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GAME LOG
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Rob Fick got two chances Friday night -- one just to play, and one to give his team the win. He made good on both.
Fick, the Detroit Tigers' little-used backup catcher, hit a
three-run home run in the third inning that stood up for a 3-1
victory over the Kansas City Royals.
"I love playing here," said Fick, whose homer was only his
second of the season. "You can really see the ball well. I'm not
an everyday player, so when I get to play I need to make something
happen."
After Dan Reichert (3-5) walked Deivi Cruz and hit Luis Polonia
with one out in the third, Fick homered deep into the right-field
bullpen.
"I knew he had just walked a guy, I knew he had just hit a guy,
I knew he needed a ground ball, but I wasn't really thinking about
any of that," Fick said. "But being a catcher, I was thinking
that he needed to get ahead."
Jeff Weaver (5-6) took his shutout bid into the ninth inning but
gave way to Todd Jones after giving up consecutive singles to
Johnny Damon and pinch-hitter Mark Quinn. Jones gave up an RBI
single to Mike Sweeney, but got three outs for his league-leading
21st save in 22 opportunities.
"You always want your closer to have control of the ballgame in
the ninth inning," Tigers manager Phil Garner said. "But we had a
kid out there who was in complete control, who had a shutout going.
I'd have liked to have him finish that out -- but at the same time,
you hate not to get Jonesy in there to close the thing out."
Weaver gave up six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
"I'd rather have the ball put in play, even if it's a single,
than walk a guy," said Weaver, who has won four of his last five
decisions. "You walk a guy, especially in a leadoff situation, and
that's how things get started."
In 17 innings against the Royals this season, he has allowed 10
hits and two runs.
"He spotted every pitch he made tonight," Damon said. "He was
real effective with three or four pitches from different arm
angles. We thought we had a good chance against him, but he did his
homework against us again."
Reichert gave up three hits and three runs in six innings,
walking two and striking out five. Besides hitting Polonia, he also
threw two wild pitches.
His second wild pitch moved Bobby Higginson to third after his
leadoff double in the sixth, but Higginson was caught in a rundown
after Juan Gonzalez failed on a squeeze play.
Sweeney went 3-for-4 and had two of Kansas City's six hits
against Weaver. He doubled in the seventh inning and was thrown out
trying to stretch a single into a double in the first.
Game notes
Royals shortstop Rey Sanchez played his 53rd straight
errorless game, a club record. Greg Gagne set the previous mark in
1993. ... Weaver has not lost since June 14, an 8-1 defeat by
Toronto. ... The Tigers' Juan Encarnacion went 0-for-3, breaking an
eight-game hitting streak. ... The Royals announced the resignation
Friday of Terry Wetzel, their senior director of scouting. Wetzel
and new general manager Allard Baird both cited philosophical
differences but declined to be more specific.
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