Rangers Lose At Detroit

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DETROIT – Once Anibal Sanchez got on a roll, he flattened the Texas Rangers.

Sanchez pitched five-hit ball for seven innings and Austin Jackson hit a two-run home run to help the Detroit Tigers end a four-game slide Friday night with a 7-2 win over Texas.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler doubled three times and first baseman Miguel Cabrera drove in his 42nd run of the season to tie for the Major League lead.

Sanchez (2-2) gave up three straight hits, including a two-run double to Prince Fielder’s replacement, first baseman Mitch Moreland, to open the second inning. But Sanchez allowed only two more hits in his seven innings and both of them were erased from the bases. Sanchez did not walk a batter and struck out five.

“Even when he gave up the runs, I could tell we were going to be in the ball game,” catcher Alex Avila said.

Added Texas manager Ron Washington, “After that second inning, he just got in

a groove. We couldn’t do anything with him after that. He kept us around. We just couldn’t do anything.”

Tigers right-hander Al Alburquerque and lefty Ian Krol worked the final two innings.

Texas right-hander Scott Baker (0-1) allowed eight hits and six runs in six innings for the loss.

“For the lineup he had to go through, he got us to the seventh inning,” Washington said. “He elevated some balls. They’ve got some good hitters, so you can’t do that.”

Shortstop Andrew Romine hit his first career home run, breaking a 0-for-22 skid, to put Detroit ahead 6-2 in the sixth. The Tigers made it 7-2 when right fielder Torii Hunter grounded out to third with runners on first and third in the seventh.

Romine and his girlfriend share what they call an “I Love Me” room, where they put their sports mementoes. She was a standout soccer player at Denver.

“The ball is going right up on the wall,” Romine said of his home run down the right field line. “I saw it was curving. I was saying, ‘That ball has to stay fair. If it doesn’t, I don’t know what else I have to do to get a hit.'”

“He’s been scuffling a little bit,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. “Hopefully that helped him get back on track.”

Kinsler gave Detroit a 4-2 lead in the fifth when he doubled home left fielder Rajai Davis, who singled. A flyout by designated hitter Victor Martinez moved Kinsler to third. Kinsler scored to make it 5-2 when Hunter beat the relay after hitting into a forceout.

Texas struck first with two in the second. Third baseman Adrian Beltre and right fielder Alex Rios singled and scored on a two-run double to center by Moreland.

Jackson tied the score with a two-run homer, his third home run of the season, in the bottom of the second and Detroit broke the tie in the third on consecutive doubles by Kinsler and Cabrera.

“His whole approach in that at-bat was opposite field,” Washington said.

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