Detroit Tigers Notes And Quotes 5-16-11

--RHP Brad Penny credits increased use of a sinker for his 4-1 record and 1.51 ERA in his last five starts. Change will be on the way, though, when word gets around. "It's my sinker," he said. "I'm trying to get ground balls. My whole career I threw mostly four-seamers (high fastball). It's just a little different look. I'm going to have to start mixing it up as we go along." He threw eight innings of five-hit shutout ball Saturday as Detroit stretched its winning streak to seven games with a 3-0 win over Kansas City.

--SS Jhonny Peralta collected the 1,000th hit of his career Saturday, a double off the wall in the sixth for his second hit of the game. It was the only extra-base hit of the game for the Tigers, who had five of their seven hits in the first inning of their 3-0 win over Kansas City. "You wouldn't know if he had 1,000, 2,000 or 50," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's a pretty low-key guy. I'm just glad he was able to get it with Detroit." He now has a 10-game hitting streak.

--DH/C Victor Martinez has a 13-game hitting streak going. Since coming off the disabled list May 4, Martinez is 15-for-37 with a home run and 12 RBI in 10 games. "We keep repeating ourselves," manager Jim Leyland said, "but that's why we got him."

--RHP Jose Valverde was grateful for the rainout. He's saved wins in three of four games and in five appearances since May 8 has four saves to push his season's total to 10. In his last 4 1/3 innings, Valverde has not allowed a run, has walked two and struck out eight. For whatever reason, Valverde is relying almost exclusively on his fastball this season and it generally tops out at 95 mph. He did strike out one batter on a split-finger in his save Saturday.

--2B Scott Sizemore has tailed off since breaking in with hits in his first three at-bats but Detroit is 10-1 since it brought him back from Toledo and sent 2B Will Rhymes back. Sizemore contributed to three first-inning runs Saturday by following a leadoff single by CF Austin Jackson with a push bunt down the first-base line that turned into a single when he outraced defenders to the bag. Sizemore later added a second single for his first two-hit game since those three hits in his first game of the season with the Tigers. Overall, he is 7-for-39 if you subtract those hits he got in his first three at-bats.

--2B Carlos Guillen has returned to Tampa after spending the weekend with Detroit, taking batting practice and ground balls. "He's feeling a lot better and is making some strides," head trainer Kevin Rand said of Guillen, who is still recuperating from microfracture surgery on his right knee last summer. "Hopefully we can get him on a timetable soon." "I ran the bases hard (Saturday) and swung from both sides of the plate," Guillen said. "It doesn't bother me. We'll see how it feels, but that's a good sign for me." Guillen has been rehabbing at Detroit's spring training base and said, "I've gotten two speeding tickets (making the commute from Tampa)."

--CF Austin Jackson takes an eight-game hitting streak into Monday's game with Toronto and manager Jim Leyland has a pretty simple explanation. "He's putting it in play on a more consistent basis," the manager said. A check of the box scores shows Jackson is 15-for-35 during his streak with eight strikeouts. Jackson has 43 strikeouts in his other 122 at-bats this season. He hasn't shortened his stroke to any great degree but his feet and hips are more in line with where they were last season when he batted nearly .400 when he put the ball in play.

BY THE NUMBERS
73 -- Years since LHP Johnny Vander Meer of Cincinnati threw no-hit games in back-to-back starts. RHP Justin Verlander got 5 2/3 innings into his first start following his no-hitter before allowing a hit.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"He wouldn't care if he had 1,000, 2,000 or 50 (hits). He's a pretty low-key guy. I'm just glad he was able to get it with Detroit." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on the occasion of SS Jhonny Peralta getting his 1,000th hit, a double in the sixth inning Saturday.

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