Sports Network | June 20, 2010
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) – Rookie Brennan Boesch and Carlos Guillen hit back-to-back home runs off Arizona starter Ian Kennedy in the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting Detroit to a 3-1 win in the rubber match of a three- game interleague series at Comerica Park.
Kennedy (3-5) had retired 13 batters straight through six frames before giving up a leadoff single to Miguel Cabrera. Boesch then hammered the 10th home run of his impressive campaign to the seats in right field, erasing a 1-0 deficit. Guillen’s blast to right made it 3-1. Kennedy was replaced later in the seventh by Juan Gutierrez after Ramon Santiago singled with two outs.
Joel Zumaya pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the Tigers and Jose Valverde tossed a perfect ninth to record his 16th save.
Detroit starter Max Scherzer (4-6), who spent his first two years in the majors playing for Arizona before being dealt in the offseason, gave up one run on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over seven innings.
Both Scherzer and Kennedy were involved in the three-team trade last December that sent outfielder Curtis Granderson to the Yankees.
The Diamondbacks got a run in the first inning on a double by Chris Young that scored Justin Upton, who drew a two-out walk and advanced to third on a Miguel Montero single.
Boesch is batting .337 with 36 RBI…Detroit finished 8-1 on its nine-game homestand…The Tigers improved to 9-3 against the NL this season…Detroit’s Magglio Ordonez doubled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games…The Diamondbacks snapped a franchise record 14-game road losing streak with Saturday’s 6-5 win…Kennedy is winless in his last six starts (0-3)…The Tigers optioned starting pitcher Rick Porcello to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday.