Tigers Top Tampa, Rookies Come Up Big

The Tigers won for the second day in a row, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3.  Two Tigers who were in Toledo a couple of weeks ago made big contributions in the victory.  Andy Dirks hit his first Major League home run in the 5th inning to tie the game up at 1-1. 

Pitcher Charlie Furbush saw his first Major League action in relief of Tiger starter Phil Coke, who left in the 4th with an apparent ankle injury.  Furbush pitched 3 and two thirds innings of shutout baseball and picked up his first Big League win in the process. 

The Tigers finally scored some runs with a two-out rally in the 8th inning.  Victor Martinez doubled with the bases loaded to drive home two, then Jhonny Peralta lined a single to bring home two more to give the Tigers a comfortable 6-1 lead.

Closer Jose Valverde came in to pitch the 9th, and after getting the first two hitters out, proceeded to let the Rays back into this one.   Tampa Bay scored two runs off Valverde and left two more on base when Matt Joyce lined out to Cabrera to end the game. 

The win is the second straight for the Tigers after losing five in a row.  With Justin Verlander scheduled to pitch for Detroit tomorrow night, the Tigers have a good chance to keep this streak going.  They'll need to, as first-place Cleveland won again tonight

 to maintain their 7-game lead over the second-place Tigers.