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Recap: Tigers 5, Cubs 3
Tigers 5, Cubs 3: Justin Verlander scattered five hits over eight innings and Austin Jackson drove in the game’s final three runs as Detroit prevailed in the rubber match of a midweek interleague series.
Verlander (6-4), who struck out eight without a walk, allowed just two baserunners after Darwin Barney’s RBI double in the second inning – and both were subsequently erased at second base. He threw 103 pitches before giving way to Jose Valverde, who allowed a ninth-inning run before collecting his 13th save.
Cubs starter Travis Wood (0-3) battled Verlander to a standstill until the seventh inning, when Jackson came through with a two-out single that plated Ryan Raburn with the go-ahead run. Raburn had just come off the disabled list earlier in the day.
Jackson gave the Tigers some insurance with a two-run homer in the ninth inning.
After Detroit took an early 2-0 lead on RBI doubles by Prince Fielder and Raburn, Chicago evened the game up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning. Barney had a run-scoring double and Luis Valbuena followed with an RBI groundout.
Wood scattered eight hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking two. David DeJesus drove in the Cubs’ final run on a groundout.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Detroit put RHP Drew Smyly on the disabled list, making room for Raburn to return. … Valbuena, called up to replace injured Chicago 3B Ian Stewart, was making his National League debut. … Attendance for the three-game series was 124,782, the largest total for a midweek set in Wrigley Field history.
