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SAN DIEGO - Sometime soon, a baseball will be getting a prominent spot among the trophies on Justin Verlanders mantle. Its the ball he hit up the middle for a single in the second inning Saturday night, the one that will forever shut up his teammates. Verlander had the first two hits of his career and recovered from throwing 31 pitches in the first inning to pitch seven strong innings and lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. "It felt great. Its been a long time and I can finally get all these guys off my back ...," Verlander said. Verlander had been 0 for 26 with 15 strikeouts in his career when he stepped in against Ian Kennedy in the second inning and singled up the middle. When the ball came back to Kennedy, he tossed it to a ball boy near the Padres dugout. Home plate umpire Seth Buckminster motioned for the ball boy to throw it to the Tigers dugout. "I think the Padres and probably Ian didnt know that I had never had a hit," Verlander said. "Its been nine years in the big leagues now. They probably werent thinking about that but I sure as heck was. I was watching that ball like a hawk." The last time Verlander had a hit? "High school. Its been a long time," he said. "I guess I have no more leverage," catcher Alex Avila said. "Were all happy for him. It was fun to watch." Verlander cited a list of times when he came close to getting a hit. "I think its kind of been an anomaly that I havent had one yet," he said. "I feel like Ive probably hit five or six hard that have been caught." Verlander singled to right in the fourth, although he had to hustle to avoid being thrown out by Chris Denorfia. "I hit it pretty hard, too. It was a bang-bang play but I beat it out, thank goodness," said Verlander, who eventually scored on Torii Hunters two-run single. The sight of Verlander (1-1) on the mound at Petco Park was another reminder of how the Padres flubbed the top pick in the June 2004 amateur draft. Not wanting to pay a big signing bonus, the team passed on players such as Jered Weaver, Stephen Drew and Verlander in favour of local shortstop Matt Bush. Bush, who signed for $3 million, never reached the big leagues and had numerous off-field problems. In December 2012, he was sentenced to four years and three months in a Florida prison for a drunken driving hit-and-run crash. Verlander was taken by the Tigers with the second pick. He has thrown two no-hitters and came within two outs of a third, won the AL MVP and Cy Young Award in 2011, was voted AL Rookie of the Year in 2006 and is a six-time All-Star. Verlander allowed two runs and eight hits, struck out eight and walked one. He improved to 2-0 against the Padres, having also beaten them at Petco Park in 2008. "Hes a guy who obviously has that power arm when he needs to," San Diegos Yonder Alonso said. "He works his way into the game and if he feels like hes in trouble, hes going to attack. He made some good pitches but we just missed a lot of guys on base." The Tigers had plenty of offence one night after being held to one hit by Andrew Cashner in a 6-0 loss. Austin Jackson hit a two-run double one batter after Miguel Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases in the ninth; Hunter, who missed the previous two games with a bruised left knee, hit a two-run single; and Cabrera and Ian Kinsler each had an RBI double. Rajai Davis scored three runs. San Diego got its runs on Jedd Gyorkos sacrifice fly and Yasmani Grandals RBI single. Kennedy (1-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one. NOTES: A candidate in the Padres in-season contest to find a new public address announcer committed a big flub in the first inning. As Cabrera, the two-time AL MVP, walked to the plate, he was announced as Austin Jackson. Cabrera turned and looked up at the booth. Frank Anthony, the Padres PA announcer since Petco Park opened in 2004, was fired in January so the team could hold open tryouts as part of the 10th anniversary of Petco Park. ... The series concludes Sunday when reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (0-0, 1.20 ERA) is scheduled to face Tyson Ross (0-2, 4.35). Fake Giants Jerseys .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday. San Francisco Giants Shirts . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/ . Cammalleri scored two goals, Corban Knight netted the winner in a shootout, and the Flames erased a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Stars 4-3 on Friday night. Wholesale Giants Jerseys . The NFL says Wednesday that the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions at Wembley on Oct. 26 will start at 1:30 p. San Francisco Giants Store . The Cavaliers first-year forward will miss at least three weeks with a strained left knee, the latest setback for the No.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Phil Jackson offered a mea culpa for the New York Knicks awful first half of the season but said hes doing whats best for the franchises future.Days after trading away two of the teams best players and getting little in return, Jackson asked fans not to blame coach Derek Fisher because whats shaping up as the worst season in franchise history is his responsibility.The Knicks fell to an NBA-worst 5-35 with their 110-82 loss to Charlotte to extend the longest single-season skid in team history to 15 games.In anticipating that we were going to be better, that we were giving hope to our fans that maybe there was a possible playoff opportunity here, that goes on me, Jackson said.That we have to now take responsibility and move forward and make things happen, that also goes on me and now I have to do the job that I was brought in to do.Jackson had said before his first full season as the teams president of basketball operations that he thought the Knicks were capable of contending for a playoff spot, but now says that they obviously werent.But Jackson, part of two championship teams with the Knicks as a player and a title-winning coach with the Lakers and Bulls, insisted hes making moves that could turn around a franchise that hasnt won since that second title in 1973.Were going through this period of time and for some of the people that have been fans of this team have told me many times that theres been this impression that maybe the team should blow it up and should start over again and its never happened, Jackson said. Its always been going after the next big star.We kept searching for the big star to change our fortunes which has never happened in the last 45 years or so, so reality is that this is probably the best way to go about the business aand to begin and to restart and do it the right way and put it together in a way that really makes sense.ddddddddddddJackson traded guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland this week in a three-team deal that could leave the Knicks with more than $25 million in salary cap space next summer. Jackson said he hopes to bring in five to six new players next season.He acknowledged making the wrong decisions on the team he put together this season, though he was hamstrung for financial reasons. He may not be done making moves, saying the Knicks could be active at next months trade deadline.I just think that no one should be surprised in what we do from here on out, Jackson said.Jackson, who won an NBA-record 11 championships as a coach, praised Fisher for remaining optimistic and keeping the teams future goals in mind.I think in a lot of ways thats what leadership is, Fisher said. Its not to gloat and smile and be happy when things are going well and take all the credit, but to still be consistent and persistent in who you are when things arent going well.Jackson also spoke highly of Carmelo Anthony, who hopes to return soon from a sore left knee.But the All-Star forward might be one of the few Knicks who is still around next season. Jackson said this seasons group didnt learn the teams triangle offence as quickly as he hoped, necessitating some of the moves hes made and the next search for talent.Jackson said that hes lost some sleep trying to figure out ways to improve the Knicks, but believes it will happen. He said Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who gave Jackson his first chance to be a team executive in March, has remained supportive.We hope were on the right track, even though this isnt the track we anticipated, Jackson said. ' ' '