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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – One home run by Deivi Cruz was better than two by Alex Rodriguez on Tuesday night.
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Cruz hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning as the Detroit Tigers overcame two solo homers by Rodriguez, Texas' $252 million All-Star, and beat the Rangers 6-3.
"I was just thinking, 'make contact,' and let the ball go anywhere. I was confused because the ball was too high, but I hit it hard," Cruz said. "That's part of the game, two homers with the bases empty."
Cruz's two-out homer, a high, arching shot to left off Jeff Zimmerman (1-2), followed Bobby Higginson's one-out double and Tony
Clark's walk.
"Poor A-Rod only drove in two runs and my guy drove in three," Detroit manager Phil Garner said, joking.
Rodriguez homered off Steve Sparks leading off the sixth and off
Danny Patterson (2-0) starting the eighth, his second multihomer
game this season and the 16th of his career.
"It was a tough loss for us, probably the toughest of the
season," Rodriguez said. "That was one of those games you want to
win at home."
Rodriguez, who has nine homers this season, ended an 11-inning scoreless streak by Patterson, tying the score 3-all.
"I was trying throw to sinker that cut on me out over the plate," said Patterson, who has allowed just one run and five hits in nine appearances. "I've had good success against him and I just made a bad pitch, and he made me pay for it."
Gabe Kapler had a bloop double off Patterson to start the ninth but was stranded when Randy Velarde grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Todd Jones pitched the 10th for his sixth save.
Sparks gave up nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, allowing the leadoff batter to reach in six of seven innings. But the Rangers managed to get just two runners past second base against the knuckleballer -- the two who scored.
Kenny Rogers, 0-2 in five starts since winning the Rangers' homer opener April 3, gave up three runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in seven innings.
"If we pitch like this, we'll be OK," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "We're going to be getting more than three runs a game."
Juan Encarnacion's two-out RBI single in the fourth broke a 1-1 tie. Damion Easley followed with an RBI double that gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Detroit led 1-0 in the third after Tony Clark scored on an errant pickoff throw by Rogers, who tried to pick Encarnacion at first base after giving up a two-out walk.
Detroit had the bases loaded with no outs in the fifth, but
Rogers turned a comebacker by Clark into a 1-2-3 double play. Dean
Palmer then flied out.
Texas got its first run in the second on an RBI double by Kapler, who has hits in six of seven games since coming off the disabled list.
While All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez was back in the Texas lineup after missing two games, he still appeared hampered by a bruised left heel sustained Friday when his foot hit first base awkwardly while he was running out a grounder in Cleveland.
Ivan Rodriguez led off the fourth with a hit into the right-field corner, routinely a double for him. But he was obviously slow running and was more than 10 feet from second base when Roger Cedeno's throw got there.
Ivan Rodriguez was lifted for a pinch-runner after reaching on an error in the eighth.
Game notes
Nolan Ryan took part in a pregame ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the last of his record seven no-hitters, the last two with the Rangers. ... Cedeno has three outfield
assists. ... Detroit's Jose Macias, 0-for-4 in his last game when he failed to reach base for the first time in 15 starts, had three singles.
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Baltimore 3
Tampa Bay 1
Cleveland 13
Kansas City 2
NY Yankees 4
Minnesota 0
Detroit 6
Texas 3
Anaheim 6
Chi. White Sox 4
Toronto 5
Oakland 4
Boston 2
Seattle 0
Cincinnati 7
Los Angeles 6
Florida 4
St. Louis 3
Arizona 8
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 7
Colorado 1
San Francisco 11
Pittsburgh 6
NY Mets 7
Houston 5
Milwaukee 5
Atlanta 3
San Diego 10
Chicago Cubs 3
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