Tiger fans haven’t been this fired up since the last time Detroit was six games above .500 three months ago when they started out the season with a 9-and-3 record. Last night, before a sold out crowd atComericaPark, the Tigers doubled up the first place White Sox 4-to-2 and they’re now only a half-game off the lead in the American League Central.Detroitace Justin Verlander pitched a strong eight innings to improve to 11-and-5 and helped push the Tiger’s record to 50-and-44.   

Verlander fanned six and allowed 4 hits, including a 2-run homer that put Detroit down a pair in the third inning. However, the Tigers struck back in their half of the frame with a 2-out rally as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder each hit RBI singles before Delmon Young doubled in Cabrera. Austin Jackson added an insurance rbi single in the seventh for Detroit, which won its third straight. Jake Peavy, who suffered the defeat forChicago, was tough on the Tigers at times, especially early when he struck out the first five Detroit batters. But he ended up surrendering all four runs over seven innings of work. Rick Porcello gets the start for the Tigers this afternoon while 11-game winner Chris Sale goes the mound for the White Sox in the middle game of the three game series. And the Cubs last night lost 4-to-1 at St. Louis as the Cardinals quickly ended Ryan Dempster’s 33-inning scoreless streak, striking for 3-runs in the bottom of the first.