D-Backs rally to overtake Tigers

5/17/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Miguel-Cabrera-Magglio-Ordonez

    Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, top, high-fives Magglio Ordonez after homering in the third inning against Arizona.

    Matt York / AP

  • Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, top, high-fives Magglio Ordonez after homering in the third inning against Arizona.
    Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, top, high-fives Magglio Ordonez after homering in the third inning against Arizona.

    PHOENIX - Eric Byrnes broke out of a monthlong slump with a homer and two RBIs, Dan Haren pitched seven innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied past the slumping Detroit Tigers 4-3 last night.

    Haren (5-2) scattered six hits and allowed three runs for the Diamondbacks, who came back from a 3-1 deficit with three runs in the seventh en route to their fourth straight victory. They scored the go-ahead run on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Carlos Guillen.

    Haren struck out four and did not walk a batter for the second time this season, handing Detroit its fifth straight defeat.

    Juan Cruz struck out the side in the eighth and Tony Pena pitched the ninth for his fourth career save in his first opportunity of the season.

    Miguel Cabrera hit his seventh home run and Magglio Ordonez had three singles for the Tigers.

    Justin Upton and Chris Snyder walked to start the seventh against Jeremy Bonderman, who allowed just three hits in six-plus innings before tiring and giving way to Zach Miner (1-3).

    Byrnes, mired in a 6-for-62 slump entering the game and benched after an 0-for-8 start to the homestand, greeted Miner with a sharp single to left, scoring Upton to cut the Tigers' lead to 3-2.

    Snyder was thrown out at third on Augie Ojeda's bunt and Miner struck out pinch-hitter Miguel Montero before Chris Young singled to left-center, scoring Byrnes to tie the game at 3.


    Bobby Seay came on for Miner and got Stephen Drew to hit a grounder to third, but Guillen's throw to first was low and wide and skipped past Cabrera for an error, allowing Ojeda to score for a 4-3 Arizona lead.

    The Tigers scratched out a run in the third on consecutive singles by Edgar Renteria and Ivan Rodriguez, a sacrifice bunt and Curtis Granderson's sacrifice fly to center.

    Detroit extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Ordonez singled with one out and Cabrera followed with his home run into the left-field stands, his first RBIs in 13 games.

    Byrnes homered with two outs in the fifth to make it 3-1.

    NOTES: The Diamondbacks' regular closer, Brandon Lyon, stayed in the bullpen after pitching the past three days. ... Upton's seventh-inning walk came after his foul popup down the left-field line fell untouched with three Detroit players within a foot of the ball. ... Byrnes' home run was his first since April 21. ... Cabrera's homer was his first since May 1 at Yankee Stadium. ... Gary Sheffield's move to designated hitter was interrupted after just one game, courtesy of the DH-less National League. Sheffield, who has battled a sore right shoulder all season, started in left field for Detroit and played six innings before taking the rest of the night off. ... Upton threw out Ordonez at second base when he tried stretching a single into a double.