Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge hit back-to- back homers in the top of the ninth, as the Detroit Tigers edged the Texas Rangers, 8-6, to split a four-game series.
Pair Of Late Blasts Lifts Tigers Over Struggling Rangers
Inge also smacked a two-run homer in the fifth for the Tigers, who went 5-6 on an 11-game road trip. Cabrera went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in and three runs scored, while Ryan Raburn hit a three-run double for the victors.
Starter Jeremy Bonderman lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Phil Coke (3-0) pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 frames to pick up the win. Jose Valverde collected his sixth save of the year.
Josh Hamilton hit a solo homer for the Rangers, who had won three of four coming in. David Murphy and Vladimir Guerrero each knocked in two runs in defeat.
Matt Harrison gave up six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in a six- inning start. Neftali Feliz (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits in the ninth to take the loss.
With the score tied 6-6 in the top of the ninth, Feliz took over on the hill for Texas. After getting Magglio Ordonez to fly out, Cabrera and Inge hit back-to-back homers to give the Tigers the lead. Cabrera belted a 2-1 fastball to right-center, while Inge blasted an 0-1 fastball to left.
Valverde retired the side in order the home half to seal the victory.
The Tigers got to Harrison early, scoring four runs in the first inning. Austin Jackson singled and Johnny Damon and Ordonez walked to load the bases. Cabrera followed with an RBI single to left. After Inge fanned looking, Raburn cleared the bases with a double off the wall in left-center. Harrison was able to retire to the next to batters to end the frame.
Bonderman retired the first 11 batters he faced before Hamilton homered in the fourth. Hamilton broke the silence when he blasted a 1-0 fastball over the wall in left-center field to cut the gap to 4-1.
Detroit extended its lead to 6-1 on Inge’s two-run home run to left in the top of the fifth.
Texas plated a run in the home half to make it 6-2. Nelson Cruz singled and Justin Smoak doubled to put runners on second and third. Bonderman then fanned two straight batters before throwing a wild pitch, which allowed Cruz to score.
The Rangers added two more runs in the sixth to cut their deficit to 6-4. Hamilton and Guerrero hit back-to-back two-out singles, then Murphy brought them home with a double to right-center. Smoak then walked, chasing Bonderman from the contest. Joel Zumaya took over and got pinch-hitter Ryan Garko to go down swinging to limit the damage.
The home team plated a pair of runs in the seventh to tie the game. Coke took over on the mound with the bases loaded and one out. He fanned Hamilton swinging, but Guerrero hit a two-run base hit up the middle.
Detroit has won 17 of the past 24 overall meetings between these teams, but the Rangers are 7-4 against the Tigers in the last 11 games played in Arlington...Smoak's double in the fifth was the first hit of his MLB career...Damon extended his hitting streak to 13 games...Tigers shortstop Adam Everett (hamstring) missed the game...Rangers outfielder Cruz left the game early with a hamstring injury.
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