homered off Nova, who ended up…

Games of the Day

Monday night presents a few nice match-ups between playoff contending teams. The Yankees travel to Detroit to take on the Tigers with Ivan Nova facing Justin Verlander. Nova is coming off his worst start of the year in which he allowed the Orioles nine runs in five innings. That gave him a 5.97 ERA for the month and a 1-3 record, as even the Yankees can’t support that level of performance. Verlander makes just his 10th start of home in his 23rd game, but owns a 1.68 ERA in Detroit this season. He’s held opponents to a .163/.229/.255 slash line there.

The Diamondbacks are 6 1/2 games behind the Pirates as they begin a four-game series in Pittsburgh. Wade Miley takes on Erik Bedard. Miley greatly improved his control versus his rookie season. He walked 18 in 40 IP in 2011, just 24 in 126 2/3 innings this year. Bedard’s high strikeout rate has not led to a low batting average allowed. He does pitch better in Pittsburgh, with a 2.72 ERA at home versus 6.75 on the road. For some reason, he allows many fewer hits by the confluence of three rivers. He also allowed just one of his 11 homers at home.

Finally, a couple of homonyms homophones take the field as Jered Weaver of the Angels takes on Jarrod Parker of the Athletics. Oakland leads the Angles by 1/2 game for second in the AL West and for the second wild card slot. Athough he strikeout rate fell, Weaver pitched extremely well since returning from his injury. He had one bad outing against the Yankees, but in his other seven starts he allowed two runs or fewer, picking up three short shutouts along the way. Parker handled the Angels well in his first start against them, with one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings.

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And That Happened: Sunday’s scores and highlights

Tigers 10, Indians 3: I was at this game, and I gotta tell ya, until the 9th inning it was one of the more lame, butt-dragging tie games you’ll ever see. Omar Infante and Austin Jackson kept hitting, but apart from that the highlight until then was Joe West getting all ejecty for no good…

With game called, Justin Verlander sees long streak end

Already perhaps done anyway, Justin Verlander‘s streak of 63 straight starts of at least six innings came to an end Tuesday when the Tigers-Red Sox game was delayed by rain and then called in the top of the sixth. Ironically, Verlander got a complete game for his effort in the 4-1 loss to Boston. Verlander…

And That Happened: Thursday’s scores and highlights

Blue Jays 10, Athletics 4: Backatcha, Athletics. A night after the A’s slammed the Jays, Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer to lead the charge for Toronto, ending the A’s seven game winning streak. This came after the A’s took a 3-0 lead, so nice moxie by the Blue Jays there. Mets 3, Diamondbacks 1: [...]

Tigers get Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante from Marlins

While the baseball world waits to see if Ryan Dempster to the Braves actually happens, the Marlins and Tigers have pulled off an even bigger trade. Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that Miami is sending right-hander Anibal Sanchez and infielder Omar Infante to Detroit. According to his colleage Ken Rosenthal the Marlins will get pitching…

And That Happened: Sunday’s scores and highlights

Braves 6, Mets 1: Ben Sheets emerges from the restorative chemical waters of the Lazarus Pits to throw six shutout innings against the Mets. Too bad this series is over. I heard the Braves were going to run Rich Harden out there tonight and maybe Mark Prior on Tuesday to see if the Mets are just as prone…

And That Happened: Sunday’s scores and highlights

Braves 6, Mets 1: Ben Sheets emerges from the restorative chemical waters of the Lazarus Pits to throw six shutout innings against the Mets. Too bad this series is over. I heard the Braves were going to run Rich Harden out there tonight and maybe Mark Prior on Tuesday to see if the Mets are just as prone…

Justin July

Justin Verlander showed the All-Star game was an aberration as he pitches eight shutout innings in the Tigers 4-0 win over the Orioles. In two July starts this year, Verlander pitched 17 of 18 innings, giving up seven hits, three walks and one run while striking out 15. He pulls his ERA down to 2.43, which ties him with C.J. Wilson for third in the AL.

Justin Verlander shakes off All-Star drubbing with near-shutout

Justin Verlander pitched three-hit ball over eight scoreless innings Sunday as the Tigers topped the Orioles 4-0. It was Verlander’s first start since he gave up five runs in an inning in losing Tuesday’s All-Star Game for the American League. Verlander struck out eight and walked two. He’s second in the AL with 136 strikeouts,…

Games of the Day

Sunday starts off with a superb match-up as Jered Weaver and the Angels face Ivan Nova and the Yankees. The Yankees should challenge Weaver’s strength as Jered allowed just five home runs in 96 2/3 innings this season. Since the start of June, Nova is pitching to match his high winning percentage. He owns a 1.70 ERA over his last seven starts, with 42 K in 47 2/3 innings. Both pitchers go for their 11th win.

