Tigers 6, Padres 2: Justin Verlander struck out eight over seven strong innings and Torii Hunter and Austin Jackson drove in two runs apiece as visiting Detroit evened the series against San Diego.

Verlander (1-1) allowed two runs on eight hits while throwing 110 pitches and collected his first two career hits. Rajai Davis and Ian Kinsler added two hits apiece for Detroit, which avoided its fourth loss in the last five games.

Kinsler gave the Tigers an early lead with his run-scoring double in the first off Ian Kennedy (1-2), who yielded four runs and struck out seven over six frames. After the Padres pulled even in the bottom half, Detroit moved ahead 2-1 in the third when Miguel Cabrera snapped a 2-for-17 slump with an RBI double to left field.

Hunter, who missed the previous two games with a bruised left knee, singled in two runs with two outs in the fourth to give Detroit a 4-1 lead. Chase Headley led off the bottom half with a double and came around to score on Yasmani Grandal’s single, but the Padres would not score again.

Verlander, who improved to 22-2 in 29 career interleague starts, was 0-for-26 with 15 strikeouts before driving a single up the middle for his first hit with two outs in the second inning. The Tigers added two insurance runs in the ninth when Tim Stauffer walked Davis and Kinsler before Jackson delivered a ground-rule double to center field.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Tigers closer Joe Nathan bounced back from a rough outing Wednesday against the Dodgers by working a scoreless ninth inning. Nathan allowed a two-out single to Everth Cabrera before striking out Chris Denorfia. … Cabrera, Headley and Grandal had two hits apiece for the Padres, who had their two-game win streak come to an end. … Hunter is batting .310 with 12 RBIs in 10 career games against San Diego.