Tigers edge O's with three homers

Associated Press

BALTIMORE - Gary Sheffield and Brandon Inge hit two-run homers, Marcus Thames added a solo shot, and the Detroit Tigers resumed their playoff drive by defeating the Baltimore Orioles, 6-5, last night.

Kenny Rogers (7-6) allowed four runs and 11 hits in six gritty innings for the Tigers, who moved within 61/2 games of first-place Chicago in the AL Central.

Melvin Mora homered for the Orioles, who have dropped eight of nine to fall four games under .500 (45-49) for the first time this season.

Detroit 021 002 100 – 6 9 1
Baltimore 021 100 001 – 5 14 0
Detroit AB R H BI Avg. Baltimore AB R H BI Avg.

Granderson cf 4 1 1 0 .292 BRoberts 2b 4 1 1 0 .295

Polanco 2b 5 0 1 0 .304 AJones cf 4 0 2 0 .284

Thames lf 3 1 2 2 .271 Markakis rf 4 0 0 1 .296

Joyce lf 1 0 0 0 .263 Huff dh 4 1 2 1 .287

Ordonez rf 5 0 1 0 .305 Millar 1b 5 1 2 0 .242

MiCabrera 1b 3 1 0 0 .282 Mora 3b 4 1 2 2 .236

Sheffield dh 3 1 1 2 .219 RHernandez c 3 0 1 1 .239

IRodriguez c 3 0 0 0 .285 Payton lf 4 0 2 0 .249

Renteria ss 3 1 2 0 .258 Fahey ss 3 0 1 0 .234

Santiago ss 0 0 0 0 .347 a-Scott ph 1 0 1 0 .256

Inge 3b 4 1 1 2 .221 1-Bynum pr 0 1 0 0 .179

Totals 34 6 9 6 Totals 36 5 14 5

a-doubled for Fahey in the 9th.1-ran for Scott in the 9th. E: Santiago (2). LOB: Detroit 7, Baltimore 9. 2B: Granderson (14), Thames (8), Renteria (6), BRoberts (34), Huff (29), Mora (16), Scott (17). HR: Thames (18), off Sarfate; Inge (7), off Olson; Mora (12), off Rogers; Sheffield (6), off Olson. RBIs: Thames 2 (41), Sheffield 2 (20), Inge 2 (25), Markakis (51), Huff (60), Mora 2 (50), RHernandez (36). S: AJones. SF: Huff. GIDP: MiCabrera, Renteria, BRoberts, Markakis, Payton. RLSP: Detroit 5 (Granderson 2, Ordonez, MiCabrera, Inge); Baltimore 3 (AJones 2, Millar). RA: Inge. DP: Detroit 4 (Inge, Polanco and IRodriguez), (Thames and Polanco), (Inge and MiCabrera), (Polanco, Renteria and MiCabrera); Baltimore 2 (Olson, BRoberts and Millar), (Mora, BRoberts and Millar).

Detroit walks (6): Granderson, Thames, MiCabrera, Sheffield, IRodriguez, Renteria. Baltimore walks (3): BRoberts, Markakis, RHernandez. Detroit strikeouts (7): Granderson, Thames, Joyce, MiCabrera, Sheffield, IRodriguez, Inge.

Baltimore strikeouts (1): AJones.

Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Rogers (W) 6 11 4 4 2 1 87 4.62

Dolsi 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 3.21

Seay (H) 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 7 2.76

Rodney (H) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 2 7.45

Zumaya (H) 1 0 0 0 0 0 14 1.46

TJones (S) 1 1 1 0 1 0 16 4.82

Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Olson (L) 6 7 5 5 4 5 91 5.79

Sarfate 2 1 1 1 1 1 28 3.45

FCabrera 1 1 0 0 1 1 15 0.00

W: Rogers, 7-6. L: Olson, 6-5. S: TJones, 18. H: Rodney, 3. H: Seay, 5. H: Zumaya, 3.

Dolsi pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. IR-S: Seay 1-0, Rodney 1-0. Umpires: Home, Scott Barry; first, Chad Fairchild; second, Brian Runge; third, Greg Gibson. T: 2:51. A: 23,224 (48,290).