Detroit Takes Seattle Down a Notch

The Detroit Tigers have been playing as if they belong in the pennant race with the Seattle Mariners.

Damion Easley and Bobby Higginson hit consecutive homers Tuesday to break a sixth-inning tie and help the Tigers beat the Mariners for the second consecutive game, 6-3, at Detroit.

Detroit has won the first two games in the three-game series after being swept at Seattle on July 10-12.

“Winning games like this gives us some life,” starter Mike Maroth (5-5) said. “Seattle is fighting for the playoffs, and we don’t have a chance to get there, but at least we have a chance to compete in some important games.”

The Mariners have lost four of five to fall into a three-way tie for first place in the American League West with the Oakland Athletics and Angels, who lead by two percentage points.

“We’ve put ourselves in a bit of a bind by losing two to the Tigers,” said Mike Cameron, who went four for four “We know we have to do better than this, but we have to do it out on the field.”

Easley led off the sixth with his seventh homer into the left-field stands and Higginson followed with his ninth, a high drive off the right-field foul pole.

Shane Halter hit a solo homer against Shigetoshi Hasegawa in the seventh.

Maroth gave up three runs and six hits, and walked two in seven innings. He struck out two and improved his record at Comerica Park to 4-1 with a 1.73 earned-run average.

“It seems like we are stuck on three runs every night,” Seattle Manager Lou Piniella said. “When you are scoring three or less all the time, it is tough to win.”

Oakland 6, Cleveland 3--Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer and Eric Chavez had a two-run shot at Cleveland, and the Athletics won their seventh game in a row.

Rookie Aaron Harang (5-3) took a shutout into the sixth and four relievers finished, with Billy Koch getting four out for his 32nd save.

The A’s share the lead in the AL West for the first time since April 10. Oakland has won 13 of 16 and is a season-high 24 games over .500.

Dye put the A’s ahead, 5-0, in the third with a towering drive onto the home run porch in left field. In his last 15 games, he is batting .351 (20 for 57) with five homers and 16 runs batted in.

Chavez connected for his 29th homer, a liner to right field that barely cleared the wall. It was his 100th career homer and eighth in August.

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Texas 3, Boston 2--Ivan Rodriguez homered to tie the score in the top of the ninth inning and Todd Hollandsworth’s solo shot in the 10th gave the Rangers their fifth consecutive victory.

Derek Lowe gave up four hits in seven-plus innings in his bid to become the AL’s first 18-game winner.

He left with a 2-1 lead, but closer Ugueth Urbina blew his fifth save in 33 chances when Rodriguez led off the ninth with his 11th home run.

Hollandsworth, fresh off the disabled list, opened the 10th with a drive against Willie Banks (2-1).

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Baltimore 7, Tampa Bay 4--Gary Matthews Jr. hit a three-run homer with two out in the bottom of the ninth, capping a four-run rally in the inning, all unearned.

Aubrey Huff gave the Devil Rays a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth with his 17th home run, a solo drive.

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Minnesota 5, Chicago 0--Kyle Lohse pitched a four-hitter at Chicago and Jacque Jones hit his second leadoff homer in as many games.

Lohse (11-7) got his first complete game in the 42nd start of his career. He struck out eight and walked two.

The Twins extended their AL Central lead to 16 games over Chicago.

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Kansas City 6, Toronto 5--Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer in the top of the 12th inning off SkyDome Windows restaurant beyond the center-field wall for a 6-3 lead.

But closer Roberto Hernandez nearly gave it all back before retiring Shannon Stewart on a pop up with runners on first and second for his 22nd save.