Recap: Detroit vs. LA Angels
Sports Network | September 02, 2008
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Torii Hunter went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and finished with three runs driven in, to lead the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a three- game set. Vladimir Guerrero also had three hits and scored a run for the Angels, who have won four of their last five to drop their magic number to seven. Mark Teixeira drove in the other run in victory. Starter Joe Saunders lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits in the no-decision and is winless in his last six outings. Scot Shields (6-4) was charged with a blown save, but also got the win with an inning of one-run ball. Francisco Rodriguez worked around a walk and a hit in the ninth to nail down his big league best 54th save. Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4, including a solo homer, and drove in three runs for the Tigers, who have dropped two in a row and seven of their last nine. Magglio Ordonez drove in the other run in defeat. Chris Lambert lasted four innings and gave up three runs on six hits for the no-decision. With the score tied 4-4, the Angels manufactured the go-ahead run in the ninth off Fernando Rodney (0-4). Chone Figgins led off with a walk and stole second base, before Garret Anderson moved the runner to third with a ground out. Teixeira then lofted a sac fly to center, which plated Figgins to give LA a 5-4 lead. Rodriguez came in for the Angels in the home half and surrendered a lead off single to Edgar Renteria, but rebounded to get Brandon Inge swinging for the first out. Jeff Larish popped up for the second. Renteria stole second and Curtis Granderson was walked, as Detroit threatened with the tying runner in scoring position. Placido Polanco played the rally-killer, though, as he grounded into a fielder's choice to end the contest. LA got on the board in the first inning. The bases were loaded with one out as Figgins singled, Teixeira walked and Guerrero singled. Hunter then crushed a two-run double off the wall in left, missing a grand slam by a few feet, to give the Angels a 2-0 lead. Detroit made some noise and cut its deficit in half during the home first. Granderson led off with a single and stole second, two batters later Cabrera drove him home with a single. With one gone in the third, Guerrero doubled and came around as Hunter followed with a single. The run gave the Angels a 3-1 lead, but Polanco was hit by a pitch and consecutive doubles from Ordonez and Cabrera tied the game at three. Gary Glover started the fifth inning for the Tigers and gave up a one-out double to Hunter. Juan Rivera went down swinging for the second out, but Mike Napoli reached on Ryan Raburn's fielding error. Brandon Wood put the Angels up 4-3 as he hit a grounder that caromed off Glover's leg and forced Raburn to come in and field the ball, which scored the run. With two outs and facing a 2-2 count in the eighth, Cabrera deposited his 31st homer of the season over the fence in right-center to tie the game at four. Game Notes Game Notes
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