AMERICAN LEAGUE

Verlander strikes out 14, Tigers beat Yankees

— 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 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 consecutive victory.

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 struck out 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 at Comerica Park 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.

ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 1 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 visiting Seattle.

WHITE SOX 4, ROYALS 2 Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham homered, Chris Sale pitched eight innings and host Chicago beat Kansas City.

RED SOX 9, RANGERS 2 Dustin Pedroia had three of Boston’s eight doubles, Aaron Cook pitched seven innings and Boston beat visiting Texas.

TWINS 14, INDIANS 3 Justin Morneau homered twice and drove in four runs, Joe Mauer had three RBI and Ryan Doumit hit a three-run home run and visiting Minnesota handed Cleveland its 10th consecutive loss.

National League CARDINALS 8, GIANTS 2 Jake Westbrook threw six innings and Carlos Beltran hit his 26th home run as host St. Louis won its fourth consecutive game and seventh in a row at home. San Francisco had its three-game winning streak snapped.

BREWERS 6, REDS 3 Martin Maldonado homered and drove in three runs to lead Milwaukee past visiting Cincinnati.

PIRATES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 0 Erik Bedard allowed two hits over seven innings and host Pittsburgh opened a season-long 11-game home stand with a victory over Arizona.

BRAVES 6, PHILLIES 1 Ben Sheets pitched into the eighth inning and Jason Heyward homered for visiting Atlanta, which has won 11 of 13 overall.

NATIONALS 5, ASTROS 4 Kurt Suzuki hit an RBI single in the top of the 11th for visiting Washington.

Monday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 4, Arizona 0 Atlanta 6, Philadelphia 1 Washington 5, Houston 4, 11 innings Milwaukee 6, Cincinnati 3 St. Louis 8, San Francisco 2 San Diego 2, Chicago Cubs 0 Colorado at LA Dodgers, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE Minnesota 14, Cleveland 3 Detroit 7, NY Yankees 2 Baltimore 3, Seattle 1 Boston 9, Texas 2 Chicago White Sox 4, Kansas City 2 LA Angels at Oakland, (n)

Sports, Pages 20 on 08/07/2012

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