The Nationals send Stephen Straburg to the mound against the Marlins and Ricky Nolasco. Over his last six starts, Stephen’s strikeouts remained high, but his walks allowed and hits allowed creeped up. Combined with his short outings, he recorded a 3.71 ERA in that time. Nolasco is hot in July with a 1.38 ERA in two starts, walking one and striking out 10 in 13 innings.

Justin Verlander leads the Tigers against Baltimore and rookie Miguel Gonzalez. Verlander goes for his tenth win which would give him seven straight seasons with at least 10 wins. Gonzalez is off to a great start, with 18 strikeouts and 7 walks in his first 18 2/3 innings.

Ben Sheets returns to the majors as Atlanta hosts the Mets and Johan Santana. Johan has been up and down since his no-hitter, with two short shutouts but two games in which he allowed six runs or more. Sheets walked one and struck out 10 in 10 2/3 minor league innings, but also allowed seven runs.

Enjoy!

Tigers’ Justin Verlander wins AL MVP award

NEW YORK (AP) — Detroit’s Justin Verlander became the first starting pitcher in a quarter-century to win a Most Valuable Player award, adding it to the Cy Young Award he won last week.

Verlander earned the American League MVP honor Monday, receiving 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was second with four firsts and 242 points, followed by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista with five firsts and 231 points, Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson with 215 and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera with 193.

Verlander won the AL’s pitching triple crown, going 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, the most wins in the major leagues since Oakland’s Bob Welch went 27-6 in 1990. Verlander pitched his second career no-hitter at Toronto on May 7.

He became the first pitcher voted MVP since Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and the first starting pitcher since Boston’s Roger Clemens in 1986. The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year, Verlander joined the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Don Newcombe as the only players to win all three majors awards in their careers.

Verlander appeared on only 27 ballots and was omitted by Jim Ingraham of The Herald-News in Ohio, who voted Bautista first. Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal voted Verlander eighth.

Ingraham doesn’t think pitchers should be eligible for MVP.

“I’d wrestled with this for a long time. If I was ever going to vote for pitcher for MVP, it would be him this year,” Ingraham said. “He hasn’t appeared in 79 percent of their games, any starting pitcher really doesn’t appear in 79 percent of his team’s games in a year.

“Would you vote for an NFL quarterback for MVP if he only appeared in three of his team’s 16 games, which would 21 percent? So that’s part of it. Another part of it is I think they’re apples and oranges. The guys that are in there every day, there’s a grind to a season that a starting pitcher doesn’t, I don’t think, experience the way the everyday position players do playing 150, 160 games.”

Other pitchers to win MVP and Cy Young in the same year were Newcombe (1956), Los Angeles’ Sandy Koufax (1963), St. Louis’ Bob Gibson and Detroit’s Denny McLain (1968), Oakland’s Vida Blue (1971) , Milwaukee’s Rollie Fingers (1981) and Detroit’s Willie Hernandez (1984).

The NL MVP winner will be announced Tuesday.

Verlander selected player of year in union vote

NEW YORK (AP) — Detroit Tigers ace Justin Verlander has been selected player of the year in voting by the Major League Baseball Players Association, becoming the second pitcher to earn the honor.

Verlander beat out Boston first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson for the Players Choice Award, announced Thursday. The only other pitcher to win it was Boston’s Pedro Martinez in 1999.

“Obviously from a personal standpoint, it was an amazing year. I worked extremely hard for this,” Verlander said during a conference call. “If you expect greatness, it shouldn’t surprise you. So I’ve always expected myself to be able to pitch this way. So it still doesn’t surprise me I did.”

Verlander was 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts, leading the AL in all three categories.

“I think I’ll be looking back at this one for a long time,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll have a season like this again, but I’m not going to discount it. I’m not going to say I won’t. Things have to go right for it to happen, but I would say I can pitch better. I think I’m still scratching the surface here.”

The heavy favorite for the AL Cy Young Award and a contender for AL MVP, Verlander had the most wins in the majors since Arizona’s Randy Johnson in 2002. The right-hander found a groove after going 2-3 in his first seven starts and in the second half became the first pitcher to win 12 straight starts since Minnesota’s Johan Santana in 2004.

“I got away from throwing,” Verlander said. “Early in games specifically, I slowed down on purpose to try to create a platform and build off of that. … If I’m not throwing at 100 percent, if I’m throwing at 95 percent, I’m going to be much more accurate.”

Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez won the award last year.

© 2011 The Associated Press