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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Tyler Houston made the All-Star break bearable
for both the Milwaukee Brewers and himself.
|  | | Tyler Houston slammed three two-run homers during Milwaukee's rout of Detroit on Sunday. |
Houston hit three home runs and Jason Bere allowed two runs in 6
2/3 innings as the Brewers beat the Detroit Tigers 10-3 Sunday.
Houston tied his career-high with six RBIs, hitting a two-run
homer in each of his first three at-bats. His third homer, a
440-foot shot to dead-center in the sixth inning, earned him a
curtain call.
It was an unexpected outburst from Houston, who struggled
through the Brewers' first two games against the Tigers and was
hitting just .238 this year. His blasts put the game out of reach
and sent Milwaukee to the break with three victories in its last
four games.
"If I had another day like (the last two), I'd be sulking for
three days and making life miserable for the family," Houston
said. "Now I'll be OK to live with for the next three days."
It was just the second career multihomer game for Houston, a
journeyman who was signed to be the Brewers' backup catcher. He
played 70 games at third base for the Cubs last season but recently
became the Brewers' starting first baseman after rookie Kevin
Barker's flameout and Charlie Hayes' inconsistent play.
"He was locked in today, and you have to give him credit,"
said Tigers starter Willie Blair, who allowed the first two homers.
"He hit three different pitches for home runs."
Blair (5-2) allowed five runs and lasted just four innings,
losing as a starter for the first time this year. Both of Houston's
homers against Blair landed in the right-field bullpen.
Bere (6-6), who got just one victory in 10 starts earlier this
year, struck out seven and won for the third time in four
decisions, but wasn't happy with his performance.
"I left a lot of balls out over the plate," he said. "I was
fortunate to get out of there with just two runs (allowed)."
Geoff Jenkins also had a two-run homer during Milwaukee's
four-run sixth inning. Houston's third homer -- his ninth of the
year -- gave Milwaukee a 9-2 lead.
It was the eighth three-homer game in the majors this season.
"We made a couple of bad pitches, but this was his day,"
Detroit manager Phil Garner said of Houston. "He put on a show.
Sometimes it's hard to hit three home runs in batting practice."
In the seventh, Detroit put two runners on base against Bere,
but reliever Ray King struck out Bobby Higginson to end the inning.
Higginson, who threw his helmet in anger, and Garner were ejected
for arguing the called third strike.
Garner said his fairly tame outburst was more the result of a
frustrating weekend series in which Detroit's only victory was a
4-2 win in 15 innings on Saturday night.
"We were stymied here," Garner said. "Our offense didn't show
up, and today our pitching struggled."
Milwaukee took two of three games from the Tigers and finished a
10-game homestand 5-5. Detroit finished a nine-game road trip 6-3.
Bere walked the bases loaded in the first but got out of the jam
by striking out Juan Encarnacion. The Tigers' first hit of the game
was a solo homer in the fourth by Damion Easley, and pinch-hitter
Luis Polonia added another solo shot in the fifth.
Jenkins, denied of a homer on Saturday night when his drive down
the left-field line was incorrectly ruled foul, got his 14th homer
down the right-field line. Garner briefly argued that Jenkins'
latest hit was foul also, but replays showed otherwise.
Houston equaled the Brewers' team record for homers in a game, a
feat accomplished five times in the franchise's 31-season history.
Jose Valentin, who hit three homers against Florida in April 1998,
was the last Milwaukee player to do it.
In his fourth at-bat, Houston launched a long foul ball before
popping up. He said he was fooled by an inside fastball, but he
wasn't too upset.
"What are you going to do, hit four home runs?" he asked.
Game
notes
Jose Hernandez, who was on base for each of Houston's three
homers, had a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning. ... Juan
Gonzalez sat out the entire series with left-ankle tendinitis. The
Tigers will decide after the All-Star break whether to put him on
the DL. ... Higginson got his 11th outfield assist in the second
inning.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Milwaukee Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 7
Atlanta 2
Cleveland 5
Cincinnati 3
Toronto 13
Montreal 3
Baltimore 5
Philadelphia 4
Minnesota 3
Pittsburgh 2
Milwaukee 10
Detroit 3
Chicago Cubs 9
Chi. White Sox 6
Houston 9
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Arizona 4
Oakland 2
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Los Angeles 0
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Colorado 4
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Texas 3
NY Mets 2
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