Rodriguez drives in five as Tigers win series
By Roger Lajoie
TORONTO (Reuters) – Ivan Rodriguez homered and drove in
five runs as the Detroit Tigers won their major league-leading
40th game of the season, downing the Toronto Blue Jays 10-5 in
American League play Sunday at the Rogers Center.
Rodriguez’s three-run double keyed a five-run sixth inning
and he added a two-run homer in the eighth to help the Tigers
improve to 40-23, keeping them ahead of the defending World
Series champion Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
The Tigers also got three RBI from Carlos Guillen, with
Rodriguez insisting after the game that it has been a team
effort that has kept the surprising Tigers winning.
“Everybody around here is doing a little bit,” Rodriguez
said.
“The pitching, the hitting, everybody is doing something to
help us win. We have a new manager (Jim Leyland) and a good
attitude now.”
Detroit is 23-10 on the road, by far the best road mark in
the majors as well, which is something Leyland likes to see.
“When you have a young club, it’s important to get those
wins on the road especially early in the season,” Leyland said.
“This is a team (Toronto) with a great offense. They can
hit the ball over the fence so fast.”
The Blue Jays did hit four home runs but all of them were
solo shots as they continue to stay behind both the New York
Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.
BIG DOUBLE
“We haven’t done what it takes to win and that’s been
frustrating for everybody,” outfielder Vernon Wells said.
The Tigers put the game away in the sixth inning when
leading 3-2, they scored five runs on Rodriguez’s big double
and run-scoring singles by Chris Shelton and Omar Infante.
Detroit pounded out 12 hits off six Toronto pitchers to
take the rubber game of the three-game series in front of
30,404 fans at the Rogers Center.
Rodriguez had three of those hits, while Ramon Santiago
added two hits and scored three runs for Detroit.
Infante also had two hits and scored twice, and Curtis
Granderson went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Nate Robertson (6-3) went five innings for the win,
allowing four runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three
walks. Two relievers finished up, including Joel Zumaya, who
pitched three hitless innings to record his first save.
The Blue Jays slipped to 34-28 and continued to be stalled
as they try and catch the first place Red Sox and second place
Yankees in the AL East, with New York currently on a four-game
losing streak.
Bengie Molina, Troy Glaus, Shea Hillenbrand and Alex Rios
all blasted solo home runs for the Jays, and Edgardo Alfonzo
added an RBI double and had two of Toronto’s nine hits.
Toronto starter Ty Taubenheim (0-3) allowed three runs on
seven hits in 4 2/3 innings to take the loss, striking out six
and walking one.
In New York, Dan Johnson homered twice as the Oakland
Athletics completed a three-game series sweep of the Yankees
with a 6-5 win.
Nick Swisher also homered for the A’s, while Jason Kendall
drove in two runs to send the Yankees to their fourth straight
loss.
Barry Zito (7-3) allowed five runs on four hits over seven
innings for the win, Oakland’s ninth in its past 11 games, and
Huston Street pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.
Kyle Farnsworth (2-4), the fifth of six New York pitchers,
was charged with the loss. He went one inning and allowed one
run on two hits, including Johnson’s second homer that snapped
a 5-5 tie.
Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer for the Yankees and
Robinson Cano had three hits and drove in a run.