Raburn's homer helps Tigers beat Nationals

6/15/2010

DETROIT — Slumping Ryan Raburn hit his first homer of the season and drove in four runs, leading the Detroit Tigers over the Washington Nationals 7-4 Tuesday night.

Raburn drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning, then hit a leadoff single that started a two-run fourth to make it 4-all. He hit a three-run homer in the fifth.

Raburn came into the game hitting .165. He started because center fielder Austin Jackson is day to day with back spasms.

Magglio Ordonez returned to the Detroit lineup and tied a career high with four hits. He had missed the Tigers' previous six games with a strain in his side.

Max Scherzer (3-6) struck out nine in six innings. He allowed three earned runs and seven hits.

Jose Valverde picked up his 14th save with a scoreless ninth.

John Lannan (2-4) took the loss, giving up six earned runs in 4 1-3 innings.

Nyjer Morgan manufactured the game's first run. With one out in the Nationals first, he reached on a bunt single, stole second, and continued to third on catcher Gerald Laird's throwing error and scored on Ryan Zimmerman's sacrifice fly to shallow right field.

The Nationals got two more runs in the third on RBI singles by Josh Willingham and ex-Tiger Ivan Rodriguez.

The Tigers made it 3-2 in the bottom half when Miguel Cabrera beat the throw home on a grounder to first.

Mike Morse hit a leadoff homer in the Nationals fourth. Detroit tied it in its half of the fourth when Ordonez hit an RBI double and later scored on Carlos Guillen's sacrifice fly.

Laird led off the fifth with a single and Danny Worth reached on second baseman Cristian Guzman's error before Raburn's first homer since October 4.