The Sports Xchange
May 10, 2017
PHOENIX -- Detroit's James McCann and Justin Upton homered, and Justin Verlander won his second consecutive start in the Tigers' 7-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday at Chase Field.
Mikie Mahtook hit a two-run single to cap a three-run fifth inning that gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead.
Verlander (3-2) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks and struck out seven in seven innings. He fanned Jeff Mathis to end the sixth inning with a 99 mph fastball, his 101st pitch.
Four Tigers relievers combined to get the final nine outs after Verlander gave up a walk and a single to open the seventh inning. New closer Justin Wilson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in a non-save situation.
The Tigers (16-15) tacked on runs in the eighth and ninth innings. They had lost two in a row.
A.J. Pollock, Brandon Drury and Chris Owings had two hits apiece for Arizona (18-16), which has lost seven of 10.
Detroit's Andrew Romine walked to lead off the game, took second on a two-out wild pitch and scored on Nick Castellanos' single to left field for a 1-0 lead.
McCann hit his seventh homer of the season leading off the second inning to make it 2-0.
Arizona took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the third inning. Pollock doubled and scored on Paul Goldschmidt's single to right field. Goldschmidt took second base on a fly ball to the left-field fence and scored on Yasmany Tomas' single. Tomas took second on the throw home and scored on Drury's double.
Detroit scored three in the fifth inning for a 5-3 lead. Miguel Cabrera doubled off the center field fence to drive in the first run, and Mahtook singled in two with two outs.
Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray, who made his major league debut with Detroit in 2014, gave up five runs on five hits and five walks in five innings. He struck out eight.
NOTES: Detroit LHP Justin Wilson will take over as closer, replacing RHP Francisco Rodriguez, manager Brad Ausmus said before the game. Rodriguez is 1-4 with seven saves, four blown saves and an 8.49 ERA in 13 appearances this season. He has 437 career saves. ... Arizona RHP Zack Godley will be recalled from Triple-A Reno to start Wednesday's game against Detroit. Godley gave up two runs in five innings of a no-decision in a previous spot start April 26 against San Diego. ... FanRag Sports reported that free agent RHP Doug Fister is considering Arizona among other teams, including the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Arizona lost RHP Shelby Miller (elbow) for the season. ... Detroit DH Victor Martinez singled as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning in the Tigers' first interleague game in an NL park. ... Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler (hamstring) missed his fifth consecutive game.