(Sports Network) - Lefty Scott Kazmir returns to the site of much of his 2008 success -- Tropicana Field -- as the host Tampa Bay Rays open a three-game weekend series with the Detroit Tigers.

A 24-year-old former first-round draft choice in 2002, Kazmir has been lights out in eight home starts this season, going 5-1 while posting a 1.68 earned run average in 48 1/3 innings.

Not coincidentally, the Rays have the American League's best home record at 40-16 and enter the weekend in first place in the AL East, holding a three- game edge over the Boston Red Sox.

Kazmir downed the Oakland Athletics in his last St. Petersburg outing, allowing two hits over seven scoreless innings of the Rays' 4-0 victory. The win snapped a three-start winless skid in which he'd allowed 20 hits and 11 runs in 16 innings.

He is 2-3 in six lifetime starts against the Tigers.

For Detroit, right-hander Zach Miner makes his third start of the season after 32 trips in from the bullpen.

The 26-year-old Missouri native was 3-3 with a 4.23 ERA through 44 2/3 relief innings before the shift to the starter's role, which has yielded consecutive victories over Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox on July 21 and 27.

In those games, he's allowed eight hits and two runs in 12 innings, walking one batter and striking out six.

He's 2-0 lifetime against the Rays in six games - two starts - with a 2.60 ERA.

On Thursday in Cleveland, Grady Sizemore homered and drove in four runs, as the Indians overcame several miscues in the field to earn a 9-4 win and a four-game series split against the Tigers.

Detroit's Justin Verlander (8-11) lost his second straight start on the heels of winning four in a row. The right-hander started strong but was touched for six runs on five hits and three walks, while fanning nine in 5 2/3 innings of work for the Tigers, who had won three of four.

Curtis Granderson was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Carlos Guillen and Dane Sardinha knocked in a run apiece for Detroit.

On Wednesday in Toronto, Carlos Pena homered and Carl Crawford tripled in a run to lead the Rays to a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays in the rubber match of their three-game set.

Edwin Jackson (7-7) won his second consecutive start, going five innings and allowing only two runs and seven hits, fanning three and walking two. It was the righty's third win in July, giving him three wins in a month for the first time in his career.

Troy Percival pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save of the season.

Crawford finished the day batting 2-for-4 while Dioner Navarro and Akinori Iwamura added two hits apiece to give the Rays their fourth win in six games.

Tampa Bay won four of its seven meetings with the Tigers last season.