Travel-Weary Orioles Routed 10-4 By Tigers
DETROIT (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles arrived in the wee hours of the morning for a chilly afternoon game that would be delayed by rain twice.
In other words, this had all the makings of an unpleasant day at the ballpark -- and sure enough, manager Buck Showalter's team was routed.
"Obviously, we were facing a lot of challenges today, including a few that I hope we don't have to face very often," Showalter said. "When you are playing on 3 1/2 hours of sleep, it makes it tough, but that's what happens when you are playing so many day games at this time of the year."
Miguel Cabrera capped a four-hit game by homering in the eighth inning for his 2,000th career hit, and the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 10-4 victory over the Orioles on Friday. Cabrera had three singles, and his two-run drive made him the ninth player to reach 2,000 hits before turning 31.
Rajai Davis and Torii Hunter also homered for the Tigers. Drew Smyly (1-0) relieved Anibal Sanchez after a fourth-inning rain delay and pitched three scoreless innings.
Miguel Gonzalez (0-1) allowed seven runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings.
Baltimore had to travel to Detroit after a night game at home Thursday. The Orioles looked fine while scoring two runs in the first against Sanchez, but Gonzalez couldn't hold the lead for long.
He allowed two doubles, a single and a walk and hit two batters in the second, allowing Detroit to score three runs. Rookie Nick Castellanos hit an RBI double and, after a run-scoring single by Ian Kinsler tied the game, the Tigers went ahead when Davis scored on a wild pitch.
"That was just a tough outing. The weather made it hard to grip the ball, but they had to pitch in the same weather that I did," Gonzalez said. "When you don't have control against that team, they get good counts and can get aggressive, and that makes them tough."
After singles by Castellanos and Andrew Romine to start the Detroit fourth, the game was delayed by rain with Davis batting. When play resumed, the Orioles left Gonzalez in.
"He was fine. He was throwing off and on, and it was only 30 minutes, so I wasn't worried at all," Showalter said. "I would have given him at least another 15-20 minutes before I would have been concerned."
But Gonzalez couldn't make it through the inning. Davis put Detroit ahead 6-2 with a three-run homer, and Gonzalez was pulled after allowing a solo shot to Hunter.
Cabrera's RBI single in the sixth added another Detroit run, and his first homer of the season made it 10-2.
"I never expected I was going to hit 1,000 hits," the 30-year-old slugger said after the game. "I never expect something personal. I expect to go out there and ... try to find a way to help my teammates."
Sanchez allowed two runs and two hits in four innings, walking three and striking out three. Smyly pitched out of a jam in the fifth when an unsuccessful replay challenge by the Tigers left men at first and second with no outs. The Orioles couldn't capitalize.
Chris Davis hit a two-run double in the first for Baltimore.
NOTES: The game was delayed 10 minutes at the start and 34 minutes in the fourth on a chilly day. The temperature at game time was 42 degrees. ... Orioles SS J.J. Hardy sat out because of light spasms in his lower back. ... Tigers LHP Ian Krol, acquired from Washington for Doug Fister in the offseason, made his Detroit debut with a scoreless eighth. Steve Lombardozzi, who also went to Detroit in that deal, was then traded to Baltimore shortly before the start of the season. He started at 2B for the Orioles on Friday and singled twice. ... Lombardozzi was called safe at second on a force play in the fifth when Romine, the shortstop, lost control of the ball. The call was upheld after a Detroit challenge. ... Detroit RHP Rick Porcello faces Baltimore RHP Bud Norris on Saturday.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)