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Verlander Works 6 Sharp Innings

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The Associated Press

Published: March 17, 2009

LAKELAND - Justin Verlander remained confident when he struggled earlier in spring training and picked up another reason to be optimistic on Tuesday.

Verlander pitched six sharp innings in the Detroit Tigers' 1-1, 11-inning tie against the Houston Astros. The right-hander allowed one run and one hit, walked three and struck out two.

Verlander was 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA last season. He also had been shaky this spring, yielding four runs and three hits over two innings in his previous start last Wednesday against the New York Yankees. He walked four in that game, including three straight hitters in the second.

This one went a lot better for the Tigers ace.

"I am not someone who is ever going to lose his confidence," Verlander said. "Everything I do is about progressing every day. Yes, it was a big stride forward, but I never lost my confidence."

Verlander threw 68 pitches against Houston and said he had enough left for at least another inning but realized the rest of the staff also needed some work. The Tigers are off Wednesday and manager Jim Leyland is running out of time to figure out his bullpen situation.

"I am not concerned about Verlander," Leyland said. "(Tuesday) he had the best curveball I've seen from him including last year. He mixed his pitches and when he does that he is an outstanding major league pitcher."

Astros starter Brian Moehler made his fourth start of the spring and allowed four hits in five scoreless innings.

"I felt better the last two innings than I did the first three," Moehler said. "It was just a matter of locating better. I just thought I was a little all over the place the first couple of innings. I felt much better the last two."

Geoff Blum drove in Houston's run in the fourth and Scott Sizemore tied it with a home run in the eighth.

"I'm upset about my hitting. We have got to figure out a way to hit at spring training," said Astros manager Cecil Cooper, whose team is 1-14. "We've got to figure out a way to get it done. This is just absolutely pathetic and I don't care if it's veterans, rookies, whatever it is. Forty-one years and I've never seen it like this. I've been around a long time and I've never, ever seen it. Something's got to give, sooner rather than later."

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