Major League Baseball

Diamondbacks-Tigers Preview

Published Jun. 26, 2011 12:52 a.m. ET

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Detroit Tigers starter Brad Penny was happy with his performance in his most recent outing, though it wasn't enough to end a stretch in which he's struggled consistently.

Facing the Arizona Diamondbacks may be the perfect remedy.

The veteran looks to continue his success against Arizona on Sunday when Detroit hosts the finale of this three-game set.

Penny (5-6, 4.80 ERA) won three straight starts from May 3-14, but he hasn't been nearly as good since. He's 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA in his last six starts, pitching more than six innings only once, and opponents are hitting .341 against him in that span.

The right-hander allowed two runs - his fewest since May 14 - in six innings Monday in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Penny made only nine starts for St. Louis last season while recovering from a back injury.

''I'm feeling stronger,'' Penny said after his latest defeat. ''It took me a while to feel really good after missing most of last year. But now I feel great. My stuff was sharp.''

He'll be looking for a different result against Arizona (43-35). Penny is 10-3 in 18 career starts against Diamondbacks, including three straight victories. The last win came April 19, 2010, and his 1.99 career ERA versus Arizona is his best against any team.

Penny will face a Diamondbacks team coming off a 6-0 loss to the Tigers (41-36) on Saturday. It marked only the second time Arizona has been shut out this season, with the other coming May 10.

The defeat also snapped Arizona's four-game winning streak and dropped it one-half game behind San Francisco for the NL West lead. Tigers starter Justin Verlander had a career-high 14 strikeouts.

''He was everything we heard he was,'' said manager Kirk Gibson, who was the 1984 World Series MVP while playing for Detroit. ''We had two chances off him, and he turned it up another notch both times. You just have to tip your cap to him.''

Despite going 1 for 4, Justin Upton is hitting .468 over his last 12 games.

Arizona will counter with Joe Saunders (4-7, 4.35), who has pitched well of late. He allowed two runs in seven innings Tuesday, beating Kansas City 7-2. He's 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA after beginning the season 0-5 with a 5.02 ERA in his first nine starts.

The left-hander has pitched at least six innings in 10 consecutive outings, though he's 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA in eight career starts against Tigers.

Detroit has scored 19 runs in winning two of three. Alex Avila went 3 for 4, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning. He is hitting .303 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs, and both of Sunday's starters have endorsed the catcher to make his first All-Star appearance.

"They feel that I strongly deserve it, so he's going to obviously help out and try and get me in there," Avila told the team's official website. "It definitely is really nice to know that they all support me."

Detroit has won 15 of 17 interleague home games.

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