Right-hander Max Scherzer can continue a month's worth of mound success today when the Detroit Tigers host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the fourth and final game of their series at Comerica Park.
Scherzer, who'll turn 28 next week, was 5-4 with a 5.76 earned run average through his initial 12 starts of 2012 before tossing eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 defeat of Colorado on June 17.
He's won three of four decisions in the last five outings, lowering the ERA by nearly a run - to 4.84 - while giving up 10 runs on 28 hits in 32 innings.
In his last start, on July 14 at Baltimore, he gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings of a game the Tigers ultimately lost, 8-6.
Scherzer dropped his lone career start against the Angels after allowing eight runs - three earned - on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
In Wednesday's third game, Doug Fister shut down the Angels a day after their season-best output, as the Tigers rolled to a 7-2 victory.
Fister (4-6) surrendered a solo home run to Albert Pujols in the first inning, but was otherwise masterful in winning his third straight start. He allowed just one more hit, two walks and fanned 10 over eight innings.
Fister's dominant performance came after the Angels pounded out 18 hits and five homers in a 13-0 rout on Tuesday.
"He pitched terrific," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He moved the ball in and out and changed his speeds."
Brennan Boesch and Prince Fielder each had two hits and drove in a pair for Detroit, which improved to 4-2 since the All-Star break.
Angels starter C.J. Wilson (9-6) was touched for a season-high seven runs on eight hits and five walks.
"Over the course of the season, you hope the good bounces go your way. (Wednesday) they didn't," Wilson said.
The Angels turn to righty Jerome Williams, who's not won since June 1.
The Hawaii native was 6-2 in his first 10 appearances of the season but has dropped four straight starts in which Los Angeles has been outscored, 23-14.
Williams took an 8-6 loss at home against Seattle to begin the tailspin and has since lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco and the New York Yankees while allowing 21 runs in 22 2/3 innings.
He's 1-4 in seven road games this year and has never faced the Tigers in exactly 100 career big-league appearances.
This series is the first between the teams in 2012. The Angels won the season matchup last year, 4-3, while the Tigers won six of 10 games in 2010.
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