3-run 8th inning helps Tigers defeat Angels

Detroit Tigers' Jhonny Peralta hits a double in the eighth inning to drive in Prince Fielder and Andy Dirks against the Los Angeles Angels in a baseball game Saturday. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

DETROIT -- Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run double during a three-run eighth inning that sent the Detroit Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

The Tigers trailed 3-0 before scoring twice in the sixth and taking the lead in their last at-bat. With men on first and third, Peralta hit a line drive just fair down the left-field line off Garrett Richards (3-3). Alex Avila then added an RBI single.

Octavio Dotel (4-2) threw two scoreless innings for the win. Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances.

Vernon Wells homered for the Angels, who had won four straight.

Dan Haren, who threw two complete games against Detroit in July, 2011, went only 5⅔ innings in this one. He allowed two runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts.

Rookie Drew Smyly allowed one earned run and four hits in six innings for the Tigers in his return from a strained muscle in his right side. He struck out six and walked two.

Albert Pujols missed a third straight game for the Angels with a right calf injury. Miguel Cabrera was the designated hitter again for Detroit as he's been battling right ankle soreness.

Cabrera hit a drive to deep right-center leading off the eighth, but Torii Hunter was able to make the catch after nearly overrunning the ball from right field. Hunter also took away a potential extra-base hit from Cabrera with a running catch in the opposite direction in the fourth.

The Tigers kept swinging, though, and Prince Fielder and Andy Dirks both singled before Peralta's big hit.

Smyly was starting in place of Doug Fister, who has been bothered by tightness in his right groin. He allowed a third-inning solo homer to Wells and didn't get much help from his defense after that.

Second baseman Omar Infante threw away a routine grounder by Bobby Wilson for an error later in the third, and Wilson eventually scored on Howie Kendrick's single.

The following inning, Kendrys Morales lifted a deep fly ball to center. Austin Jackson was able to run it down, but he ended up dropping it for his first error since June 29, 2011. Erick Aybar followed with a double to drive in Morales.

Detroit chased Haren in the sixth with an RBI double by Delmon Young and a bloop single to left by Dirks that scored Young.

The Tigers missed a chance to score in the second when Fielder doubled to right but went sprawling past second base. He was tagged out, and Young followed with a double.