Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-5 and knocked in three, as the Detroit Tigers completed a three-game interleague series sweep of the Washington Nationals with an 8-3 victory at Comerica Park.
Tigers Complete Three-Game Sweep Of Nats With 8-3 Win
Alex Avila added a pair of hits and two RBI, while Ramon Santiago turned in a 4-for-4 effort with three runs scored and an RBI for Detroit, which has won six straight. The Tigers also earned a three-game sweep of the Nationals in Washington back in 2007.
Jeremy Bonderman (3-4) snapped a four-start winless streak after tossing seven effective innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out seven.
“I moved the ball around and had a breaking ball early and lost it late in the game, but I just tried to keep the ball moving around and trying to get outs,” Bonderman said about his outing.
Adam Dunn had a solo homer and RBI single for the Nationals, who have lost five of their last six after winning three in a row. Cristian Guzman added two hits, including a run-scoring single.
“When your record is what it is, that’s who you are,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said about the team’s struggles. “There’s plenty of time to straighten that record out and play better baseball.”
Luis Atilano (5-4), who brought a 4-1 record in six road starts this season into the contest, was roughed up for nine hits and five runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Atilano worked out of some first-inning trouble, but the right-hander wasn't as fortunate in the second. Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge reached with one- out singles and came around to score when Avila laced a double off the right- center field wall.
Bonderman retired the first 11 batters before Ryan Zimmerman grounded a single through the left side, and his mates gave him three more runs to work with in the fifth.
With runners on first and second and one out, Cabrera chased in both with a two-bagger to center. Brennan Boesch was then walked intentionally before Drew Storen replaced Atilano. Guillen's RBI single made it a 5-0 game. Guzman's run-scoring base hit got the Nationals on the board in the sixth.
RBI singles from Santiago and Cabrera in the home half put the Tigers up 7-1. Dunn hit a leadoff homer in the seventh and added a run-scoring base hit in the eighth to cut the Washington deficit to four.
The Tigers got a run back in the bottom portion on Magglio Ordonez’s single that plated Santiago, who led off the inning with a double.
Eddie Bonine came on for the ninth and after Mike Morse reached on an error, Bonine retired the next three batters to polish off the sweep.
Detroit rookie outfielder Austin Jackson (back) missed his third straight game, while outfielder Johnny Damon got the day off for rest...Washington's last win over Detroit came back on June 12, 2002 when the franchise was still located in Montreal...Dunn has now hit six homers in the last nine games.
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