GDT9: 4/12/14 - DET (5-3) AT SD (4-6) - 8:40 p.m. ET

Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (0-1, 2.57 ERA)

The search for Verlander's first Major League hit resumes, but more importantly, so does his quest for his first win of 2014. He pitched eight solid innings last Sunday against the O's, but two runs were enough to cost him.



Padres: RHP Ian Kennedy (1-1, 3.27 ERA)

Kennedy was sharp in his last outing against the Marlins, as he allowed one run on five hits over six innings. Kennedy walked one, struck out five and got six ground-ball outs. In doing so, he got a lot of mileage from his curveball and changeup.




Verlander hopes to continue dominance vs. Padres
Kennedy looks to follow Cashner's gem with one of his own

By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 4/12/2014 3:09 AM ET

Justin Verlander's quest for his first Major League hit is back on, albeit a little early this year. So, too, is the National League's quest to beat him.

At the plate, Verlander is 0-for-26 with nine sacrifice bunts and 15 strikeouts. On the mound, he heads into Saturday's matchup against the Padres with a 21-2 record and a 2.56 ERA for his career against the National League, including a 10-game winning streak since 2010. He beat the Padres here in 2008 with 10 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings.

Looking to keep Verlander out of the hit column will be Padres starter Ian Kennedy. Kennedy has gone 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in his first two starts. Unlike Verlander, Kennedy has struggled in Interleague games. In 12 outings he's just 3-8 with a 5.84 ERA. If San Diego's starter can come close to Andrew Cashner's one-hit shutout from Friday, fans at Petco Park will be going home happy.

While Kennedy's struggled in Interleague play, the Padres' right-hander delivered a solid start against the Marlins on Sunday, allowing just one run over six innings. Kennedy and the Padres hope he can produce a similar performance since Verlander has dominated against NL opponents.

Even in the midst of Verlander's mechanical issues last season, he more than held his own against the Senior Circuit, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts. His no-decision came despite six scoreless innings in Miami on Sept. 29, the day Henderson Alvarez no-hit the Tigers. NL opponents hit just .206 off Verlander with 29 strikeouts over 19 innings.

With a Padres lineup that has been struggling for offense for much of the season's first couple weeks, Verlander at least has a setup to continue that success. The only Padre who has faced Verlander extensively is former Oakland Athletic Seth Smith, and he's 3-for-21 with a home run, six walks and seven strikeouts off him.

Verlander's Interleague success has been sustained enough that his one frustration against the National League has been his own lack of hitting. For someone who prides himself for a decent approach at the plate, and who has had some well-struck line drives, he remains hitless for his big league career. With 26 hitless at-bats, Verlander enters Saturday with the second-longest hitless streak to begin a career in Tigers history. Fred Gladding spent the first seven years of his pitching career in a Tigers uniform, but went 0-for-40 as a hitter.

Verlander probably never heard of Gladding, but he's well-aware of his own streak. His quest for a base hit has been an annual conversation when Interleague Play begins. This year, it begins early enough that he was taking his cuts in the batting cage in Spring Training.

It's reached the point where he might be superstitious about it. He didn't want to talk about it when asked Friday. His teammates, by contrast, have had their fun with it.

"I'm pulling for Ver to get a hit," Rick Porcello said this week, "because it's driving him crazy and I'm tired of hearing about it."

Tigers: Cabrera trying to work on swing
Even two-time defending MVPs and three-time reigning batting champions go through slumps. By pure numbers, 8-for-32 is far from an anchor in a season, even for Miguel Cabrera, who had an 0-for-22 slump in April a couple years ago. Still, with a 2-for-16 performance over his last four games, even he sensed something's not right.

"I'm feeling good, but my swing is not right," Cabrera said. "In BP and when I work in the cage, I feel normal. When I come into the game, I see how I pull a lot of balls to third base and shortstop."

It's not intentional, he said, and it's not health related. He feels fine, and his movement in the field at third base reinforces that. It's a combination of mechanics and timing, he believes, possibly related to habits he developed playing through his injuries down the stretch last year.

"Sometimes you have bad habits," he said. "I don't know if I took that from last year when I got injured, but I feel good. My mechanics are not very good, but hopefully I can keep working, trying to swing more consistently."

Padres: Headley not concerned about sore right knee
Third baseman Chase Headley said before Friday's game that he's dealing with soreness in his right knee, but nothing out of the ordinary. He backed it up by with a two-run home run and an RBI double Friday night, slugging himself out of a .125 start.

"It's not any more of an issue than what you deal with throughout the year," he said. "You've always got something that doesn't feel very good."

Headley's home run was the 34th of his career at Petco Park, tying him with Khalil Greene and Will Venable for second in Padres history behind Adrian Gonzalez.

Worth noting
• Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter is hoping to return to the Tigers' lineup Saturday after missing the past couple games with a bruised left knee. He missed Friday's game as a precaution, but took batting practice and felt fine.

