Detroit, MI – Anibal Sanchez outpitched the previously undefeated Matt Moore as the Detroit Tigers pounded the Tampa Bay Rays, 10-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Comerica Park.
Moore (8-1) was trying to become the sixth-youngest starter since 1916 to begin the season 9-0, but surrendered six runs on seven hits and a career high-tying six walks before being pulled with no outs in the third inning.
Prince Fielder led Detroit's offensive surge with a home run and four RBI during a three-hit night, while Omar Infante homered and drove in three for the Tigers, who had lost five of six games entering the series.
The production was more than enough as Sanchez (6-5) twirled seven innings of one-run ball while striking out nine and allowing just four hits and a walk.
The Rays scored 53 runs during a 7-1 stretch coming in, but managed just one Tuesday when Evan Longoria led off the second inning with a stand-up triple and trotted home on Desmond Jennings' sacrifice fly.
Detroit quickly erased the deficit with six runs over the next two frames against arguably the AL's best pitcher the first two months of the season.
Moore, after struggling through a 30-pitch first inning, threw another 34 in the second. The left-hander allowed a leadoff single to Jhonny Peralta and an RBI double to Matt Tuiasosopo, who later scored on Infante's sac fly.
Avisail Garcia, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera each worked walks to load the bases, and Fielder drove in a pair with a line-drive base hit to center field to cap the four-run burst.
Moore, whose outing last Friday was cut short by rain after tossing just one inning, then put the first three runners on in the third via two walks and a double, and Garcia sent Peralta home with a single up the middle.
Another free pass to Tuiasosopo forced in a run and abruptly ended Moore's forgettable performance.
"This loss was 100 percent on me," Moore admitted. "I really put us in that big of a hole."
Although Alex Torres retired the heart of the Tigers' order to get out of the bases-loaded, no-out jam, Infante added to the Tigers' cushion by taking Kyle Farnsworth deep in the fifth.
Cabrera singled leading off the sixth, went from first to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly from Fielder, who added a solo homer in the eighth before Don Kelly capped the scoring with an RBI single.
"(Fielder) had a heck of a night," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said of his slugger. "He's an outstanding hitter."
Game Notes
Detroit outhit Tampa Bay by a 15-4 margin ... The Tigers have held the Rays to four runs or less in 13 consecutive meetings and improved to 13-3 in their last 16 matchups in the series... Moore, who turns 24 on June 18, saw his ERA jump from 2.18 to 2.95 ... Sanchez has allowed two earned runs or less in nine of his 12 starts.
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