DETROIT -- Justin Verlander knows he isnt going to make a sixth straight All-Star team. A few more performances like the one Wednesday might mean hes heading in the right direction, however. Verlander overcame a pair of long home runs in the first inning and left with a comfortable lead after the sixth as the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 9-3 for a three-game sweep. Verlander (7-7) started the day looking like the pitcher who has been searching for his mechanics for most of the season. Coco Crisp began the game with a shot over the access tunnel down the right-field line, and Brandon Moss went even deeper into the right-field stands with two out. That, though, was the last time the As scored off the pitcher who has dominated them in each of the last two postseasons. Verlander wasnt sharp, allowing nine hits, but he didnt walk a batter. "I didnt make a big adjustment, I just got more into my rhythm," he said. "My changeup wasnt good, but I was able to throw my slider to lefties, where usually thats just fastball and curve." With a .500 record and a 4.71 ERA, even Verlanders years of dominance arent going to get him to Minnesota later this month for the All-Star festivities. "Im not going this year -- I can pretty much guarantee that," he said. "I didnt have a good first half, and I know that." "Its going to be the first time I get that weekend off in a while. It will be nice to get that time where I dont have to tax my arm. Ive put in a lot of extra work this year, trying to find my mechanics, so the rest will be good," he said. Torii Hunter hit three RBI singles and capped a six-run burst in the sixth inning. The three-time AL Central champion Tigers won for the 11th time in 13 games. The division leaders reached the halfway mark with a 47-34 mark. Oakland still has the best record in the majors despite its stumble at Comerica Park. The Tigers have eliminated Oakland from the post-season in each of the last two years. Detroit won this years season series 4-2, but with both teams leading their divisions, theres a chance of a fourth October meeting since 2006. "We won three of four here last year during the regular season, but they turned the tide on us this time," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "This wasnt a very good series for us -- getting swept never feels too good -- but we do want to play them again this year." If there is a third matchup, the As wont expect this version of Verlander. "For guys like that, there is a regular-season version and a playoff version," Moss said. "I guarantee you that when playoff time comes, hes going to be dominant." Hunter started at designated hitter for the first time in his two seasons with the Tigers. Hunter, who turns 39 on July 18, came into the game hitting .185 in his last 32 games and has struggled badly in right field. The Tigers had a rough time, too, going 9-20 in late May and early June. "I think it was really good for our team to go through some of those tough patches," second baseman Ian Kinsler. "It taught us a lot about what type of team we are, that we could come out of that thing and still be one of the best teams in baseball." Jesse Chavez (6-5) struggled for the second straight start, giving up five runs in five-plus innings. Reliever Jim Johnson, who replaced him, allowed four runs while only getting one out. "We got the lead in the first, and I gave it back," Chavez said. "Thats the biggest thing. As a starter, when you get the lead, you want to hang on to it." NOTES: Victor Martinez sat out with soreness in his side, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said it was purely precautionary and that he should be back at DH on Thursday. ... DH Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring) and C Derek Norris (back) both returned to the lineup for Oakland. ... The As return home for a series with Toronto, with Sonny Gray (7-3) scheduled to face R.A. Dickey (6-7). ... Detroit remains home for a four-game weekend series with Tampa Bay. Max Scherzer (9-3) is scheduled to pitch the opener against Erik Bedard (4-5). Custom Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys . Matt Carkner got back into the Ottawa lineup, and made his presence felt right away by settling his clubs score in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle. Artemi Panarin Jersey .C. -- Benn Ferrieros familiar with scoring important goals, just not in back-to-back games. http://www.bluejacketsshop.com/authentic...jackets-jersey/. -- Wes Welker is unlikely to suit up for Denvers game Thursday against San Diego after leaving Sundays win over Tennessee with his second concussion in four games. Seth Jones Jersey . - Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jason Babin is now a free agent. Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys . The 21-year-old Wickham headed Sunderland into a 26th-minute lead --to add to the double he scored at Manchester City and his strike in last weekends win at Chelsea -- and then sealed the win with a late header.LOS ANGELES -- The Golden State Warriors stumbled out of the gate, missing their first eight shots while falling behind by 11 points and forcing coach Mark Jackson to call two timeouts to steady his young team. Stephen Curry glanced at the clock and realized there was still plenty of time left to knock off the Los Angeles Clippers. Klay Thompson scored 22 points, spiking the ball as time expired, and Golden State beat Los Angeles 109-105 after getting Blake Griffin and Chris Paul in foul trouble in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday. "A big way to start the series," Curry said. "Weve been resilient all year. Were not going to quit." David Lee had 20 points despite his own foul trouble and Curry scored 14 for the Warriors, who rallied in the third when Griffin and Paul were on the bench together. "Im proud of my guys," Jackson said. "We just had a tremendous will and competitive spirit." Game 2 is Monday night at Staples Center. "The pressure is all on them," Thompson said. "They cant afford to go down 0-2 and go on the road. Its tough to come back down 0-2." Paul led the Clippers with 28 points, and J.J. Redick added 22 points in 30 minutes. Griffin finished with 16 points, fouling out with 48 seconds left and the game tied at 105. DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Warriors built an 11-point lead early in the fourth, helped by back-to-back dunks by Jermaine ONeal and Thompsons turnaround fadeaway jumper. Then they withstood Pauls desperate but error-filled bid to bring his team all the way back. "We made mistakes," Griffin said. "Some of us, myself included, maybe wanted it too much and came in with an expectation. We just need to relax." Foul trouble plagued both teams, but losing Griffin and Paul for stretches cost the Clippers at both ends. Besides Lee, Andre Iguodala fouled out with 3:04 left in the game. "I kept putting myself in a hole," Griffin said. "I got to do a better job." Paul returned early in the fourth with the Clippers down by double digits. His fast-break layup trimmed Golden States lead to 98-92. Griffin came back at that point, hitting a hook shot and then feeding Paul for a 3-pointer that cut their deficit to 100-97 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Jordan then stepped to the line, having made just 1 of 6 free throws in the game. He hit both and the Clippers got within one. Paul tied it at 102 on a 3-pointer. Darren Collison made one of two free throws, giving the Clippers their first lead since earlly in the third at 103-102.dddddddddddd After Collisons block and Jordans rebound on the defensive end, Paul led a 3-on-1. But Harrison Barnes blocked his 5-footer and then hit a 3 for the Warriors. "I probably should have given the ball to J.J. or DC who were running with me," Paul said. Griffin made two free throws for the 18th and final tie of the game, 105-all with 1 1/2 minutes left. The Clippers defence forced the Warriors into turning the ball over on a shot-clock violation. Griffin fouled out and then Thompson turned the ball over. Paul got it and fed Collison, who lost it near the baseline with 37 seconds left and the referees awarded possession to the Warriors, which was confirmed by a video review. Down 108-105, Paul got fouled and missed both. His fifth foul put Green on the line and he missed both. Collison got possession, but turned the ball over when he stepped out of bounds, one of 17 turnovers by the Clippers. "There were a lot of times where we lost our trust in each other," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "We made too many mistakes to win." The first half was bogged down by 29 fouls, including 15 on the Warriors. The teams split their four games in the regular season, a series that included nine technical fouls, two ejections, one flagrant foul and a postgame confrontation between Griffin and ONeal. But the pushing, shoving and bodies hitting the floor in Game 1 was the result of hard, physical play and not any bad blood. "All that hype absolutely had an impact on how the game was called," Rivers said. "A lot of them were touch fouls." Griffin was limited to four minutes in the first half. He got his first two fouls 36 seconds apart early in the opening quarter and his third at 11:21 of the second. "I tried to keep him from getting easy buckets in transition, which fuels him," Lee said. A three-minute stretch of the third produced a torrent of offence, with each team answering the others baskets. Redick and Thompson dueled from 3-point range and then Redick and Curry exchanged short jumpers with neither team leading by more than three. The Warriors pulled away on a 14-6 run that ended the third with them leading 87-79. NOTES: Green bruised his right leg in the first half. ... Clippers F Danny Granger played for the first time since March 27, when he went out with a strained left hamstring. ... Jackson said C Andrew Bogut is in "serious pain" from a broken rib and remains out indefinitely. ... Jackson played for the Clippers from 1992-94, helping them to a playoff appearance in 1993. 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