may have cost her but the fillies that finished in front of her

DETROIT -- The way Justin Verlander has pitched since July, he rarely needs much offensive support from his teammates.On Friday night, the Detroit Tigers didnt score until the sixth inning, but four late runs were more than enough for Verlander to beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-2.He allowed a first-inning homer to Albert Pujols, then after holding the Angels hitless from the second into the eighth, he gave up a second run before Francisco Rodriguez got the final four outs.The Tigers have won five straight to move back into contention in both the AL Central and wild-card races.Verlander (14-7) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out eight in his ninth straight quality start. Since July 2, he is 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA while giving up 48 hits in 76 1/3 innings.This is what you work for, he said. You work so hard in the offseason so that you can be strong at the end of the year and continue to give your team a chance to win when it really counts.Mike Trout went 0 for 3 against Verlander, and is 1 for 15 against the Tigers ace in his career.That was obviously a tough night, Trout said. He was throwing near 100 (mph), he was working the corners, and he was keeping us off balance. That doesnt give you many chances.Justin Upton hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the sixth -- his fourth in five games.Upton was hitting .226 when Tigers manager Brad Ausmus held him out of the starting lineup for three days last week. Since returning on Saturday, hes batting .417 with seven extra-base hits and 11 RBI in six games.Hes been great since he came back off that three-day hiatus, Ausmus said. It was a mental reset, and it gave him a chance to work on some things. His history shows hes capable of going on sustained tears like this, and I hope he keeps it going for at least the next five weeks.Ricky Nolasco (4-12) held the Tigers scoreless for the first five innings, but ended up allowing four runs, nine hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings.I was putting up zeros and trying to give us a chance, but thats a stacked lineup, Nolasco said. I made the big pitches I needed until the sixth.Pujols gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the first, hitting his 585th career homer. He came into the game hitting .360 against the Tigers, the best average in baseball since 2001. It was Pujols first regular-season homer off Verlander, though he did hit one off the Tigers ace in the 2006 World Series.Detroit broke through in the sixth, tying the game on consecutive doubles by Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, and Upton hit the next pitch into the stands in left field to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.I hung two straight sliders, and it cost us the game, Nolasco said. J.D. hit the first one for a double and the next one was a home run.Cameron Maybin added a solo homer in the seventh. Verlander didnt allow a hit after the first inning until Kaleb Cowarts one-out single in the eighth. Cowart, though, scored on Kole Calhouns two-out double.That brought in Rodriguez, and he walked Trout to put the tying run on base. Pujols hit an 0-1 pitch deep down the line in left, but it hooked foul. Rodriguez uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners to second and third.Pujols, though, grounded out on the next pitch to end the threat.You knew that was going to be a battle with Frankie and Albert out there, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. Albert almost got him, but he just couldnt wrap it around the pole, and then Frankie made a great pitch. Thats what hes going to do.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: INF Jefry Marte returned to the Angels after missing the series in Toronto with tonsillitis. ... Reliever Cam Bedrosian is scheduled to see a vascular specialist early next week to determine if he needs season-ending surgery to remove a blood clot in his arm.Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (neck) started for Triple-A Toledo in the first of what is expected to be three rehab starts. Zimmermann allowed two hits in 3 2/3 shutout innings, throwing 39 pitches.ACHTER HONOREDVisiting relievers arent usually included in pre-game ceremonies, but the Tigers made an exception for Angels reliever A.J. Achter. Friday was Michigan State University Night at Comerica Park, and Achter is the only active major leaguer who played for the Spartans.GOLD MEDALIST COMES HOMESwimmer Allison Schmitt, who grew up about 30 miles west of Comerica Park, threw out the first pitch. Earlier this month, she won gold and silver in the Rio Olympics, giving her four career gold medals and eight total medals.UP NEXTThe teams continue their three-game series Saturday night, with Tigers rookie Michael Fulmer (10-4, 2.58) facing Brett Oberholtzer (3-2, 5.77). Oberholtzer is replacing Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation, with Chacin moving to the bullpen. Miami Dolphins Jerseys .