LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -- After giving up four hits and two runs to the first five batters he faced, Justin Verlander made an adjustment.
What a difference a little bend makes.
Verlander retired 15 of his final 18 batters after talking to pitching coach Jeff Jones and the Detroit Tigers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-3 Sunday in a game between split squads.
"I left some pitches up," Verlander said of the first inning. "I started working in the second and third getting my chest over my body a little bit and that seemed to help. I got away from that a little bit in the first and I felt it."
Verlander retired 12 in a row at one stretch and allowed just three infield singles after the first.
"One of his big keys is to make sure he stays a little bit bent at the waist," Jones said. "He was kind of staying upright a little too much (in the first). But, he's very good at making adjustments on his own."
For the day, Verlander gave up seven hits and two runs with three strikeouts and no walks in six innings. In five spring starts, Verlander is 1-0 with a 2.18 ERA.
His final spring start will be on March 31 against the Atlanta Braves, when he expects to throw around 100 pitches. He is scheduled to start the Tigers' season opener against Boston's Jon Lester in Detroit on April 5.
Philadelphia's Scott Elarton limited Detroit to two hits and one run in four innings. The 36-year-old Elarton, who pitched for four major league teams from 1998-2008, is a non-roster invitee competing for a bullpen spot. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008 and was out of baseball completely in 2011.
"I'm glad that one's over," Elarton said. "I'll take the results but it was a struggle from the beginning. I struggled with just about everything but was able to battle through it and get some guys out."
Elarton said he's not sure what's going to happen in his comeback attempt, adding, "I guess I'm past the point of worrying about that stuff. You think about it, but whatever they tell me, I'll live with it or be happy with it, one of the two."
Detroit's lone run off Elarton came in the first on a triple by Brennan Boesch and a sacrifice fly by Prince Fielder.
Detroit minor leaguer Tyler Collins broke a 2-all tie in the seventh with a three-run homer and minor leaguer James McCann added a solo homer in the eighth.
Cody Overbeck homered with two outs in the ninth for the Phillies.
NOTES: With Sunday's game being a split-squad game for both teams, neither manager was at Lakeland. Detroit's Jim Leyland went to Tampa for the Tigers' game with the Yankees, and Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel stayed in Clearwater for the Phillies' game against Baltimore.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Michael Pineda made a strong pitch to be in the New York Yankees' rotation.
Pineda allowed one run and five hits over five innings in the Yankees' 1-1, 10-inning tie with a Detroit Tigers split squad on Sunday.
"Seems like he's putting it all together," New York catcher Russell Martin said.
Pineda is competing with Phil Hughes, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia for three starting spots behind opening-day starter CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda.
"I'm focusing on making good pitches," Pineda said. "I feel a little more confident on the mound."
Derek Jeter hit a leadoff homer in the first for the Yankees. The New York captain, who also had a double, played for the second time in three days after missing eight days because of a stiff left calf.
"My leg is fine," Jeter said. "I haven't run hard, but I haven't had to. I'm making progress. I'm happy where I'm at."
New York's Alex Rodriguez was hit on the left side by a Brayan Villarreal pitch in the seventh and left the game. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said A-Rod was examined, is OK and is expected to play in the team's next game on Tuesday night.
Left-hander Duane Below, among three candidates for the Tigers' fifth starter spot, gave up one run and three hits in 3 2-3 innings. Ramon Santiago had an RBI triple in the third.
"I'm judging by what I see," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said of the rotation competition.
Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain was released from a hospital Sunday, three days after dislocating his right ankle bouncing on a trampoline. He will be in a cast for six weeks and there is no timeframe for his return.
"I am optimistic that he's going to pitch for us this year," Girardi said.
Detroit right-hander Doug Fister, who left his previous outing Friday in the fifth inning of because of soreness in his right middle finger, is improving. It hasn't been decided whether the right-hander will make next scheduled start.
"It's much better," Leyland said. "A little stiff, not sore. I don't forsee any problems, but like I said the other day, I don't look at anything as a minor injury when you start messing around with your key guys."
Leyland also is focusing on bullpen depth, in which Below could also be a candidate.
"I know I've got a fifth starter, I don't know who it is, but I know I've got one," Leyland said. "So, I'm real bearing down on this bullpen situation. I'm a big bullpen guy. To me, that is a huge piece of this puzzle."
Collin Balester replaced Below in the third and proceeded to load the bases, but got out of the jam by getting a grounder from Jeter. The right-hander gave up four walks and two hits in 2 1/3 shutout innings.
New York eighth-inning set-up man David Robertson, coming back from a bruised right foot, gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth.
"Didn't have any problems," said Robertson, who expects to be ready for opening day.
New York closer Mariano Rivera threw his sixth shutout inning of the spring, but did give up his first hit, a sixth-inning double to Delmon Young. The right-hander extended his stretch of not allowing an earned run in spring training to 27 consecutive innings, dating back to 2008.
NOTES: Detroit LF Quintin Berry made two strong catches, including a full-out diving grab on Dewayne Wise's drive in the ninth. ... Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte, who ended his brief retirement by agreeing to a minor league contract on March 16, is scheduled to throw batting practice for the second time Tuesday. He could pitch in a spring training game before the team breaks camp. ... New York RF Nick Swisher could return Tuesday from a groin injury. ... Hughes is to pitch in a minor league game Monday, which is an offday for the Yankees. ... New York optioned INF Ramiro Pena to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and reassigned RHPs Manny Delcarmen and Kevin Whelan, C Jose Gil, and OFs OF Colin Curtis and Cole Garner to its minor league camp.
