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Tuesday, Aug. 29 7:35pm ET
Tigers tip .500 for third time in August | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Detroit Tigers are at .500 again. That's nice, given their 9-23 start, yet no longer satisfying. "We've been here three times now. We're thinking much higher than that," said Bobby Higginson, who had one of three Detroit homers Tuesday night in a 12-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Dean Palmer homered and drove in four runs, and Dusty Allen hit his first major-league home run as Detroit reached .500 for the third time during a 17-9 August. "We've got a lot to be proud of, to come back the way we have for as far down as we were," Palmer said. But it's not enough. Detroit has higher expectations in a season that in May appeared to be a disaster. "If we keep playing like this, we'll get well over .500," Higginson said. "It's been a good ride, but we have a ways to go to get where we want to be. We're shooting for the wild card." Juan Encarnacion had four hits to back a fine pitching performance by Jeff Weaver, who gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who struck out six and walked two, is 3-1 in his last four starts. "He settled in. In the sixth inning, he threw the ball pretty good," Detroit manager Phil Garner said. "That's the best velocity I've seen from him all year." Weaver's ninth win matches his total from last year, his rookie season. Palmer went 3-for-4 with a walk. His 26th homer, a three-run shot, capped a four-run third inning that put Detroit up 6-1. Chris Richard hit a solo homer for the Orioles, who had won six of eight. Rookie John Parrish (2-3) endured his second straight poor start for Baltimore, allowing six runs, six hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. The left-hander has yielded 11 runs over his last four innings. "We've seen him better. He was very inconsistent," Baltimore manager Mike Hargrove said. "The kid's got good stuff, but he needs to throw strikes." Parrish threw 68 pitches, half of them outside the strike zone. "I have to trust my stuff. I know I have to do that to stay up here," Parrish said. Delino DeShields hit an RBI single for the Orioles in the first inning, but Detroit went up 2-1 in the second on run-scoring groundouts by Deivi Cruz and Shane Halter. The Tigers pulled away in the third. Juan Gonzalez singled in a run before Palmer hit an 0-2 pitch into the left-field seats. One out later, Cruz chased Parrish with a double. The barrage continued in the fourth, when Palmer hit an RBI single off Jason Johnson to make it 7-1. Encarnacion singled in two runs in the fifth. Richard homered in the seventh. Higginson hit his 25th homer, a two-run drive, in the eighth. Allen homered off Chuck McElroy in the ninth. Game notesDetroit is 17-9 in August. ... Orioles CF Luis Matos left after bruising his left shoulder in a play at first base in the second inning. ... Detroit is 16-8 when Palmer homers. ... Baltimore called up C Fernando Lunar from Double-A Bowie to replace Mike Kinkade, who left to join the U.S. Olympic squad. ... Palmer is hitting .228 lifetime against Baltimore, but has 25 homers, including four this season. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Detroit Clubhouse Baltimore Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 8 Tampa Bay 0
Detroit 12
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