Tigers 4, Orioles 1
Rick Porcello tossed six stellar innings to lead visiting Detroit to victory in a series opener that featured a bench-clearing incident in the eighth.
Ian Kinsler smacked a two-run homer while Miguel Cabrera had an RBI single and scored for the Tigers, who were opening up a nine-game road trip. Porcello (6-1) allowed a run and five hits while striking out two to win his fifth straight start and defeat Baltimore for the second time this year.
Bud Norris (2-3) was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs and striking out a season high-tying seven before being ejected with two outs in the eighth. Norris hit Torii Hunter with a pitch after serving up the home run by Kinsler that made it 4-1, prompting the benches and bullpens to empty, although no punches were thrown.
J.J. Hardy singled and scored on Steve Clevenger's double in the second to put Baltimore on top, but the Tigers claimed a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Kinsler walked, stole second and came home on Cabrera's base hit before Victor Martinez's double put Cabrera in position to race home on Austin Jackson's sacrifice fly to center.
Porcello stranded a single runner in the fourth and fifth innings before retiring the side in order in the sixth and giving way to Ian Krol, who worked around Clevenger's leadoff double in the seventh. Joe Nathan tossed a perfect ninth for his eighth save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Porcello is 16-6 with a 3.06 ERA in 28 career starts in May. ... Clevenger recorded three of Baltimore's six hits. ... The start of the game was delayed for 35 minutes due to rain.