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Tuesday, Jul. 4 4:15pm ET
Palmer's fireworks key Detroit | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Dave Mlicki can feel the difference in the Detroit Tigers -- in the clubhouse and on the field. "Everybody's having fun," the right-hander said Tuesday after beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 11-0 for his first win since May 20, when the Tigers were in the midst of a 18-31 start. The latest victory, fueled by Dean Palmer's first multihomer game in over a year, gave Detroit a season-high, five-game winning streak and a 19-12 record since the beginning of June. At 37-43 overall, they're as close to .500 as they've been since April 23. "It seems like everybody's having fun coming to the yard, which is something different from the first couple of months," Mlicki said. "It seems like everybody was pressing so much. Now everybody's just going out there and doing their job." Palmer hit a 442-foot solo homer off Cory Lidle (1-4) in the third inning. He hit a 451-foot, three-run shot off a catwalk supporting the roof at Tropicana Field in the ninth. Bobby Higginson and Deivi Cruz also had three-run homers for the Tigers. Mlicki (3-9), who had gone 0-4 in five starts since beating Boston, scattered eight hits in seven innings. He struck out four, walked none and only allowed two runners beyond first base. C.J. Nitkowski and Steve Sparks finished the nine-hitter. "I feel like I've been throwing halfway decent," Mlicki said. "Today was better, still not where I need to be, but it's an improvement. Something we can work with." Higginson hit his 17th homer off Lidle, giving Detroit a 3-0 lead just nine pitches in. Cruz finished the Tigers' four-run third with his three-run homer off reliever Tanyon Sturtze. The victory was the eighth in nine games for Detroit, which also has won six in a row on the road. Tampa Bay has lost six of seven, including four straight, and manager Larry Rothschild's frustration was apparent in brief postgame comments. "The only thing I have to say is it was an embarrassment all the way around. It is my responsibility to get this team ready to play and they were not ready to play today for whatever reason. That is just not good enough," Rothschild said. "I expect more things out of this team than what you saw today. I could talk about the details of the game, but we just weren't there. and there are no excuses. That is all there is to it." Mlicki allowed two-out, ground singles to left in each of the first four innings. The Devil Rays didn't get a runner past first until Jose Guillen was stranded at third after he and Felix Martinez singled to begin the fifth. Eight different Tampa Bay batters singled off Mlicki, who in two previous starts -- sandwiched around a pair of scoreless relief appearances -- had allowed 14 runs and 18 hits in 4 2-3 innings. Shane Halter caught the eighth inning for the Tigers and now has played all nine positions in the majors. He's played eight positions for Detroit and pitched for Kansas City in an 18-5 loss to Seattle on July 17, 1998. Game notesDetroit's Juan Gonzalez (left foot strain) and Tony Clark (back spasms) sat out for the second straight game. Both are day to day. ... The Tigers have hit 38 homers in their last 18 games. ... After going 15-11 in June for the best one-month record in franchise history, the Devil Rays are 0-4 in July ... Rothschild decided against activating Greg Vaughn (right hamstring strain) from the disabled list. He's improving and wants to play, but Rothschild doesn't want to rush his return. The next target date for getting him back in the lineup is Friday at Florida. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Detroit Clubhouse Tampa Bay Clubhouse RECAPS Cleveland 9 Toronto 4
Detroit 11
Kansas City 10
San Francisco 3
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