Tigers beat Rangers 4-1 to end 7-game losing skid
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DETROIT (AP) — Max Scherzer threw seven scoreless innings and Gerald Laird hit a two-run homer, helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 on Wednesday to snap a seven-game skid.
Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera drove in runs in the seventh to give Detroit a four-run lead.
Scherzer (7-7) gave up four hits and three walks, throwing a career-high 123 pitches. Phil Coke pitched a perfect eighth and Jose Valverde had a shaky ninth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Valverde walked Ian Kinsler, hit Vladimir Guerrero and allowed both to advance on a wild pitch. Josh Hamilton's groundout pulled Texas within three. Nelson Cruz struck out and David Murphy grounded out to end the threat.
Colby Lewis (9-6) allowed four runs and nine hits over seven innings for the AL West-leading Rangers.
Lewis let the first two Tigers he faced to get on base before getting out of the jam by retiring the next three in the first inning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He walked Carlos Guillen to start the second, then allowed the light-hitting Laird to hit his fourth homer of the season and first in nearly a month.
Detroit stranded eight runners and Texas left six on base, but the Tigers' top two hitters came through in the seventh inning.
Ordonez, who failed to drive in runs when he had chances in each of his first three at-bats, hit an RBI single and Cabrera followed with a sacrifice fly.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Rangers had won three straight and five of the first six games after the All-Star break.
NOTES: The Tigers recalled Scott Sizemore from Triple-A Toledo to give them another option at 3B with Brandon Inge (broken left hand) out 4-6 weeks. ... Texas will return home Thursday with LHP Cliff Lee facing RHP Jered Weaver and the Los Angeles Angels.