• Padres center fielder Cameron Maybin is scheduled to continue his rehab assignment this weekend for Triple-A El Paso. He ruptured the biceps muscle in his left arm diving a ball in early March.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.







INJURY UPDATE:


• Dirks, Andy (LF) (Recovering from March 2014 back surgery, on the 15-day disabled list, Due Back: Possibly June)

• Iglesias, Jose (SS) (Stress fractures in both shins, 60-day disabled list, Due Back: Possibly late 2014)

• Rondon, Bruce (P) (Tommy John surgery-Right elbow, 60-day disabled list, Due Back: 2015)



On the Internet

MLB.TV
Gameday Audio
•  SCOREBOARD
•  Official Press Pass game notes


On television

•

• Direct TV Extra Innings Schedule


On radio

• AND/OR
• XM Channel Schedule





• Sunday, April 13:
TIGERS: (RHP Max Scherzer (0-0, 1.20 ERA)) AT
PADRES: (RHP Tyson Ross (0-2, 4.35 ERA))
4:10p  p.m. ET (FS-D+ / FM 97.1)


• Monday, April 14: OFF DAY


• Tuesday, April 15:
TIGERS: (RHP tba (? ERA)) AT
INDIANS: (RHP tba (? ERA))
7:08p  p.m. ET (FS-D / FM 97.1)


• Wednesday, April 16:
TIGERS: (LHP Drew Smyly (1-0, 0.00 ERA)) AT
INDIANS: (RHP tba (? ERA))
7:08p  p.m. ET (FS-D+, MLBN, FM 97.1)


• Thursday, April 17:
TIGERS: (RHP tba (? ERA)) AT
INDIANS: (?HP tba (? ERA))
7:08p  p.m. ET (FS-D, MLBN, FM 97.1)


Fri, 4/18 Angels 7:08p FS-D, FM 97.1
Sat, 4/19 Angels 1:08p FS1, FM 97.1
Sun, 4/20 Angels 1:08p FS-D, FM 97.1
Mon, 4/21 White Sox 7:08p FS-D, FM 97.1
Tue, 4/22 White Sox 7:08p FS-D, MLBN, FM 97.1
Wed, 4/23 White Sox 7:08p FS-D, FM 97.1
Thu, 4/24 White Sox 1:08p FS-D, FM 97.1

STARTING LINEUPS:

TIGERS (numbers off Ian Kennedy)

   Rajai Davis, LF
   Ian Kinsler, 2B (3-for-4, double)
   Torii Hunter, RF (2-for-2, double)
   Miguel Cabrera, 1B (2-for-4, triple, walk)
   Austin Jackson, CF
   Nick Castellanos, 3B
   Alex Avila, C (0-for-3, K)
   Alex Gonzalez, SS (1-for-3, HR)
   Justin Verlander, P

PADRES (career numbers off Verlander)

   Everth Cabrera, SS
   Chris Denorfia, RF
   Seth Smith, LF (3-for-21, HR, 6 walks, 7 K’s)
   Jedd Gyorko, 2B
   Chase Headley, 3B (0-for-3, 3 K’s)
   Yonder Alonso, 1B
   Yasmani Grandal, C
   Will Venable, CF
   Ian Kennedy, P

Top 9

• Pitching Change: Tim Stauffer replaces Alex Torres, batting 9th.
  
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Victor Martinez replaces Ian Krol.
  
• 1. Victor Martinez lines out to left fielder Seth Smith.
  
• 2. Rajai Davis walks.
  
• 3. Ian Kinsler walks. Rajai Davis to 2nd.
  
• 4. Torii Hunter grounds out softly, third baseman Chase Headley to first baseman Yonder Alonso. Rajai Davis to 3rd. Ian Kinsler to 2nd.
  
• 5. Tim Stauffer intentionally walks Miguel Cabrera.
  
• 6. Austin Jackson hits a ground-rule double (4) on a fly ball to left-center field. Rajai Davis scores. Ian Kinsler scores. Miguel Cabrera to 3rd.
  
• 7. Nick Castellanos lines out to third baseman Chase Headley.
  

Bottom 9

• Defensive switch from first base to third base for Miguel Cabrera.
  
• Pitching Change: Joe Nathan replaces Ian Krol, batting 6th, replacing third baseman Nick Castellanos.
  
• Victor Martinez remains in the game as the first baseman.
  
• 1. Will Venable grounds out, second baseman Ian Kinsler to first baseman Victor Martinez.
  
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista replaces Tim Stauffer.
  
• 2. Alexi Amarista grounds out, second baseman Ian Kinsler to first baseman Victor Martinez.
  
• 3. Everth Cabrera singles on a ground ball to right fielder Torii Hunter.
  
• With Chris Denorfia batting, Everth Cabrera advances to 2nd on defensive indifference.
  
• 4. Chris Denorfia strikes out swinging.
  

TIGERS WIN 6-2

BOX SCORE


W: Verlander (1-1)
L: Kennedy (1-2)