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Nat Moore Womens Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. http://www.dolphinsrookiestore.com/Dolphins-Jason-Taylor-Jersey/ . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Cameron Wake Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Mark Duper Jersey .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place.Alex Hammond supplied us with the big-race winner Profitable last week. Can the Sky Sports News HQ racing expert do it again? Awtaad lowered the colours of Galileo Gold on Saturday but do you think he would come out on top if the pair met again?Awtaad was impressive wasnt he? He seems the complete racehorse as he has a great attitude, loads of speed and tons of ability. Id like to be on him when the pair next face off thats for sure. Its fair to say Frankie Dettori had to sit and suffer on Galileo Gold whereas Chris Hayes was able to ride the race he wanted to on the winner, but regardless of that I think the Irish Guineas winner has the edge. Awtaad has now won his last four starts and is improving at a rate of knots and if the pair meet in the St Jamess Palace Stakes Id rather be on the Kevin Prendergast-trained colt; he looks by far the most straightforward of the two. He is currently 3/1 with Sky Bet for the one-mile Group One at the Royal meeting whereas Galileo Gold is 9/2. They may both have to play second fiddle to The Gurkha regardless - his performance in France looked very impressive. Skiffle won the Height Of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood and now looks like being supplemented for the Investec Oaks but do you think that is the right move and is Minding vulnerable after her defeat on Sunday?We thought the three-year-old fillies looked much superior to the colts, but the Oaks door has been left ajar after the defeat of Minding behind Jet Setting in the Irish 1000 Guineas. Minding is still favourite for the Epsom Classic, but has now been pushed out to 6/5 with Sky Bet. Its probable that the incident as the gates opened that saw her bang her head had a bearing on the outcome of the race and its also true that the ground was testing enough for her at the Curragh, but with the doubt over her stamina for the mile and a half at Epsom I can see why other trainers are happy to try to take her on. The Height Of Fashion (formerly the Lupe) is a race that has had an influence on the Oaks in the past and Skiffle has been introduced at 10/1 with Sky Bet for Epsom. Charlie Applebys filly is improving fast and as this was only her second outing youd have to expect further improvement. She completely cocked up the start on debut, rearing and missing the break, but she was much more savvy at Goodwood and I can see the attraction of adding her to the Oaks field. She is guaranteed to stay, being a daughter of Dubawi out of a mare that was useful up to 1m4f and is a half sister to a horse that was also effective over middle distances. So a lots of ticks there and lets be honest, the £30,000 itll cost to add her to the field isnt going to make a dent in the Sheikh Mohammed coffers!Has anything else caught your eye for Epsom following Breakfast With The Stars on Tuesday and if you had to have one ante-post bet at this stage, what would it be? Well, much of the talk after Breakfast With The Stars was of the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Ulysses. Sir Michael isnt usually one to give much away, but he has spoken well of this beautifully bred colt who has now shortened into 8/1 with Sky Bet for the Derby. He had one run at two, going into winter quarters with an encouraging sixth in a mile maiden at Newbury behind Algometer. That horse has gone on at three and has some decent form so far, including a second place to Midterm in Sandowns Classic Trial and winning a Listed race at Goodwood. Ulysses reappeared this term in a hot Leicester maiden finishing second and then got off the mark in a 10-furlong Newbury maiden earlier this month. So, back to that pedigree; hes by Galileo who won the English and Irish Derbies in 2001 and is out of a mare called Light Shift, who won the Oaks at Epsom for Sir Henry Cecil in 2007. Derby pedigrees surely dont get much better than that and Andrea Atzeni will ride him in the big race. I also have plenty of respect for Cloth Of Stars who motored round the course on Tuesday morning and is trained by Andre Fabre. He is 7/1 third favourite and needs to be supplemented at a cost of £75,000.Clive Cox has another smart sprinter on his hands in Profitable, is the Temple Stakes