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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DETROIT (AP) -- Juan Gonzalez ended his homer drought at home
with a very unlikely shot.
Gonzalez hit his first career inside-the-park home run in the
first inning, helping Detroit beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 Saturday
and moving the Tigers within four games of the AL wild-card lead.
|  | | Tigers right fielder Juan Gonzalez hits an inside-the-park home run off Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers in the first inning Saturday at Comerica Park. |
Detroit, 30-21 since the All-Star break, moved closer to wild-card leader Cleveland, which lost to Baltimore 8-6 Saturday.
Juan Encarnacion also homered for the Tigers, winners of three
straight and 14 of 19. But it was Gonzalez's 20th homer of the season, his first at
Comerica Park since a game-winner June 17th against Cleveland, that
was the talk of the clubhouse. Gonzalez even had the ball in his locker.
"Why not?" Gonzalez said. "It's my first and it might be my last."
One out after Encarnacion homered over the left field wall,
Gonzalez hit a drive off Rangers left-hander Kenny Rogers that hit
high off the wall near the 420 mark in center field.
Rangers center fielder Gabe Kapler, one of the players involved
in the off-season trade that brought Gonzalez to Detroit, crashed
into the wall and fell as the ball bounced hard toward right field,
and Gonzalez raced around the bases to score well ahead of an
off-line throw home.
"It took me until the sixth inning to get my second wind,"
Gonzalez said. "I thought it might be a double or a triple. It was
very exciting."
Third base coach Doug Mansolino never hesitated waving Gonzalez
around third. "I'll hand it to Mansolino," Tigers manager Phil Garner said.
"He sent him and it worked out."
"It had to happen sooner or later," winning pitcher Willie
Blair said. "I was glad it happened for him."
"With this ballpark, by its dimensions, it can create a lot of
bizarre things," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said.
Rogers blamed the carom the ball took after Kapler failed to
catch it. "He doesn't score if they don't get that kick," Rogers said.
"I think it hit off the wall and kicked off Gabe's leg. It cost us
a run that wouldn't have scored without that kick."
Texas has lost seven of eight and 22 of 30. The Rangers started
the day tied with Tampa Bay and Minnesota for the worst record in
the AL.
Blair (10-4) won for the fifth time in seven decisions, giving
up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts
and no walks in 6 1-3 innings.
"We're having a little fun here," Garner said. "Let's just
keep on playing and see what happens."
Matt Anderson pitched a perfect ninth for his first major league
save. He was used instead of AL saves leader Todd Jones, who needed
more than 40 pitches in the ninth inning to close out the Rangers
on Friday.
"We played without our closer and Matt Anderson came in and did
a good job," Garner said.
Rogers (11-13) lost his season-worst fourth straight decision
and sixth in his last seven. The left-hander went 6-plus innings
and allowed four runs on eight hits with four walks and no
strikeouts. Rogers has only one win, Aug. 8 at Cleveland, in his last nine starts.
Texas' Rafael Palmeiro tripled in the fourth and scored an
unearned run when catcher Brad Ausmus' pickoff attempt sailed into
left field for an error.
Wendell Magee had an RBI double and Dean Palmer drew a
bases-loaded walk to give the Tigers a 4-1 lead in the fifth.
The Rangers knocked out Blair, and got within one, in the
seventh when Luis Alicea had an RBI groundout, and Royce Clayton,
who doubled, scored from third on Danny Patterson's wild pitch.
Detroit's Billy McMillon had a pinch-hit RBI single in the
eighth to make the score 5-3.
Game notes
Gonzalez's inside-the-park homer was the first in Comerica
Park and the Tigers' first since Bobby Higginson did it July 6,
1997, against Baltimore at Tiger Stadium. It was the 20th
inside-the-park homer allowed in Rangers history. ... Tigers SS
Deivi Cruz hit his 40th double in the fourth. ... The Tigers
honored the late Turkey Stearnes, a 2000 Hall of Fame inductee, in
a pregame ceremony. Stearnes was a Negro Leagues standout who
played 11 years with the Detroit Stars and batted better than .300
in 11 of 19 pro seasons. ... Rangers C Bill Haselman was ejected by
plate umpire Dale Scott in the eighth for arguing.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
Indians bullpen blows lead, wastes Colon's strong performance
Stark: Climbing Mount .500
RECAPS
Seattle 4
Boston 1
Baltimore 8
Cleveland 6
Oakland 8
Toronto 0
Kansas City 7
Tampa Bay 5
NY Yankees 13
Minnesota 4
Detroit 5
Texas 3
Chi. White Sox 13
Anaheim 6
St. Louis 2
NY Mets 1
Milwaukee 8
Colorado 3
San Francisco 13
Chicago Cubs 2
Montreal 9
Cincinnati 5
Atlanta 8
Houston 6
Florida 10
Arizona 1
Pittsburgh 6
San Diego 3
Los Angeles 1
Philadelphia 0
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