Avila helps Tigers slam Washington

Sanchez remains sharp, earns win

Detroit’s Alex Avila, center, is congratulated after his grand slam by Prince Fielder, left, and Ramon Santiago in the sixth inning.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Detroit’s Alex Avila, center, is congratulated after his grand slam by Prince Fielder, left, and Ramon Santiago in the sixth inning.

DETROIT — Alex Avila took advantage of a rare mistake from Stephen Strasburg.

Avila hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the sixth inning on a Strasburg fastball right over the plate, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

“When you’re facing a guy like Strasburg, you may get one pitch all game to do something,” Avila said.

Anibal Sanchez (9-7) gave up one run, five hits, and two walks over seven innings for Detroit. Jose Veras, a day after being acquired from Houston, was perfect in the eighth in his Tigers debut. Joaquin Benoit, who will keep his job as the team’s closer, gave up one hit in the ninth inning.

Sanchez, who has given up two earned runs combined in his last three starts, isn’t ready to say he’s in a groove.

“I need to keep working on my command,” he said. “My first pitch for a strike is not there yet and I need that.”

Strasburg (5-9) allowed five runs, six hits and three walks while striking out seven over seven innings. Strasburg is winless in his last four starts and has given up at least four earned runs in three of his last five outings.

“I thought he pitched great,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. “He just made one mistake and Avila crushed it. Until that inning, the way he was cruising, I thought we might get nine innings out of him.”

The AL Central-leading Tigers have won four straight and eight of nine to move 15 games over .500 for the first time this season.

Washington started strong, scoring a run on three hits in the first against Sanchez. Bryce Harper led off with a triple and scored on Ryan Zimmerman’s single. Then, the Nationals couldn’t get much else going offensively.

“We’re not swinging the bats that badly, but we never seem to score for Stephen,” Johnson said. “I can’t explain that.”

Relief pitcher Jose Veras made his debut with Detroit in the eighth inning against Washington and retired all three batters. Veras was acquired from Houston this week.

The Nationals have scored a combined total of nine runs in Strasburg’s last four outings.

Miguel Cabrera faced Strasburg for the first time in the regular season with two outs and a runner on base in the first and he hit a 2-0 pitch sharply up the middle for a single, but was stranded when Victor Martinez hit an inning-ending flyout.

Cabrera later, trying to field a grounder in the fifth inning, appeared to aggravate the left hip injury that had recently knocked him out of the lineup, but he stayed in the game.

“It bothered him a little bit,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Andy Dirks hit a game-tying double in the fourth inning and if a fan, sitting in the front row along the third-base line, didn’t field the ball with his glove, the Tigers might’ve gone ahead. Jhonny Peralta was sent back to third base after scoring, and Avila ended the inning with a flyout.

The catcher made up for the missed opportunity a few innings later, sending Strasburg’s 2-1 pitch soaring deep into the right-field seats to give the a four-run lead.

“I pitched well, minus one pitch,” Strasburg said. “That was supposed to be a fastball away, but it came back over the plate and he put a good swing on it.”

NOTES: Johnson said pitching coach Steve McCatty, a Detroit native, was still in a hospital, two days after he was taken there to treat an irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure. He is expected to be released today. “Just being really careful with him,” Johnson said. ... Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski said he didn’t anticipate making another trade before today’s non-waiver deadline. ... Johnson said he doesn’t expect the Nationals to make a trade before the nonwaiver deadline. ... Detroit RHP Justin Verlander (10-8) is scheduled to start against Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (7-3) today in the series finale. ... The Nationals, who swept a two-game series against Detroit at home in May, fell to 0-4 at Comerica Park. ... Detroit had a grand slam in its last game with Peralta clearing the bases in a 12-4 win that finished off a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

FANS DEATHS: Police have recovered a vehicle believed to have been involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed two men well-known among many Detroit Tigers fans.

Detroit police say the 2003 white Cadillac towed Tuesday isn’t the primary car in the crash near Eastern Market on the city’s east side.

James Van Horn and Michael Alston were killed about 2:30 a.m. Saturday while crossing Gratiot at Russell. Their bodies were found in the roadway.

Police still are seeking a dark-colored Dodge Avenger. Van Horn, 66, and Alston, 55, were well-known outside Comerica Park during Tigers baseball games.