the Skeeters says that it is a "lifelong dream" of McGradys to play baseball. "

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Justin Verlander took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and won his fourth straight decision, leading Detroit over the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Sunday and extending the Tigers winning streak to a season-high five games. Billy Butler singled to right on a 1-2 pitch with two outs in the sixth, leaving him with a .432 career average in 74 at-bats against the Detroit ace. Verlander (4-1) allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in seven innings with seven strikeouts. Jarrod Dyson hit a two-run triple in the seventh and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nori Aoki, who walked his first three times up. Verlander pitched no-hitters against Milwaukee in June 2007 and versus Toronto in May 2011. He improved to 17-5 against the Royals, the best winning percentage (.773) among active pitchers with 10 decisions or more. Nick Castellanos and Alex Avila homered for the Tigers, who had 16 hits, and Torii Hunter had three hits and three RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Rajai Davis and Andrew Romine also had three hits each. Davis raised his average to .337, scored three runs and stole two bases, raising his total to 11. Detroit is 5-0 against the Royals this year and has won seven of eight overall. Kansas City, outscored 26-8 in the series, is 0-4 this month after going 8-20 last May. Jason Vargas (2-1) gave up seven runs and 11 hits in five innings -- hes allowed 12 runs and 21 hits over 11 1-3 innings in his last two starts. NOTES: The Royals walked Victor Martinez intentionally twice Sunday and twice Saturday. ... Kansas City optioned RHP Aaron Brooks to Triple-A Omaha, a day after he gave up six runs and seven hits in two innings in his major league debut. The Royals activated LHP Tim Collins from the DL. ... RHP Max Scherzer, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, is to start Monday against Houston as the Tigers open a seven-game homestand. ... The Royals begin a seven-game trip Monday at San Diego, where they are 0-6. David Ross Jersey . Off-season additions Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley did not train with the club today, prompting Nelsen to declare its too early to tell if either will be ready for Saturday. Javier Baez Jersey . I kept my eyes focused up on the camera during each approach. I just tried to stay focused on my form, as I didnt know what the ball reaction was. I was quite emotional at the end. I did not actually see any of the shots in the game until I got home and watched the video. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Greg-Maddux-Kids-Jersey/ .com) - Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is set to return Tuesday against Nashville after sitting out the past two games because of a minor upper body injury. Addison Russell Jersey . With newly minted president of hockey operations Trevor Linden looking on from above one day after being handed the keys to the franchise, it was more of the same on Thursday night. Kosuke Fukudome Jersey .1 Sam Stosur will meet Germanys second-ranked player Andrea Petkovic in the opening match of the Fed Cup World Group semifinal. HOUSTON -- Tracy McGrady wants to follow Michael Jordans path to the national pastime. The retired seven-time NBA All-Star is aiming to become a baseball player, and plans to try pitching for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. Thats the same team that Roger Clemens pitched for a couple of years ago. Jordan famously played in the Chicago White Sox organization in 1994 during his first retirement from basketball, reaching the Double-A level. A statement from the Skeeters says that it is a "lifelong dream" of McGradys to play baseball. "McGrady has demonstrated skill, determination and diligence during his training program," the statement said. "We look forward to monitoring his progress." The 34-year-old McGrady played for several teams, including the Houston Rockets and Orlando Maagic.ddddddddddddHe last played in the NBA in the 2011-12 season. The Skeeters last made national headlines when Clemens pitched two games for them in 2012 at age 50. McGrady made seven consecutive All-Star games from 2001-07. The 6-foot-8 McGrady, natural right-hander, was drafted out of high school with the ninth overall pick in 1997 by the Toronto Raptors. He spent his first three seasons with the Raptors before becoming a star with the Magic. He spent four years with the Magic and led the NBA scoring in both the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. He then joined the Rockets where he teamed with Yao Ming to help Houston to three playoff appearances. McGrady played for the Knicks, Detroit and Atlanta after a six-year stint with the Rockets. He retired with more than 18,000 points and more than 5,000 rebounds in his career. ' ' '