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Tuesday, Apr. 25 10:05pm ET
Tigers end 8-game skid | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- For the first time in more than two weeks, there was a boom box blaring in the Detroit Tigers' club house following a game. Manager Phil Garner was relieved after the Tigers ended their eight-game losing streak Tuesday night with a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Angels. "That was a big ol' gorilla hanging on our backs, and we needed something to smile about," Garner said after the Tigers' first win since April 14. The Tigers got a strong six innings by starter Hideo Nomo, shutout relief from Jim Poole, Doug Brocail and Todd Jones, and the help of two errors by Anaheim shortstop Benji Gil. Bobby Higginson's RBI single with two out in the eighth snapped a 2-2 tie as Detroit cashed in Gil's first error for an unearned run. They added another unearned run in the ninth on Gil's second wild throw to first base. "I'll take it," Garner said. "We're in desperate need of a sight of daylight, and that's a sight of daylight. "Higgy came up with a huge hit." In the eighth, Higginson singled sharply to center off Kent Bottenfield (2-4) to score Luis Polonia from second. Polonia, leading off the inning, reached base on Gil's throwing error. The Tigers scored again in the ninth when Deivi Cruz doubled and scored on Polonia's single to short and ensuing wild throw to first by Gil. Although Gil had to rush both his errant throws, he took full blame. "It's simple. It was two plays if I make good throws, we get the outs and the game's still tied," he said. Although regular shortstop Gary DiSarcina returned from the disabled list the previous day and had a two-run single in Monday's 10-4 win by the Angels, DiSarcina was given Tuesday off. Manager Mike Scioscia said it was decided that DiSarcina, sidelined by a bruised left thumb, would be worked into the lineup gradually. Poole (1-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning after Nomo limited the Angels to two runs. Brocail pitched the eighth and Jones the ninth, earning his fourth save when he got Mo Vaughn to fly out to end it with runners at first and second. The Tigers' mound staff had given up seven or more runs in each game of the losing streak, so Nomo's solid effort was appreciated. "It was a prescription for success, something that we needed," Garner said. "It was a terrific pitching job for him to get us into the seventh inning. "We've been having trouble scoring runs, so we needed somebody to step up and give us some breathing room -- and he certainly did." Damion Easley, who rejoined the Tigers off the disabled list earlier in the day, hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth, to tie it at 2. Adam Kennedy's two-run homer, his second, accounted for all the Angels' scoring in the third inning. Easley was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 10, with a strained muscle in his rib cage. It was discovered last weekend that he also had a hairline fracture in his right wrist, the result of being hit by a pitch on April 5 at Oakland. Nomo, who escaped a bases-loaded jam later in the third by striking out Troy Glaus, gave up six hits in 6 1-3 innings. He struck out five and walked four. Bottenfield gave up three runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings. Game notesAnaheim right-hander Tim Belcher, coming back from offseason arm surgery, gave up one run on five hits in five innings Tuesday night in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Edmonton. Belcher walked one, struck out one and threw 60 pitches, 43 of them strikes. ... Scioscia said he would have the Angels running this season, and they have -- stealing 21 bases in 22 games. Last year, they stole a total of 71 bases, 25th in the majors, and did not get their 22nd steal until their 59th game. ... Doctors told Easley that playing will not aggravate his wrist injury. ... To make room for Easley on the roster, the Tigers outrighted outfielder Karim Garcia to Triple-A Toledo. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Detroit Clubhouse Anaheim Clubhouse RECAPS Minnesota 6 NY Yankees 1
Detroit 4
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