|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Bobby Higginson felt his swing coming around.
Everything finally fell into place Tuesday night.
Higginson and Dean Palmer keyed a six-run Detroit fifth with
consecutive home runs, leading the Tigers to a 10-4 victory over the
Cleveland Indians.
|  | | Willie Blair allowed one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings in the Tigers' 10-4 victory over the Indians, raising his record to 2-0. |
"I felt I swung the bat well over the weekend in Boston," said
Higginson, who had been 1-for-22 in six games following a five-game
suspension for his involvement in an April 22 brawl at Chicago. "I
just couldn't pull the trigger.
"Tonight, I was very quiet at the plate. I had a nice, smooth
swing. When I'm hitting good, that's how it is. It's almost
effortless."
It was an especially sweet victory for the struggling Tigers
because it came against Bartolo Colon (4-2) who dominated Detroit,
striking out 12 in seven innings during a 7-2 win May 17 in
Cleveland.
"That was the big story tonight," Detroit manager Phil Garner
said. "He shut us down over there. But, we weren't cowed."
Colon, matching his worst totals of the season, lost for the
first time in three starts since coming back May 12 following a
muscle strain. Colon was tagged for six runs and nine hits in 4 1/3
innings.
"It seemed like Colon couldn't get in a rhythm," Indians
manager Charlie Manuel said. "He had some trouble getting the ball
over the plate. Then, when Higginson and Palmer hit those home runs
off of him, that was it. It was just kind of an off night for
him."
Alex Ramirez homered for the Indians, who have hit home runs in
14 straight games and were coming off a 7-2 homestand.
Willie Blair (2-0) relieved starter C.J. Nitkowski and gave up
one run and three hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Colon issued successive walks to Higginson and Palmer in the
second and paid for it when Jose Macias hit a two-out smash back to
the mound that bounced off the heel of Colon's glove for an RBI
single.
Detroit took a 3-0 lead in the third after Higginson, who
finished with four RBI, hit a two-run double over Kenny Lofton in
center that drove in Gregg Jefferies and Juan Gonzalez, who both
had singled with two outs.
"The big thing was they were swinging the bats real well
tonight," said Enrique Wilson, who had two hits, including an RBI
double in the ninth. "I give lots of credit to them. They were
prepared for Bartolo tonight."
Cleveland got one back in the fourth when Roberto Alomar, who
had singled, scored on Jim Thome's double-play grounder.
The Indians closed to 3-2 in the fifth when Wilson singled up
the middle past Nitkowski, scoring Ramirez, who had reached on an
error.
Detroit broke it open with six runs and seven hits in the fifth,
sending 10 men to the plate.
Higginson's homer, a towering blow over the scoreboard in
right-center following a single by Gonzalez, gave Detroit a 5-2
lead. Palmer followed with another shot to right-center, and Jim
Brower relieved Colon.
"Colon is one of the best pitchers in the business," Palmer
said. "Tonight, we laid off the high fastball. He gets a lot of
guys out on that. It's a tough pitch to lay off of."
Brower gave up a run on a walk and three singles without getting
an out and was relieved by Tom Martin with bases loaded.
Ramirez made it 9-3 with his second homer, a two-out solo shot
in the sixth.
Jefferies had an RBI double in the seventh.
Nitkowski gave up two runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Game notes
Roberto Alomar extended his hitting streak to 15 games with
three hits, including a double in the first. ... Cleveland loaded
the bases later in the fifth inning, but Blair relieved Nitkowski
and struck out Manny Ramirez, then got Travis Fryman on a fly to
right to end the threat. ... This was the third time the Tigers had
hit successive homers in a game, but the first at Comerica Park.
... The Indians' streak of consecutive games with homers is two
short of the club record set in 1963. ... Sandy Alomar left with a
strained left hamstring going from first to second in the sixth. He
is expected to miss 5-7 days. ... Higginson crushed a pitch from
Martin in the sixth, but Lofton caught it on the warning track in
the deepest part of center. ... Brandon Villafuerte got the final
out of the game in his major league debut.
|