Tigers 5, Rangers 2
Miguel Cabrera doubled in the go-ahead run and later homered, and Doug Fister pitched 7 1/3 solid innings as the Detroit Tigers posted a 5-2 victory over the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday for their first win of the American League Championship Series.
Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta also hit solo homers as Detroit cut the series lead to 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday in Detroit.
Fister (1-0) allowed two runs on seven hits and stymied the Rangers after giving up three consecutive singles to start the game. Joaquin Benoit notched the final two outs of the eighth and Jose Valverde worked the ninth for his third save of the postseason.
Austin Jackson and Ramon Santiago hit back-to-back, two-out singles off Colby Lewis (0-1) in the fifth before Cabrera slammed a double to right field to score Jackson and give the Tigers a 2-1 advantage.
Peralta led off the sixth with his homer and Jackson had a run-scoring single later in the frame for his third hit of the contest. Cabrera smashed his homer in the seventh.
Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton strung together the three first-inning hits for Texas. Kinsler’s infield out in the eighth drove in the Rangers’ other run.
Lewis gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings while suffering his first career postseason loss after four straight victories.