Detroit, MI -- (Sports Network) - Justin Verlander etched his name in Tigers history, throwing the team's first no-hitter in 23 years while striking out a career-high 12 batters in Detroit's 4-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Verlander (7-2) walked four batters, with three of them coming to Bill Hall. The 24-year-old right-hander also got the benefit of two great fielding plays from Magglio Ordonez and Neifi Perez to toss Detroit's first no-hitter since Jack Morris turned the trick, April 7, 1984 against the White Sox in Chicago.

It was the sixth no-hitter in team annals, and this was the first for the Tigers in Detroit since Virgil Trucks shut down the Washington Senators at Briggs Stadium on May 15, 1952.

"It's something I can't explain. It's unbelievable," Verlander said. "To be able to do that and be one of the few guys that have been able to do that, it's really special."

Ordonez made a sliding catch in short right field in the seventh inning, and Perez made a stop on a ball hit up the middle to start a double play that ended the eighth. With the tension building in the ninth, Craig Counsell struck out for the opening out of the final inning. Verlander then fanned Tony Graffanino and got J.J. Hardy to fly out to a backpedaling Ordonez at the warning track to end the game, as the Tigers hugged the third-year major leaguer.

"I was excited," Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez said. "This is my second time in my career that I caught a no-hitter. To be honest with you, when you catch a no-hitter, it's like hitting 6-for-6."

Verlander, chosen as the second overall pick in the 2004 draft out of Old Dominion, pitched the second no-hitter in the majors this season. He joined Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox. Buehrle no-hit Texas on April 18 at U.S. Cellular Field. Boston's Curt Schilling came within one out of a no- hitter last week at Oakland.

The 2006 American League Rookie of the Year threw 73 of his 112 pitches for strikes and mixed a 100 mph fastball with his curve and breaking ball.

"Really after the first couple innings I knew I had some good stuff going," Verlander said. "In the bullpen, it really wasn't that good, to be honest. But when I got on the mound and just flipped the switch, I had some pretty good stuff going. I had a good fastball with control and was able to throw my breaking ball and changeup for strikes."

It's been a spectacular start to the season for Verlander and the defending American League champions, who are tied with Cleveland atop the AL Central. Verlander has limited opponents to three earned runs or fewer in all but one of his 13 starts. He also hasn't allowed a run over his last two outings, spanning 16 innings, and moved to 5-0 lifetime in interleague play.

"It was exciting," Ordonez said. "When you have one of your teammates with that kind of stuff, it's beautiful. To be part of a no-hitter, it's nice. He's a great pitcher. He was lights out tonight."

Brandon Inge homered and drove in two runs for the Tigers, who won for the fifth time in six games. Curtis Granderson tripled in a run and Placido Polanco had a sacrifice fly in the opener of the three-game interleague series.

Jeff Suppan (7-7) was charged with seven hits and four runs over 6 1/3 innings, as the Brewers lost for the fourth time in five contests.

"I think the biggest factor was probably the 99 mile-an-hour fastball on the black," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "That does a lot for a guy right there, plus he had a great breaking ball and a good change. That's tough to beat."

In the seventh, Prince Fielder hit a ball up the middle, but Verlander stabbed it and threw to first for the out.

"The one that Prince hit back to me that I caught, I was like, 'Whoo!' Glad I caught that one," Verlander quipped.

Ordonez then robbed Corey Hart of a hit in the same frame, charging in to make a catch on the sinking liner for the second out. Verlander then fanned Geoff Jenkins.

"That was huge. I knew he had a beat on it, I saw him out there and he made a fantastic play," Verlander said of Ordonez. "I've got to give all the props in the world to my teammates behind me tonight. Without them, this couldn't have been done."

With Hall on first and one out in the eighth, Gabe Gross hit a ball up the middle. Perez, starting in place of Carlos Guillen, who is out with a right hamstring spasm, stopped the ball, and from his knees flipped it to second baseman Polanco to start the double play.

Inge homered on the ninth pitch of his at-bat in the third inning, fouling off three consecutive balls before lining a 2-2 offering over the wall in left field for his 11th homer of the year.

Verlander walked Hardy with one out in the fourth inning, but ended up striking out Graffanino, Fielder and Hart in the inning. He walked Hall with two down in the fifth, but then got Gross to ground out to second base.

The Brewers went down in order in the sixth, and the Tigers padded their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the inning. Inge walked, moved to second on a bunt from Perez and scored on Granderson's major league-leading 13th triple of the season, a shot to the gap in right-center field. Granderson scored on Polanco's fly ball to right field.

Craig Monroe doubled with one out in the bottom of the seventh and scored on an Inge base hit.

Game Notes

The game marked a return to Detroit for Fielder, whose father, Cecil, played for the Tigers from 1990-96...Hall made an over-the-shoulder catch in deep center field on a ball hit by Ordonez in the eighth...Granderson, who has a career-high 12-game hitting streak, is halfway to the franchise season record for triples. Sam Crawford had 26 in 1914...Detroit is 6-1 in interleague play this year...The Tigers are 21-4 in interleague competition since the start of 2006...This was the first no-hitter against Milwaukee since Minnesota's Scott Erickson did it April 27, 1994.