Rangers 9, Tigers 2
Chris Gimenez had a career-best four hits and Yu Darvish cruised through seven innings as visiting Texas routed Detroit in the opener of a four-game series.
Shin-Soo Choo belted a two-run homer while Adrian Beltre and Michael Choice also drove in two runs apiece for the Rangers. Texas first baseman Prince Fielder wasn’t available to face the team that traded him in the offseason and it was announced after the game he would undergo season-ending surgery on a herniated disk in his neck.
Darvish (4-2) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings while improving to 5-0 against the Tigers. Texas staked the right-hander to a 9-0 lead and racked up 14 hits in the convincing victory.
Alex Rios had a run-scoring double and scored on a single by Gimenez as Texas began its splurge with two second-inning runs off Robbie Ray (1-1). Beltre stroked a two-run double as part of a three-run third as the Rangers increased the lead to 5-0.
Choo hit a two-run blast over the left-center field fence in the fourth and Choice drilled a two-run single later in the inning. Detroit lost its fourth consecutive game and got on the board in the sixth when Miguel Cabrera slammed a run-scoring double and scored on a single by Don Kelly.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Rangers CF Daniel Robertson left in the third inning with a facial injury and was taken to a local hospital after taking a knee in the face from Rios as both players made sliding attempts to catch a ball hit by Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler. … Ray allowed seven runs, nine hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings. … Tigers INF Danny Worth pitched the ninth and gave up one hit and struck out two while showing off a knuckleball.