winner on your radar for Royal Ascot?How pleased was I to see Profitable earn followers of the blog a few quid on Saturday?! Delighted! Meccas Angel was being supported as if defeat was out of the question after the rain had turned the ground in her favour; but I was screaming home Clive Coxs four-year-old and my prayers were answered. As predicted, he has improved for another winter on his back and looks a force to be reckoned with this season.dddddddddddd Granted he carried Meccas Angel across the track in the final furlong, but no momentum was lost and the stewards decided it hadnt made a difference. I was sure Profitable needed a bit of ease in the ground, but his trainer said afterwards he thinks he will be even better on a quicker surface. This is great news for his likely Royal Ascot aspirations and going forward for the rest of the season as he is clearly versatile on that front. Hes now 8/1 co second favourite for the Kings Stand next month and as a sprinter on the upgrade, I wouldnt be disappointed if I had an ante-post voucher in my clutches.Theres another big card at Haydock this weekend, what should we be backing?Well, after last weekend Haydock is my new favourite track, so lets try and find another winner or two! There are three Group races that should be pretty competitive. The Group Two Sandy Lane Stakes is the feature with a strong entry for the six-furlong contest. Classic winning trainer Hugo Palmer could have a good day at the Lancashire track and his Gifted Master is clear favourite on the ante-post book. At 2/1 with Sky Bet though I think we can find a bit more value elsewhere. Having said that, he hasnt seen the back of another horse since last June and despite being a bit quirky is clearly very talented. He is already 6/1 second favourite for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. A few of his rivals on Saturday could also have the Royal Ascot race on their radar, including Buratino, who is dropping back in trip having failed to stay a mile in the 2000 Guineas. He also has the beating of Air Force Blue as a juvenile when winning the Coventry. Remarkable went into a few notebooks when runner up to Log Out Island in a Listed race at Newbury this month and John Gosdens son of Pivotal looks a horse on the up. At 9/1 for Saturdays race, he could run a good race if the forecast rain arrives. La Rioja is another unexposed likely improver at three. Henry Candys filly hasnt run yet this season, but was a Group Three winner at Salisbury on her last start. She is another horse that will need the rain to fall. Jim Bolgers Smash Williams is potentially a very nice horse too. He is one of a strong entry for Irish-trained horses and looked exciting as a juvenile. Its a very good renewal of the race and I dont have a really strong view at the moment, but if the rain comes then Ill be backing Remarkable to cause an upset.Then we have two Group Three races to look forward to, the Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares over an extended 1m3f, and the Timeform Jury Stakes over seven furlongs. Last years winner Miss Marjurie is among the entries for the Pinnacle Stakes and trainer Denis Coakley has snapped up the services of Oisin Murphy. However, last year she won a Listed race at Goodwood en-route to this, but was disappointing in the same race this time round. The powerful combination of John Gosden and Frankie Dettori look like they will be hard to beat here with Journey. She wasnt disgraced in finishing third to Beautiful Romance and Koora in the Middleton Stakes at Yorks Dante meeting and a reproduction of that will be good enough here. She just ran a bit free at York and that may have cost her but the fillies that finished in front of her that day are top class and it doesnt look like theres anything of that quality entered at Haydock.The Timeform Jury Stakes looks more open and has attracted a strong entry. Home Of The Brave represents trainer Hugo Palmer and is Sky Bets ante-post favourite at 9/2. He was snapped up by Godolphin after his reappearance win at Leicester last month, but was unable to represent his new owners in the Lockinge Stakes after the ground turned too soft. There is plenty to recommend him providing Haydock dont get too much rain before Saturday. William Haggas horses are running well and his Adaay is another for the shortlist. He was a bit disappointing over a mile on his return to action at Sandown last time out, but I think a drop back to seven will be just the job and on the best of his form he is right up there with a big shout. He won the Sandy Lane Stakes on this card last year beating Limato, which is very good form. Unlike Home Of The Brave he wont mind a drop of moisture in the ground and at this stage hell do for me. Also See: Live results service Full racecards Get Sky Sports ' ' '