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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Only his pitch count kept Jeff Weaver
from finishing the game. Tigers manager Phil Garner felt 123
pitches was enough.
|  | | Ramon Ortiz struggled against the Tigers, giving up six runs in seven innings. |
Weaver, who grew up about 60 miles north of Anaheim in
Northridge, wanted to finish Saturday night's 11-2 rout of the
Anaheim Angels in front of his family and friends. But he was
satisfied with his eight innings.
"My friends and family mean a lot to me. And to come into
Anaheim, where they all get a chance to finally see me pitch, it
brings something extra out in me," said Weaver, who allowed two
runs and seven hits, striking out seven. "You don't want to fail
in front of your biggest critics."
Damion Easley, Tony Clark and Dean Palmer homered, helping
Detroit to its fifth victory in six games and ending Anaheim's
four-game winning streak.
Bobby Higginson went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI singles and Juan
Encarnacion added a two-run double.
"He really hasn't had very much run support from us throughout
his career, and I'm pretty sure it boosted his confidence when he
saw us put some runs up and gave him a little cushion," Easley
said. "But he's going to keep you in the game most of the time."
Weaver, who led the staff last season with 200 innings, has gone
six or more innings in all seven starts. In his first, he lost to
Minnesota 3-2 as became the first Tigers pitcher in 12 years to
throw a complete game on opening day.
"To go deep into the games shows consistency, and that's what
I'm striving for," Weaver said. "The starting pitcher's job is to
get those seven-plus innings in. It's always been with me since
college.
"I feel like if I started the game, I was meant to finish. When
your team goes out there and puts their heart into the game, you
don't want to come out of the game, either. I was still able to get
those ground balls, so I knew my sinker was still working."
Anaheim's Darin Erstad, Troy Glaus and Garret Anderson are a
combined 2-for-34 against Weaver. Glaus is 0-for-12.
"When you have Weaver's quality stuff, and you get the ball
where you want to, you can have success against them," Garner
said. "And that's what he's done. He buckles down, he makes his
pitches where he wants to and he gets good results."
Angels right fielder Tim Salmon missed his second straight game
because of a sinus infection that he says hits him about four times
a year. He had one on the last road trip and thought he was over it
after taking medication. But it reoccurred during the start of the
homestand.
"My body is just rebelling on me right now. I'm just in a fog.
I went and hit off a tee in the cage to get the blood going and see
if that makes a difference in how I feel," he said. "It felt good
to get a sweat going, but them I hit bottom again. As soon as I sat
down, I just crashed. I just don't have my batteries."
Trailing 2-0, the Tigers scored four runs in the third off Ramon
Ortiz (3-3). Easley led off with his first homer of the season,
Higginson hit a two-out, opposite-field RBI single on an 0-2 pitch
and Clark followed with his fifth homer.
Brandon Inge led off the fifth with a double, advanced on Roger
Cedeno's bunt single and scored on a groundout by Jose Macias.
Higginson followed with an RBI single that made it 6-2.
Encarnacion hit a two-run double in the eighth off Lou Pote
after striking out three times against Ortiz.
Jorge Fabregas drove in the game's first run with a
second-inning single after Wally Joyner dribbled a single up the
third-base line and Adam Kennedy walked. Orlando Palmeiro bunted
foul on squeeze attempt, then got the second run home by grounding
into a force play.
Ortiz lost for the third time in his last four starts, allowing
six runs and nine hits in seven innings.
Anaheim designated hitter Wally Joyner argued after he was
called out on strikes by Joe Brinkman in the fourth inning.
Game notes
Fabregas started behind the plate for the sixth time this
season and first time in seven games. Bengie Molina was placed on
the disabled list because of a strained right hamstring. ...
Fabregas threw out Easley trying to steal second in the fourth
inning, making Fabregas 3-for-7 this season against runners. Molina
is 3-for-17. ... Replacing Molina on the roster will be his
brother, Jose, who caught 20 games for Triple-A Salt Lake and hit
.282 with two homers and seven RBI.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Anaheim Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Yankees 5
Baltimore 2
Boston 7
Oakland 1
Seattle 7
Toronto 5
Cleveland 9
Tampa Bay 4
Kansas City 12
Minnesota 10
Texas 2
Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 11
Anaheim 2
NY Mets 8
Arizona 1
San Diego 5
Cincinnati 2
Chicago Cubs 20
Los Angeles 1
Atlanta 6
St. Louis 5
Milwaukee 8
Florida 2
Houston 4
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 4
San Francisco 2
Pittsburgh 11
Colorado 3
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