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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tigers win, 10-7


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Miguel Cabrera

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Justin Verlander was cruising along with a three-run lead when he got distracted by an umpire change at home plate and an Angels' rally.

"After that I felt like I lost my rhythm a little bit," he said.

His teammates sure didn't.

Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in five runs and Carlos Guillen added a three-run shot in the Detroit Tigers' 10-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels last night in a matchup of first place teams.

Verlander (14-7) allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out seven and walked two. The right-hander was working with a 10-run cushion in the sixth when he gave up four runs and four consecutive two-out hits for the AL Central leaders, who ended a two-game skid.

"He lost his tunnel vision," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "You got a 10-run lead, you got to go out there and pitch like it's a 1-0 lead. He just wasn't quite sure what to do. We expected to get two more innings out of him. You can't worry about what the score was."

Umpire Tim Welke left the game in the bottom of the fourth, two batters after he got hit in the chest by a foul tip from Vladimir Guerrero. Instead of throwing between innings, Verlander sat and waited.

"I feel like it's a more physical trap than a psychological one," he said. "I've always been one that's pretty good at when guys are on the ground step on their throat, go out there and have quick innings. Tonight, it was the opposite."

At one point, he and catcher Gerald Laird exchanged words in the dugout.

"I said something he didn't like and he said something I didn't like," Verlander said. "In the heat of the battle, it wasn't going well."

Bobby Abreu's three-run homer in the eighth left the AL West-leading Angels trailing 10-7. Brandon Lyon gave up five two-out hits in the inning and was replaced by Fernando Rodney, who retired Juan Rivera on a groundout to end the inning and pitched a perfect ninth for his 27th save in 28 chances.

RAYS 12, BLUE JAYS 7:

Carlos Pena and Ben Zobrist each homered and visiting Tampa Bay beat Toronto's Roy Halladay (13-7), who allowed eight runs — seven earned — in six innings.

RED SOX 12, WHITE SOX 8:

Jose Contreras' two-out error on a slow roller led to six runs in the third inning and host Boston extended its trend by scoring at least 11 runs for the third time in four games by beating Chicago.

TWINS 2, ORIOLES 1:

Scott Baker (12-7) allowed a run and four hits over seven innings, and Jason Kubel drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning to lead host Minnesota over Baltimore.

INDIANS 10, ROYALS 6:

Travis Hafner and Luis Valbuena each hit three-run homers as Cleveland beat host Kansas City.

MARINERS 3, ATHLETICS 1:

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 625th homer, a two-run drive off Vin Mazzaro, and host Seattle beat Oakland.