Boston, MA – Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder crushed back- to-back home runs as part of a five-run fifth inning and the Tigers held off the Red Sox, 7-5, in the finale of a three-game set Wednesday at Fenway Park.
Cabrera's 26th homer of the season was a two-run shot, while Fielder followed with his 17th of the year to help the Tigers salvage the final game of the series and wrap up a nine-game road trip at 3-6.
"That's huge, obviously," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland of Cabrera and Fielder's back-to-back shots. "They're pretty good at doing what they do and tonight they did what they do."
Rick Porcello (8-6) surrendered four runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 frames to earn the victory, while Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth to secure his 21st save of the season.
Aaron Cook (2-5) was tagged for six runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings to take his fourth loss in his last five starts.
"He works quick and doesn't walk people but a lot of times those groundballs find holes," remarked Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine of Cook.
Carl Crawford smacked a solo shot for his second home run of the season, but the Red Sox saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.
Boston plated a run in its first at-bat as Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to lead off the frame. Ellsbury moved to third on Dustin Pedroia's fly out two batters later and after Adrian Gonzalez walked, Cody Ross delivered a two-out single to right to score Ellsbury for a 1-0 lead.
Detroit battled back in the fourth as Fielder crushed a two-out double off the Green Monster in left before scoring on a seeing-eye single up the middle from Brennan Boesch to knot the game at 1-1.
The Tigers then jumped in front for good with a five-run fifth inning as Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta stroked consecutive singles to start the frame.
Ramon Santiago then bunted both runners up a base and Austin Jackson followed with a base hit through the left side to plate Avila before Quintin Berry's RBI groundout made it a 3-1 contest.
Cabrera then launched a two-run shot over the Green Monster before Fielder deposited the next pitch over the wall in straightaway center field to give the Tigers a 6-1 lead.
Pedroia, Gonzalez and Ross stroked consecutive singles in the sixth as the Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs.
Pedroia then scored on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's double-play groundout before Will Middlebrooks served a single into right field to score Gonzalez as the Red Sox pulled within 6-3.
Phil Coke entered and walked Ryan Kalish before Pedro Ciriaco slapped a single into right field to plate Middlebrooks and trim the margin to two runs.
In the seventh, Crawford belted a leadoff homer into the Boston bullpen in right to bring the home team within 6-5, but Delmon Young cracked a one-out homer in the eighth that just snuck inside the right-field foul pole to restore the Tigers' two-run lead.
Game Notes
Cook hasn't earned a victory since June 29 at Seattle...The teams split 10 games this year to wrap up the season series at 5-5...Middlebrooks has a career-high, nine-game hitting streak...Craig Breslow, who the Red Sox acquired on Tuesday, tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.
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