By AP
CLEVELAND – Justin Verlander pitched the Detroit Tigers closer to a division title and pushed the Cleveland Indians within one loss of matching a franchise record for futility with a 6-5 win on Thursday night.
Verlander struck out 11 in seven innings and Carlos Guillen had three hits and an RBI as the Tigers handed Cleveland its 11th straight loss.
With the win, Detroit moved three games ahead of the idle Minnesota Twins in the AL's Central Division. The Tigers open a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
The Indians haven't dropped 11 in a row since setting a club record with 12 consecutive losses in 1931. They can match that mark Friday when Baltimore, losers of seven straight, opens a weekend series at Progressive Field.