DETROIT -- Justin Verlander has spent all season trying to recapture the form that made him perhaps the best pitcher in baseball in 2011 and 2012. Air Max 97 Off White Wolf Grey Menta . Now, with another post-season berth in sight, the Detroit right-hander hopes hes finally turning a corner. "It seems like the whole year has been tinkering," Verlander said. "I feel like the last three starts, Ive found what I really need to be working on and focusing on." Verlander pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Prince Fielder homered and drove in three runs to lift the Tigers to a 6-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Detroit remained six games ahead of second-place Cleveland in the AL Central and dealt the third-place Royals a setback in the post-season race. Kansas City is one of several teams hoping at least to catch Tampa Bay for a wild card. Verlander (13-11) allowed three runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings. Three relievers finished. Joaquin Benoit worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and got the final four outs for his 19th save in 19 chances. Bruce Chen (7-3) allowed five earned runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings. "They had a really good plan going in. They were hacking early," Chen said. "They prepared themselves really well." The Royals, who are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since winning the World Series in 1985, fell 3 1/2 games behind the Rays after this series against the leaders in Kansas Citys division did not start well. Kansas City fell behind 6-1 in the fifth, and although the Royals rallied, Detroits bullpen was able to hold on. With the score 6-3, Detroits Drew Smyly issued a one-out walk to Eric Hosmer in the eighth, then Jose Veras came on and walked Billy Butler on four pitches. After taking ball one, Salvador Perez popped out, but Veras hit Mike Moustakas to load the bases. On came Benoit, who has been excellent since becoming Detroits full-time closer. He struck out David Lough to end the threat. Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon overran Austin Jacksons leadoff double in the Detroit first for an error, allowing Jackson to advance to third. He scored on Torii Hunters groundout to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Kansas City tied it in the fourth on an RBI single by Perez, but Fielders flyball in the bottom of the inning barely cleared the wall in the right-field corner for a two-run shot. It was his 24th homer of the year. Like Verlander, Fielder has had his struggles this season, but he now has 102 RBIs, the sixth time in seven years hes reached 100. "If Im healthy and can play every day, thats what Im really focused on," Fielder said. "When youre out there every day, youve got a chance to do all those things." The tiebreaking home run came after banged-up slugger Miguel Cabrera led off with a double to right-centre that Lough just missed making a sliding catch on. It was Cabreras first extra-base hit since Aug. 26. Detroit added three runs in the fifth. Hunter hit a two-run single, and after an intentional walk to Cabrera, Hunter caught the Royals napping and broke for third. Chen was called for a balk, giving Hunter third and Cabrera second, and Fielders RBI single made it 6-1. Verlander has pitched well in 2013, just not up to the terrific standard he set the previous two years. The Tigers are hoping the right-hander will find a groove late this season, and he was breezing along until the Royals rallied with a couple runs in the sixth. Butlers RBI single made it 6-2, and Perez drove in Butler with a double. But Verlander was happy overall after striking out seven without a walk. "I feel like Im pretty doggone close," said Verlander, whose ERA is at 3.66. "I think my stuffs been a lot better. Tonight I made a little bit of an adjustment with my grip on my curveball and that seemed to be working really well for me." NOTES: Cabrera has been bothered lately by a strained abdomen, among other nagging injuries. Detroit manager Jim Leyland said before the game his third baseman looks better now. ... The Tigers sent RHP David Paulino to Houston as the player to be named in the deal that brought Veras to Detroit in July. ... Butler went 2 for 3 off Verlander and is now 30 for 68 (.441) off the Detroit star. ... Kansas Citys bullpen retired all 11 batters it faced, including seven strikeouts. ... Detroit RHP Doug Fister (12-8) faces Kansas City RHP Ervin Santana (8-9) on Saturday night. Discount Air Max 97 . The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was still dealing with the right shin he broke in a crash which ended his Tour de France on Stage 10. He hoped to defy his doctors and race in the home Grand Tour he won in 2008 and 2012, but he says there have been complications in his recovery. Air Max 97 2020 . Right-hander Todd Redmond took the loss. Jose Bautista hit his second home run of the spring. Here are a handful of tidbits from around camp: Hutchison impressive The Blue Jays are being cautious when talking about their young arms but internally, excitement is building over the way Drew Hutchison is looking and performing this spring. http://www.outletairmax97.com/wholesale-air-max-97-undefeated.html . Howard had 17 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, James Harden added 21 points and the Rockets cruised to a 96-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.WASHINGTON -- Trevor Ariza scored 26 points, Bradley Beal added 22, and the Washington Wizards took an early lead and never lost it Wednesday night, shooting 54 per cent in a 104-91 win over the Utah Jazz. John Wall had 14 points and 10 assists, and Marcin Gortat had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards, who have won seven of eight. This one was noteworthy if only for substantial contributions from recent additions Drew Gooden and Andre Miller, two thirty-somethings who teamed up for a run that padded the lead in the first half. Alec Burks scored 19 points, and Trey Burke added 14 to lead the Jazz, who have dropped the first four games of their six-game road trip. Their 7-24 road record is the worst in the Western Conference. The Wizards led by as many as 15 in both the second and third quarters, but they never could put the Jazz away. Diante Garretts 3-pointer cut the deficit to five early in the fourth, and it wasnt until Ariza made it 96-85 with a 3-pointer with 4:11 to play that the Wizards could start to feel somewhat comfortable. Thirty-year-old Gooden and 37-year-old Miller made their marks early in the second quarter. Gooden, playing his fourth game of a 10-day contract after sitting idle since last summer, scored his first points of the season by rolling ooff eight quick points. Nike Vapormax 97 Metallic Gold. Three of the four baskets came on assists from Miller, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal two weeks ago from the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets shipped Miller after he had been excused from the team since his argument with the coach during a game on New Years Day. Gooden finished with 12 points, his first double-digit game since April 21, 2012. Miller finished with six assists, his most since Dec. 23. In addition, the quiet Verizon Center crowd got to see some buzzer-beaters. Jeremy Evans banked in a 21-footer to wrap up the first quarter after each team committed a turnover in the final two seconds. Wall ended the first half with a fast-break reverse slam after poking the ball away from Burke. Evans struck again at the end of the third quarter with a baseline jumper with one-tenth of a second on the clock. The Wizards improved to 4-1 since Nene was sidelined with a knee injury. Ariza and Gortat have noticeably stepped up in the Brazilian big mans absence. Ariza was 4 for 6 from 3-point range Wednesday and is 26 for 40 over his past six games. Notes: Wizards F Kevin Seraphin missed his fifth consecutive game with a sore right knee, while F Martell Webster sat out his second straight with a sore back. ... Gortat grabbed his 3,000th career rebound. ' ' '