Sat May 17 23:53:15 2008

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Galaragga outshines Scherzer; Tigers edge Diamondbacks

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Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Carlos Guillen's two-run single and Matthew Joyce's solo homer proved to be enough for a 3-2 Detroit victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the middle installment of the three-game set featured a pair of up-and-coming rookie hurlers.

Armando Galarraga (3-1) halted the Tigers' five-game losing streak by allowing just one hit and two runs in six-plus innings on the mound. He did walked five D'Backs but struck out three while lowering his ERA to 2.80 on the season.

Todd Jones pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save, while Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera each recorded two hits for the victors.

Arizona's Max Scherzer (0-2) was nearly as effective as his counterpart in his third-career start, but was saddled with the loss after allowing three hits, four walks and two unearned runs in his five innings of work.

The Diamondbacks, who snapped a four-game winning streak, only tallied three hits, as Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero accounted for the runs batted in.

The rookie starters stymied the opposition through the first four innings, but the Tigers finally lit the scoreboard during a two-out rally in the fifth.

Scherzer unexpectedly walked Galarraga on a 3-2 pitch, and Granderson followed with a single. Conor Jackson had a chance to end the inning, but booted a ball at first.

The error loaded the bases and Guillen came through by punching the first pitch he saw to the opposite field, and Detroit led, 2-0.

Joyce's solo blast off reliever Brandon Medders in the seventh proved to be the difference, as Arizona plated a pair in the bottom half.

Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds walked to lead off the inning, and Galarraga was pulled after 111 pitches. Clay Rapada came in and walked the only batter he faced, and Aquilino Lopez was summoned to get out of the bases loaded jam.

Snyder flied out deep enough to right to force in a run and Montero's single in front of a diving Granderson in left center cut the deficit to one. It was all the D'Backs would get, as Lopez induced Chris Young to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Arizona's attempt at small ball fell by the wayside in the eighth. With a runner on first and no outs, Orlando Hudson squared for a sacrifice bunt. Hudson popped up the offering in front of the plate and, frustrated, failed to run to first. Veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez let the sure out fall to the ground, and started a rare 2-6-3 double play.

Jones closed it out in the ninth thanks to a sliding catch by Granderson with a runner on first.

Game Notes

Detroit is just 9-14 on the road...The Tigers came into the game with an AL- worst 5.02 ERA...The Diamondbacks are now 12-8 all-time against the Tigers, including a 7-4 mark at Chase Field...The Tigers all wore their socks up in an effort to break out of their slump...Detroit won for the first time this season when scoring fewer than four runs...The rubber match of the three-game set on Sunday features of battle amongst southpaws, as the Tigers' Nate Robertson (1-4) squares off against Arizona's Randy Johnson (3-1).