Washington @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 15, 2010 ) Washington 4, Detroit 7
Some people may look at interleague play as an outdated gimmick that is past its time and should have been shelved years ago.
Justin Verlander would be the first to disagree. If the Detroit Tigers right-hander had his way, games between the two leagues would go on all summer long instead being a simple diversion.
Given the success that Verlander has had against National League teams, it's easy to see why.
Verlander has owned NL clubs. Of his 72 career wins, 10 have come against the other league, including a no-hitter against Milwaukee in 2007.
His only loss to an NL team came last season, when he gave up five runs and eight hits in four innings against St. Louis.
Verlander has never faced the Washington Nationals. In fact, only three Washington hitters have ever gone against him. Adam Kennedy is 2-for-12 with two strikeouts, Willie Harris is 1-for-3 with one strikeout and Ivan Rodriguez, Verlander's longtime teammate with Detroit, is 1-for-4 with a double and three strikeouts.
After a rocky beginning to the season, when Verlander's pitch count seemed to reach 100 by the fifth inning in every start, he has looked more like the pitcher who was 19-9 last season. He has won six of his last eight starts, including the last two.
His dominance of the NL includes his last start against the Pirates, holding them to two runs and four hits in seven innings.
Verlander can be unhittable when he's on his game. He's allowed 65 hits in 86 innings and has held opponents to a .208 average. While his 74 strikeouts are evidence he can reach back when he needs to, he's showing he can get batters out in other ways. Verlander has won five times when recording five or fewer strikeouts.
The Tigers have won four straight and eight of 11 while the Nationals have lost three of four. Washington dropped two straight in Cleveland before Stephen Strasburg recorded his second career victory on Sunday, but the Nationals couldn't carry that momentum into Comerica Park, losing 7-4 on Monday.
Livan Hernandez hasn't pitched poorly for the Nationals, but he's won only twice in his last eight starts. The right-hander held the Pirates to two runs in six innings to win his last start, his first victory since May 4.
Hernandez has consistently turned in at least six solid innings, but a lack of run support has kept him from getting in the win column more often.