He singled and scored Wednesday, running his current hitting streak to 10 games. Okay, he hasn’t exactly been white hot (just three multi-hit efforts in this stretch), but he does have five doubles, two triples, 11 runs and six RBI. Not too shabby.

The fact that he can play every infield position (he’s even seen seven games at first this year) means that the 35-year-old should stick around, even though he really can’t hit to save his life (although he’s at least getting on base more often than last year when he recorded a ridiculously low .266 OBP).

However, in the two weeks and change since he returned, Zimmerman isn’t exactly lighting it up. He was 0-for-4 Friday and has managed more than one hit just once in the past 11 games, recording just three extra-base hits during this stretch.

He took an 0-for-3 Friday, committing an error and whiffing twice to drop back to .175, or about 30 points below his weight. After Uggla’s only three-hit game of the season on May 4, he reached a high water mark of .218. Pretty sad, huh?

Carpenter had given up at least five runs in each of his two previous starts before Thursday’s seven-inning, one-run effort – just the second time all season he’s given up less than two runs in a start.

Verlander had to settle for a two-hitter (what a stiff, huh?), but he racked up a season-best 12 Ks in winning his sixth straight.