Tigers beat Dodgers 6-2, avoid three-game sweep with home runs from Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera

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With a few mighty swings of the bat, some early and some late, and a strong outing by Rick Porcello, the Detroit Tigers were able to give the Dodgers a 6-2 loss at Dodger Stadium Sunday.

It was just the Dodgers’ second loss in the last 14 games, and it denied them a sweep in the first interleague series for both teams.

Porcello allowed two runs over six innings, but his biggest moment came in the sixth inning when he got Manny Ramirez, who was pinch-hitting for Hiroki Kuroda, to ground out with the bases loaded and two outs.

That said, Porcello took some shots too, such as three line drive that went right back at him.

Kuroda (5-2) pitched six innings and gave up six hits and three runs, all in the first inning. The first was an RBI single up the middle by Magglio Ordonez that scored Johnny Damon. The next two came on a home run to left field by Miguel Cabrera, which gave Carbrera 32 RBI on the road, the most in the Majors.

The Dodgers got back in the game in the fifth inning when Xavier Paul singled to left, scoring Blake DeWitt and Jamey Carroll. The script seemed to call for Ramirez’ heroics in the sixth inning, but his ground-out ended that threat -- and the Tigers added three insurance runs late, the first of which was Ordonez’ solo homer in the eighth inning.

The Dodgers’ record in the month of May fell to 16-5, still the best in the Majors, and the team now departs to Chicago where on Tuesday it starts a 16-games-in-16-days grind.
--Baxter Holmes