Detroit, MI (Betting Express) - Max Scherzer remained undefeated by hurling six
solid frames in the Detroit Tigers' 5-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Scherzer (10-0) became the first 10-game winner in the AL by scattering seven
hits and two walks while allowing only one run on Chris Davis' home-run ball.
The hard-throwing right-hander struck out 10 and lowered his ERA to 3.08.
He is the first Tigers starter to open a season 10-0 since at least 1916.
"It's really nice when you start realizing the history of this organization,"
Scherzer said before admitting wins and losses are a flukey stat for pitchers.
"When you play with a good offensive team you can run into these streaks."
Miguel Cabrera backed the quality outing by going 3-for-4 with a two-run homer
while Austin Jackson chipped in three hits, an RBI and two runs scored for the
Tigers, who opened a 10-game homestand with their third win in four games.
Jake Arrieta (1-2) was forced into a spot-start for Baltimore and was touched
for five runs on 10 hits to take the loss.
The two biggest sluggers in the AL showed their power early on in the opener
of this three-game series at Comerica Park.
Cabrera, the league's batting average and RBI front-runner, hammered a two-run
homer to right-center in the first frame, while Davis cranked a solo blast --
his MLB-leading 24th of the year -- near the same spot the next half-inning.
Jhonny Peralta led off the home second with a double to deep center, moved to
third on Omar Infante's single and trotted home when Jackson's humpback liner
dropped in front of Adam Jones in center.
The Orioles, who took three of four from the Boston Red Sox over the weekend,
had runners on base against Scherzer all night but couldn't get the big hit.
Their best chance came in the fifth when Davis stepped in with the bases
loaded and swung through Scherzer's payoff pitch to end the inning.
"He's tough," Davis said of Scherzer. "He's mixing his pitches well. He kind
of has a funky delivery and obviously he's throwing a lot of strikes."
Arrieta, plucked from Triple-A Norfolk to fill in for the ill Jason Hammel and
sent right back down after the game, loaded the bases in the bottom half and
couldn't get out of the jam despite fanning Cabrera. Victor Martinez pushed a
run across with a sacrifice fly, and Peralta added an RBI single to give
Detroit a 5-1 lead.
Scherzer capped his fifth double-digit strikeout game of the year by blowing
one by Ryan Flaherty to end the sixth, and Drew Smyly did the rest by retiring
all nine batters he faced to record his second save of the season.
Game Notes
Scherzer has suffered a loss just once in his last 28 starts. He became the
first AL pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 2001 to start the season with six-or-
more punchouts in his first 14 starts of the season ... Infante had four of
Detroit's 14 hits ... Orioles third baseman Manny Machado went 0-for-4 to end
his 14-game hitting streak ... Davis has four home runs in his last six games
... Arrieta was making his first big league appearance since April 21 ...
Before the game, the Tigers placed starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez and catcher
Alex Avila on the 15-day disabled list. They recalled catcher Bryan Holaday
and outfielder Avisail Garcia from Triple-A Toledo to take the roster spots.
