Tigers 14, Dodgers 5
DETROIT -- Justin Verlander had no way of knowing what Detroit's offense was about to do, so when he gave up five runs in the first inning his goal was simply to prevent more scoring and hope for the best.
"That first inning's tough, but as a starting pitcher, you have to have the ability to turn the page," Verlander said. "It's a nice feeling when you're able to go out there and keep your team in the game, when at other times, maybe when I was younger, it turns into a two-inning or three-inning and eight-run affair."
Verlander settled down after his terrible first inning, and the Tigers rallied in emphatic fashion for a 14-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. The Dodgers managed only one hit off Verlander after the first, and Detroit quickly tied it with five runs in the second.
The Tigers added two runs in the third and four in the fourth to pull away. Miguel Cabrera was one of five Detroit players with three hits.
Verlander (8-7) allowed 5 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings. He struck out four and walked two. Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-5) allowed 7 runs and 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Juan Uribe hit a two-run home run for the Dodgers in the first, but Verlander retired 13 in a row after that.
The Tigers' 14 runs set a season high, as did their 20 hits.
Detroit managed its offensive outburst without a single home run, but broke through for eight hits in the second against Ryu. Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) led off with a double. He was initially ruled out at second after a nice throw from right fielder Yasiel Puig, but the call was overturned on replay.
Nick Castellanos, Alex Avila, Eugenio Suarez and Rajai Davis followed with consecutive singles, and Avila scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3. Ian Kinsler added an RBI single with one out, and Cabrera followed with one of his own to tie it.
"It shows what we're capable of," Avila said. "It's a good team win as far as being able to come back, and Justin going out there and throwing up zeros after the first inning. That was a very good win for us."
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 5, PIRATES 4 Rookie Kolten Wong gave the St. Louis Cardinals their second consecutive game-winning ninth-inning home run, connecting off Ernesto Frieri with two outs for a victory over Pittsburgh in St. Louis. Frieri (1-1) got two routine outs before Wong, batting eighth, hit his third home run on a full count. The drive over the right-field wall was the first game-winning home run of Wong's career and came a night after Matt Adams hit his first winner off Justin Wilson in a 2-0 victory.
REDS 4-6, CUBS 2-5 Jay Bruce homered in the opener and then helped host Cincinnati pull off its biggest comeback of the season for a doubleheader sweep against Chicago. The Reds overcame a 5-0 deficit in the second game, sending Chicago to its fifth consecutive loss. Bruce doubled home the tying run in the eighth, and Billy Hamilton singled in the ninth off Hector Rondon (1-3) for the Reds' first doubleheader sweep since 2009.
METS 8, BRAVES 3 Rookie Jacob deGrom struck out 11 in seven shutout innings and delivered a table-setting hit from the No. 8 spot in the batting order as the host New York Mets tagged All-Star Julio Teheran in a victory over Atlanta. DeGrom (2-5) scattered seven hits, walked none a
PHILLIES 9, BREWERS 7 Domonic Brown homered and had a two-run single as Philadelphia rallied from a big early deficit to outlast host Milwaukee. After surrendering five runs in the first inning, the Phillies rallied for five in the second off Brewers starter Wily Peralta (9-6).
ROCKIES 2, PADRES 1 Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run home run and Franklin Morales pitched effectively into the sixth inning as Colorado beat San Diego in Denver. Morales (5-4) surrendered four hits and one run before being removed for a reliever with two outs in the sixth.
MARLINS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Marcell Ozuna hit a two-out, two-run home run off Addison Reed in the ninth inning to spoil a brilliant Arizona debut by Vidal Nuno and give the Marlins a victory over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Ozuna hit Reed's 2-2 pitch off the batter's eye far above the 407-foot sign in straightaway center. It was the fifth blown save in 25 tries for Reed (1-5) and the ninth home run the closer has allowed in 38 appearances.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RAYS 4, ROYALS 3 Evan Longoria drove in two runs and Jeremy Hellickson went 4 1/3 innings in his season debut as the Rays beat Kansas City in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hellickson gave up one run and six hits. Former Northwest Arkansas Natural Salvador Perez had three RBI, including a two-run single, for the Royals.
WHITE SOX 8, RED SOX 3 Conor Gillaspie hit a tie-breaking, two-run home run in the sixth for his third hit of the game as the visiting Chicago White Sox beat struggling Boston. Boston snapped the streak of 22 scoreless innings by Cubs pitchers but lost for the seventh time in eight games.
INDIANS 5, YANKEES 3 Michael Brantley homered and had three RBI, Nick Swisher hit a go-ahead two-run shot and host Cleveland stopped Masahiro Tanaka's bid to become the major league's first 13-game winner. Tanaka (12-4) allowed season worsts of 5 runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.
ASTROS 8, RANGERS 3 Chris Carter led off two innings with home runs, George Springer led off another with a home run, and visiting Houston beat the Rangers. Jose Altuve had 2 hits, 2 stolen bases and 1 sacrifice fly. Brad Peacock (3-5) struck out 5 while allowing 2 runs and 6 hits over 5 2/3 innings for the Astros.
Sports on 07/09/2014