Tigers 5, Orioles 1
Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer and Max Scherzer became the American League’s first 10-game winner as host Detroit defeated Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series.
Omar Infante went 4-for-4 and Cabrera and Austin Jackson added three hits apiece. The Tigers racked up 14 overall while winning for the eighth time in 11 games.
Scherzer (10-0) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings while
recording the 15th double-digit strikeout performance of his career.
George Mullin (11-0 in 1909) and reliever Aurelio Lopez (1984) are the
only other Detroit pitchers to start a season with at least 10 consecutive
victories.
Cabrera’s first-inning blast off Jake Arrieta (1-2) gave Detroit the early lead and Baltimore’s Chris Davis hit his 24th homer of the season in the second. Jackson singled in a run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-1.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth with Victor Martinez plating one run on a sacrifice fly and Jhonny Peralta knocking in the other with a single to right. Drew Smyly pitched three innings of perfect relief for his second save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Scherzer has struck out 10 or more batters nine times since the start of the 2012 season, second in the majors behind Texas ace Yu Darvish (13). … Arrieta allowed five runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. … Detroit placed RHP Anibal Sanchez (shoulder) and C Alex Avila (forearm) on the disabled list and recalled OF Avisail Garcia and C Bryan Holaday from Triple-A Toledo.