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Sunday, Jul. 23 1:05pm ET
Higginson, Polonia lift Tigers to victory | |||||
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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Tigers don't claim any patents on comeback victories. Lately, though, they haven't felt like they're out of any game. They were right Sunday when Bobby Higginson's two-run homer capped a six-run seventh inning and the Tigers rallied from six runs down to beat the Kansas City Royals 12-9. Detroit has come back from big deficits in its last three wins, including a 10-6 victory over the Royals in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday. The other was a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees in a game the Tigers once trailed 3-0. "We just keep battling," said Luis Polonia, who hit a bases-loaded triple in the seventh. "We know we can come back and we keep battling to the last out." Bullpens were the biggest difference Sunday after both starters were knocked out in the sixth inning. Three Tigers relievers allowed two runs over 3 1/3 innings, but four Royals relievers were tagged for eight runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings while blowing a 9-3 lead. "Basically the last two nights, last night and this afternoon's game, there's nothing to say but that we pitched horribly out of the bullpen, that's all," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "That's two baseball games. We had a 5-1 lead last night and couldn't win; 9-3 today and 9-4 today and couldn't hold them. "We go to the bullpen and they not only let them back in the game, they beat us." Tigers manager Phil Garner was so confident once the Tigers got into the Royals' bullpen that he used his top setup man, Doug Brocail, in the top of the seventh with Detroit trailing 9-4. "That tells you I think we're going to win the ballgame," Garner said. "I felt if he could keep them right there, we'd win the ballgame." Brocail (5-3) was the winner, working 1 1/3 innings. Todd Jones got the final four outs for his AL-leading 27th save in 28 chances. "Our 'pen is one of the strengths of the team. I feel very confident in our 'pen," Jones said. "I feel confident with a lead in the sixth or seventh inning because our bullpen's so strong. I think our whole team feels that way, too." Gregg Zaun homered in a five-run sixth that gave the Royals a 9-3 lead. Brad Ausmus, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored, got one back with a leadoff home run in the sixth. Five straight batters reached base with one in the Tigers' seventh, with Damion Easley hitting an RBI double before a walk to Hal Morris loaded the bases. Polonia then tripled to the right-field corner off Jerry Spradlin. Tim Byrdak (0-1), who gave up a game-winning grand slam to Jose Macias in the nightcap of Saturday's day-night doubleheader, got Macias to hit a grounder to shortstop Rey Sanchez, who threw Polonia out at the plate. But Higginson drove an 0-1 pitch over the scoreboard in right-center for his 20th homer and the Tigers' first lead. "It was great," Higginson said. "When we got ahead I knew we were going to win because it's lights-out with Doug and Todd." Byrdak said Higginson hit a fastball he tried to put on the outside of the plate. "It's frustrating because it all comes down to quality pitches," Byrdak said. "You've got to be able to make 'em. I paid the price again." Morris gave the Tigers more than enough insurance with a two-run double in the eighth off Ricky Bottalico. The Royals scored three unearned runs in the first after third baseman Dean Palmer booted Johnny Damon's leadoff grounder. Two walks also helped set up Mark Quinn's RBI single, a run-scoring groundout from Todd Dunwoody and Zaun's RBI double. Damon scored Carlos Febles with a double down the right-field line to make it 4-0 in the fourth. Ausmus cut the deficit in half with a two-run double in the bottom half. Palmer hit an RBI single in the fifth. Zaun led off the sixth with his fifth homer, and a sacrifice fly from Sanchez finished Tigers starter Brian Moehler. Erik Hiljus, just recalled Sunday from Triple-A Toledo, gave up a run-scoring single to Mike Sweeney and back-to-back RBI doubles to Jermaine Dye and Quinn that put the Royals up 9-3. Game notesMoehler gave up seven runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. ... Royals starter Blake Stein allowed four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. ... Sweeney made a nice diving stop toward the line at first base to rob Deivi Cruz of a probable two-run double in the first. ... Tigers RF Rich Becker saved a run in the second when, with runners at the corners and one out, he made a sliding catch of a fly ball from Sweeney, then doubled Sanchez off first. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Kansas City Clubhouse Detroit Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 1 Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 12
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