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(Sports Network) - Still in search of their first win streak of the young season, the Detroit Tigers hope to build off a needed victory over the Chicago White Sox when the American League Central rivals continue their three-game series this afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Tigers overcame an early injury to starting pitcher Dontrelle Willis to record just their second win of 2008 in Friday's opener of this set. Relievers Aqulino Lopez and Jason Grilli stepped up to combine for seven strong innings as Detroit came through with a 5-2 decision over the White Sox.

Willis hyperextended his left knee while pitching to Orlando Cabrera, Chicago's second batter of the evening, and walked both men he faced before being pulled after throwing a wild pitch with Jim Thome at the plate.

Lopez (1-0) proceeded to allow just one run over the next four innings and Grilli followed with three shutout frames to protect Detroit's lead. Todd Jones later sealed the win and registered his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

The Tigers went ahead with a three-run third inning highlighted by Magglio Ordonez's two-RBI single. Brandon Inge finished 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single for Detroit, which had lost eight of its first nine games heading into Friday's tilt.

Jose Contreras (0-1) took the loss for Chicago after giving up four runs in 6 2/3 innings. The defeat was the White Sox' second in a row following a spurt of five straight wins.

Justin Verlander gets a chance to atone for a recent rough outing against the White Sox when the Detroit ace takes the mound this afternoon. The hard- throwing right-hander was charged with a career-high nine runs allowed, although only four were earned, in 5 2/3 innings during the Tigers' 13-2 loss to Chicago on Sunday.

That performance continued a series of struggles for Verlander when facing the White Sox. The former first-round draft pick is just 1-5 with a poor 6.00 earned run average in nine career starts versus Chicago and winless in his last five appearances against the Pale Hose.

Verlander's mound opponent today will be Gavin Floyd, who posted a victory over the Tigers in his season debut on April 5. The young right-hander worked six solid innings in that contest and held Detroit to three runs on six hits, while throwing 53 of his 87 pitches for strikes.

Floyd is now 2-0 in five lifetime starts against Detroit and has posted an impressive 3.03 ERA over that span. He has yielded one run or less in three of his last four matchups with the Tigers.

The 25-year-old has not fared well pitching at U.S. Cellular Field during his brief career, however. In eight previous games (five starts) in his home park, Floyd is 0-3 with a 6.55 ERA in 34 1/3 total innings.

The White Sox have won 14 of 22 meetings with the Tigers since the start of the 2007 campaign, and Detroit had gone just 10-18 in Chicago over the previous three seasons prior to last night's win.