CHICAGO -- It was just one pitch, but Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers can only hope it turns out to be a turning point i

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CHICAGO -- It was just one pitch, but Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers can only hope it turns out to be a turning point in their season. Custom San Diego Padres Jersey . Verlander turned in one of his most effective outings this year and once again beat the White Sox, leading the Detroit Tigers past Chicago 7-1 Friday night. The right-hander showed some of his former Cy Young form, particularly to wiggle out of a jam in the first inning. After Verlanders wild pickoff throw set up a sacrifice fly by Adam Dunn, Verlander reached back to strike out Tyler Flowers on a 95 mph fastball and leave the bases loaded. "Yeah, you cant put your team in a 3-0 deficit right away," Verlander said. "I made a bad throw to allow those guys to score an easy run. Once the bases are loaded, youre thinking, All right, just leave the damage where its at and make a pitch here." Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was also glad to see Verlander get out of the tough spot. "Ive always said the first inning is the toughest inning for a starter," Ausmus said. "To get out of the inning was very important." The contending Tigers won for the fifth time in six games. Chicago has lost nine of 10. Verlander (12-11) beat the White Sox for the 14th time in 18 decisions since June 10, 2009 -- the most wins by any pitcher against a single team in that span. The former AL MVP allowed one run and nine hits in seven innings. It was the first time this year that he allowed fewer than two runs in a game. "Im just trying to execute better pitches, not walk so many guys and get ahead in the count," said Verlander, whose numbers began to trend upward since the All-Star break. "I know (the talent) is still there to be the guy I want to be. I just got to find it." Verlander matched his season high with eight strikeouts and walked two. Seven of the strikeouts came in his last three innings. "The first half of his game was good," Ausmus said. "The second half was very good." J.D. Martinez had a double and two singles for Detroit. The Tigers got 13 hits, including five doubles. Scott Carroll (5-9) took the loss but didnt get much support in the field. He allowed seven runs, only three of which were earned. First baseman Jose Abreu had three hits for Chicago, but his two errors helped the Tigers score five times in the fourth for a 7-1 lead. After Victor Martinez hit a grounder that handcuffed Abreu for an error, Nick Castellanos groundout and Alex Avilas double drove in two runs. Eugenio Suarez followed with a single before Ezequiel Carreras high bouncer glanced off the tip of Abreus glove for a run-scoring miscue. Ian Kinslers fielders choice groundout and Torii Hunters double capped the rally. Abreu left the game after the seventh because of what appeared to be a minor hamstring injury. "Hes fine," manager Robin Ventura said. "I think hes just tired." TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: RHP Joakim Soria resumed his throwing program before the game, when he threw off flat ground for the third time this week. The hope is that his strained left oblique will not require a second stint on the disabled list, but there is no timetable for the relievers return. White Sox: OF Moises Sierra went hitless in four at-bats on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. He is on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left oblique. UP NEXT The Tigers will send RHP Max Scherzer (15-4, 3.13) to the mound against LHP Chris Sale (10-3, 2.03) in the opener of a split doubleheader on Saturday. Tigers LHP Kyle Ryan and White Sox RHP Chris Bassitt are scheduled to make their major league debuts in the nightcap. REED GETS CALL Prior to the game, the Tigers purchased the contract of RHP Evan Reed from Triple-A Toledo and designated RHP Jose Ortego for assignment. Reed had a 0-1 record and 4.88 earned run average in 27 games for the Tigers this season. He replaced LHP Kyle Lobstein, who was sent to the Triple-A affiliate the previous night. LITTLE BIG MEN The White Sox plan to honour the Jackie Robinson West Little League team on Chicagos South Side before the second game of the doubleheader. The team became the first all-black squad to win the United States championship before losing to South Korea in the Little League title game. Rickey Henderson Jersey . -- Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied the last three holes and five of the final six Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with Mi Jung Hur in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. Yangervis Solarte Padres Jersey . The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when - after nearly two years - federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges. http://www.baseballpadresofficial.com/ozzie-smith-jersey-c-22/ .Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc.Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season.NEW ORLEANS - Tyreke Evans and his New Orleans teammates took notice when they saw Houston coach Kevin McHale sub out his entire starting lineup early in the third quarter.The Pelicans saw it as a chance to earn some extra rest of their own.We brought it in the huddle and just said, Keep putting the pressure on them, dont stop being aggressive, Evans recalled. We did that. We got a big lead where we could sit down and rest.Ryan Anderson scored 22 points, Evans added 21 and New Orleans routed the Rockets 111-83 on Friday night.Dante Cunningham added 13 points for New Orleans, which led by as much as 32 in the second half.Omer Asik grabbed 11 rebounds, and Anthony Davis accounted for three of the Pelicans eight blocked shots.We made the right plays defensively and it led to easy points, Anderson said. We just controlled the game for 48 minutes.Dwight Howard scored 12 points and James Harden had 11 for Houston, all in the first half. None of Houstons starters scored in the third quarter.We didnt have any effort tonight, any concentration, McHale said. We were terrible tonight. They came out and just kicked our tails up one side and down the other. We didnt come to play.Howard said he had no clue when asked if McHale wanted to send a message by benching his starters early in the third quarter, or whether the coach sought to rest top players for Saturday nights home date against Miami with the game in New Orleans showing signs of getting out of hand.When asked his opinion of the move, Howard said: Weve got to get ready for the next game.Corey Brewer scored 12 points for the Rockets, and Donatas Motiejunas had 10.Jimmer Fredette scored 10 points and sent a charge through the crowd with a fast-break lob to Austin Rivers for an alley-oop dunk that even brought Davis out of his seat on the bench.New Orleans shot 53 per cent (44 of 83). Houston missed its first five shots and wound up shooting 39.8 per cennt (35 of 8, including 20. Wil Myers Padres Jersey. 7 per cent (6 of 29) from 3-point range.It was Houstons first game this season in which it never led.Andersons first 3 — also his fifth field goal on six shots — put the Pelicans up 38-22 early in the second quarter.Anderson and Evans combined to hit 14 of 19 shots and score 32 points in the first half, helping the Pelicans to a 59-42 lead.When the second half began, Josh Smith missed a 3, Trevor Ariza turned the ball over and then Patrick Beverly was called for a foul on Luke Babbitt, whose free throws put the Pelicans up by 23 just 1:31 into the period. Thats when McHale yanked his starters.TIP-INSRockets: Officials had to call timeout in the first quarter when Motiejunas showed them a deep red scratch across the underside of his forearm. The Lithuanian 7-footer complained of the injury, which trainers covered with a bandage, shortly after being called for a foul while tangled up with Davis in the paint. ... During the eight minutes Howard played in the first quarter, he attempted only one shot, an alley-oop dunk of Motiejunas lob.Pelicans: The Pelicans 28-point margin of victory was the largest in franchise history against the Rockets. ... The Pelicans are 11-1 when blocking seven or more shots. ... One of Andersons three 3-pointers was ruled good when Howard was called for goaltending.HAPPPY COACHNew Orleans coach Monty Williams was pleased with the Pelicans dominant victory on the heels of a discouraging overtime loss at San Antonio two nights earlier, when his team lost a lead in the final second of regulation.To be able to play against a playoff team thats going to contend for a championship that way after what happened to us the other night says a ton about character and resiliency, Williams said. Our guys came focused and flushed what happened the other day.UP NEXTRockets: Host Miami on Saturday.Pelicans: Host Washington on Monday. 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