DAYTONA BEACH -- Garth McKinney obviously likes pressure situations.

He proved so again Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark by stroking the game-winning hit -- his second in two nights and third this week. This one was a towering three-run home run in the ninth inning, powering the Lakeland Tigers around the Daytona Cubs, 3-1, in Florida State League action.

"I was certainly glad when Skip (manager Mike Rojas) changed signals after Daytona's mound conference and decided not to bunt," said McKinney, who came to the plate with no outs after catcher Danilo Sanchez had walked and first baseman Derek Nicholson had grounded a single to left field.

"I was pumped because I never really wanted to bunt anyway," continued McKinney, the starting left fielder. "I always want to be in the box when the game is on the line like it was tonight."

He wasted no time, blasting the first pitch he saw from Daytona closer Thomas Atlee way over the fence in left-centerfield. It was his sixth homer of the season. McKinney's 14th-inning RBI single provided the winning margin in Friday's 5-4 Lakeland win.

McKinney's Saturday heroics, which prevented the Tigers from sustaining their first shutout loss of the year, captured the spotlight in what had been a stingy pitching duel before a Fireworks Night crowd of 3,301. Daytona lefty Sean Marshall seemed to have the upper hand in that battle until McKinney reversed the situation.

Lakeland's Justin Verlander, who improved his record to 5-1, allowed only four hits while striking out 12 Cubs in eight innings of work. Detroit's first pick in the 2004 draft -- and No. 4 overall -- retired 12 of the first 14 hitters he faced. (The Tigers' roving pitching instructor, Jon Matlack, said after the game that he had clocked Verlander with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball during a pitch to Brian Dopirak in the sixth inning.)

The only two batters Verlander didn't retire in the first four frames -- shortstop Carlos Rojas and center fielder Chris Walker -- clipped together back-to-back hits in the third, producing the Cubs' only run. With two outs, Rojas doubled down the right field line and scored on Walker's single to left-center.

Lakeland, which has now won 14 of its last 16 games, was held scoreless through the first seven innings by Marshall. He fanned nine Tigers while scattering seven hits and three times recorded strikeouts with the potential tying run at third base.

Atlee, who erased Marshall's two-on, no-out trouble spot in the eighth with a double play and then a groundout, suffered his second loss of the season.

"Marshall did a great job against the top offensive team in minor league ball," said Daytona manager Richie Zisk of a Lakeland group which came to town sporting better than a .300 team batting average. "He mixed pitches well and used them all. There weren't too many hard-hit balls against him.

"It was an unfortunate ending for us, but we played hard like this team always has. This club has good character, so I think you'll see us bounce back."