Tigers rally from 3-run deficit to dump Angels

7/17/2012

DETROIT -- Brennan Boesch hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Detroit Tigers rallied for an 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

The Angels led 5-2 after a four-run fifth, but the Tigers chipped away, scoring two runs in the bottom of that inning and three more in the seventh. Delmon Young tied it with a sacrifice fly and Boesch followed with a homer off reliever LaTroy Hawkins (2-2) to make it 7-5.

Octavio Dotel (3-2) got the win in relief. Joaquin Benoit worked the eighth and Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 21 chances.

Torii Hunter had four hits and drove in three runs for Los Angeles, and Mark Trumbo hit his 25th homer of the season.

Quintin Berry had three hits for the Tigers.

The Angels got Albert Pujols to the plate as the tying run against Valverde in the ninth, but he flied out to center to end it.

Ervin Santana allowed four runs -- two earned -- in six innings, but the Angels couldn't hold on. Berry led off the Detroit seventh with a single off reliever Hisanori Takahashi. Hawkins came on and, after Berry stole second, got Miguel Cabrera to ground out.

Los Angeles walked Prince Fielder intentionally, but Berry stole third and was able to score on Young's flyball. Boesch's ninth homer of the year put the Tigers ahead.

Trumbo led off the eighth with a homer, but Berry's RBI single in the bottom half made it 8-6.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first when Austin Jackson reached on an error by shortstop Erick Aybar and eventually scored on Cabrera's groundout.

In the second, Trumbo hit a deep flyball that Jackson caught at the wall in left-center in perhaps the deepest part of spacious Comerica Park.

Hunter ended the bottom half with a terrific catch at the wall in right, robbing Berry of a potential extra-base hit and throwing back to first to double off Jackson.

Hunter tied it with an RBI double in the third.

The Tigers scored another unearned run in the fourth. With men on first and second, Boesch hit a comebacker and Hawkins threw wildly to second for an error, allowing Fielder to come around and score.

That lead was short-lived. Mike Trout tied it with an RBI single in the fifth, Hunter followed with a two-run double and Pujols made it 5-2 with a double of his own that brought home another run.

NOTES: Detroit OF Andy Dirks (right Achilles tendinitis) was in the clubhouse before the game and was upbeat about his progress. "I went down to Florida for a week, worked down there and it's showing signs of good improvement. I'm moving around pretty good. I can run on it pretty good, hitting's fine," he said. "This is the best it's felt in a long time, right now." ... Jackson has scored a run in 13 straight games.

Reds' Votto needs surgery, will miss 3-4 weeks

CINCINNATI -- Reds first baseman Joey Votto will have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, leaving the NL Central leaders without their best hitter for the next three to four weeks.

The 2010 National League MVP hurt the knee while sliding into third base June 29 in San Francisco, but has continued playing. A medical exam Monday night detected the tear and Votto will have arthroscopic surgery today. General manager Walt Jocketty said Votto didn't have an MRI earlier because the first baseman didn't think he needed one.