Duffy looks to help Royals get back on track in Detroit
Justin Verlander lost his status as the unquestioned ace of the Detroit Tigers through a combination of Max Scherzer's emergence, the arrival of David Price and his own regression.
Scherzer and Price are now gone, and Verlander's last two outings have given the Tigers hope that he's rediscovering his past form.
The right-hander seeks his 20th win over the AL-best Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night in Detroit.
Verlander (1-3, 4.86 ERA) won the AL MVP and Cy Young awards in 2011 and finished second for the pitchers' top honor the next year. However, his ERA shot up nearly a full run in 2013 before he went 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA last season.
Scherzer became Detroit's top pitcher over those two years, winning 39 games and a Cy Young of his own before signing with Washington in the offseason.
Price, acquired at last year's trade deadline, entered this season as the ace while Verlander sat out with a triceps injury that delayed his debut until mid-June.
Verlander then began pitching like his old self just before the Tigers dealt Price to Toronto on Thursday. He has given up one run over eight innings in back-to-back starts, beating Tampa Bay 2-1 on Wednesday.
Verlander's 10 strikeouts against the Rays were four more than he had in any of his previous seven outings, all of which the Tigers lost.
"I've been telling you guys I've been feeling better on the mound, and it was nice to pitch well two starts in a row," said Verlander, who allowed at least six runs three times in his first six outings. "Right right from the get-go (Wednesday), everything was pretty good."
Verlander now faces a Kansas City team he's beaten more than any other opponent. He gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings of a 10-1 win in his last matchup Sept. 19.
Kansas City (62-42) has reversed roles with the four-time defending AL Central champion Tigers (51-54), entering with an 8 1/2-game division lead over Minnesota and the second-best record in baseball.
The Royals bolstered their chances of returning to the World Series by acquiring Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist, while Detroit dealt Price, Joakim Soria and Yoenis Cespedes at the deadline with an eye on the future.
Zobrist made an impact in his first series with the Royals, hitting three homers -- including a two-run shot in Sunday's 5-2 loss -- while driving in six runs in a four-game set at Toronto.
"Solid pickup for us," manager Ned Yost said. "Just gives you a solid, professional at-bat."
Kansas City dropped three to the Blue Jays, though, and fell to 3-4 during a 10-game road trip. Danny Duffy (4-5, 4.28) started the first game against Toronto on Thursday, allowing five runs in six innings of a 5-2 loss.
Duffy had gone 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA over his previous three starts. He's 2-3 with a 1.83 ERA in his last six against Detroit after allowing one run in seven innings of an 8-1 victory April 30.
The left-hander faces a Detroit club coming off a 6-1 win over Baltimore on Sunday. J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer, his 29th that ranks him among baseball's leaders.
Ian Kinsler went 12 for 17 in the four-game series after going 2 for 19 over his previous five.
