Verlander notches 16th win
Miguel Cabrera hit a bases-loaded double in a five-run eighth inning that backed Justin Verlander's 16th win, and the Detroit Tigers got back to .500 with a a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
DETROIT (AP) -- With Detroit railing 2-1, Will Rhymes singled off Mike Gonzalez (0-3) leading off the eighth, Ryan Raburn doubled and reliever David Hernandez got ahead 1-2 in the count to pinch-hitter Austin Jackson before loading the bases with a walk.
Cabrera lined a three-run double into the left-center field gap on the next pitch, raising his major league-leading total to 116 RBIs.
Two outs later, Brandon Inge hit a two-run homer off Alfredo Simon, Inge's 11th home run this the season.
Verlander (16-8) struck out 11, matching the season high set June 16 against Washington. He allowed both runs and five hits in eight innings, and walked one. Phil Coke finished with a hitless ninth.
Orioles starter Chris Tillman only allowed one hit — Inge's clean single to center in the second — but walked a career-high six in his 6 2-3 innings. The Orioles dropped to 23-15 under new manager Buck Showalter following a 32-73 start.
Detroit (72-72) began the game without Jackson, Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen and Gerald Laird — either due to injury or rest. The lack of offense showed, with the Tigers managing one hit in the first seven innings.
Brennan Boesch walked and stole second in the second inning, then scored as Casper Wells beat out what would have been an inning-ending double play. Baltimore went ahead 2-1 in the fifth on an RBI triple by Jake Fox, who played college ball at Michigan, and Verlander's wild pitch.
With runners at the corners in the sixth, Verlander fielded Luke Scott's grounder and threw Brian Roberts out at the plate — the third time in a week Roberts was thrown out on the bases.
Detroit put runners on the corners in the seventh. Gonzalez relieved, and Alex Avila grounded out.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
