Tigers-Angels Preview

A marquee matchup is in store with Detroit’s Justin Verlander

set to renew acquaintances with Dan Haren.

The Tigers ace will try to win his 10th straight decision

Tuesday night when he squares off against fellow All-Star Haren and

the red-hot Los Angeles Angels.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia is looking forward to seeing

Verlander (11-3, 2.32 ERA) duel Haren (8-5, 2.85).

Verlander went 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA and Haren was 1-3 with a 5.17

ERA when they met five times from 2006-07 when Haren was with

Oakland. They haven’t opposed each other since.

“They’re totally different in the way they pitch,” Scioscia told

MLB’s official website. “Verlander has that electric power stuff.

He relies on stuff and movement, changing movement from fastball to

breaking ball to changeup.

“As opposed to Dan Haren, who relies on locating pitches with a

different variety of looks. They have different ways of going about

it, but are two of the best pitchers in baseball.”

Verlander is 9-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 12 outings since losing to

Seattle on April 27. He has posted a 0.79 ERA in winning his last

seven starts.

The right-hander’s 130 strikeouts lead the AL, and his nine

straight wins mark the longest streak by a Tiger since Jeremy

Bonderman won 11 in a row from 2006-07.

Verlander struck out six and gave up two runs over seven innings

in Thursday’s 5-2 victory over the New York Mets.

“I’ve been on a pretty good run here, had pretty doggone good

stuff for a period of time here,” Verlander said. “You’ve got to

know that that’s not going to last an entire season.”

Verlander is 3-3 with a 4.53 ERA in nine outings against the

Angels (45-41), going 2-0 despite an 8.62 ERA in three in Anaheim.

He can become the majors’ first 12-game winner if the Yankees’ CC

Sabathia does not win earlier Tuesday.

Numerous Angels have enjoyed success against Verlander,

including Maicer Izturis (9 for 18), Vernon Wells (6 for 14), Erick

Aybar (7 for 18), Torii Hunter (12 for 36) and Bobby Abreu (7 for

22).

Haren has had trouble against Detroit’s Victor Martinez and

Magglio Ordonez. Martinez is 9 for 18 and Ordonez 9 for 22.

Haren’s 4.93 ERA against the Tigers is his second-highest versus

any AL club. He’s 2-4 in seven starts against them.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of facing the Tigers,”

Haren said.

The veteran right-hander yielded two hits through 7 1-3 innings

Wednesday to earn a 1-0 victory over Washington. He had been 0-3

with a 3.21 ERA over his previous five home starts.

Los Angeles, tied with Texas atop the AL West, is seeking to

capture a seventh straight series after posting its ninth win in 11

games and 14th in 19 with Monday’s 5-1 victory. Hunter returned to

the lineup after not starting two games with a bruised left hand

and homered, while Wells also went deep.

Detroit (45-41) has dropped five of seven overall and six of

eight on the road.