DETROIT -- With a limited bullpen, the Tigers asked a lot from their ace Justin Verlander and he certainly delivered Thursday, pitching 7 and a 1/3rd innings, with 8 strikeouts, and a career-high 133 pitches.

"Justin pitched his butt off tonight," Tigers Pitcher Doug Fister said. "He grounded out when time's get tough and made big pitches. That's what we needed from him and he did a tremendous job."

"He's unbelievable isn't he?" Phil Coke said, who relieved Verlander in the 7th Thursday. "He's really good. He goes out and shows it every time."

"I thought from catching him all season he would be done in the 7th, so I went to go shake his hand and he said 'No, I'm going back out there.' I said, OK let's go get 'em!" Catcher Alex Avila said.

Great pitching plus some timely hits got the job done for the Tigers. A surprise homer from Alex Avila tied it up in the third inning, a triple from Victor Martinez in the 6th amid a natural cycle, just to name a few. Both men playing through injury.

"We don't get this opportunity very often," Martinez, Tigers' designated hitter said. "We do anything we can to stay in the lineup. The most important thing is to help the team win."

"We've had guys step up all season," Ryan Raburn said. "But, we still have two games to win and they're a great ball club."

The rain actually held off for game five at Comerica Park. Max Scherzer gets the call on the mound Saturday in Arlington, saying he likes to be in the middle of high pressure situations.