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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Dave Mlicki can feel the difference
in the Detroit Tigers -- in the clubhouse and on the field.
"Everybody's having fun," the right-hander said Tuesday after
beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 11-0 for his first win since May
20, when the Tigers were in the midst of a 18-31 start.
The latest victory, fueled by Dean Palmer's first multihomer
game in over a year, gave Detroit a season-high, five-game winning
streak and a 19-12 record since the beginning of June.
At 37-43 overall, they're as close to .500 as they've been since
April 23.
"It seems like everybody's having fun coming to the yard, which
is something different from the first couple of months," Mlicki
said. "It seems like everybody was pressing so much. Now
everybody's just going out there and doing their job."
Palmer hit a 442-foot solo homer off Cory Lidle (1-4) in the
third inning. He hit a 451-foot, three-run shot off a catwalk
supporting the roof at Tropicana Field in the ninth. Bobby
Higginson and Deivi Cruz also had three-run homers for the Tigers.
Mlicki (3-9), who had gone 0-4 in five starts since beating
Boston, scattered eight hits in seven innings. He struck out four,
walked none and only allowed two runners beyond first base. C.J. Nitkowski and Steve Sparks finished the nine-hitter.
"I feel like I've been throwing halfway decent," Mlicki said.
"Today was better, still not where I need to be, but it's an
improvement. Something we can work with."
Higginson hit his 17th homer off Lidle, giving Detroit a 3-0
lead just nine pitches in. Cruz finished the Tigers' four-run third
with his three-run homer off reliever Tanyon Sturtze.
The victory was the eighth in nine games for Detroit, which also
has won six in a row on the road. Tampa Bay has lost six of seven, including four straight, and
manager Larry Rothschild's frustration was apparent in brief
postgame comments.
"The only thing I have to say is it was an embarrassment all
the way around. It is my responsibility to get this team ready to
play and they were not ready to play today for whatever reason.
That is just not good enough," Rothschild said.
"I expect more things out of this team than what you saw today.
I could talk about the details of the game, but we just weren't
there. and there are no excuses. That is all there is to it."
Mlicki allowed two-out, ground singles to left in each of the
first four innings. The Devil Rays didn't get a runner past first
until Jose Guillen was stranded at third after he and Felix
Martinez singled to begin the fifth.
Eight different Tampa Bay batters singled off Mlicki, who in two
previous starts -- sandwiched around a pair of scoreless relief
appearances -- had allowed 14 runs and 18 hits in 4 2-3 innings.
Shane Halter caught the eighth inning for the Tigers and now has
played all nine positions in the majors. He's played eight
positions for Detroit and pitched for Kansas City in an 18-5 loss
to Seattle on July 17, 1998.
Game notes
Detroit's Juan Gonzalez (left foot strain) and Tony Clark
(back spasms) sat out for the second straight game. Both are day to
day. ... The Tigers have hit 38 homers in their last 18 games. ...
After going 15-11 in June for the best one-month record in
franchise history, the Devil Rays are 0-4 in July ... Rothschild
decided against activating Greg Vaughn (right hamstring strain)
from the disabled list. He's improving and wants to play, but
Rothschild doesn't want to rush his return. The next target date
for getting him back in the lineup is Friday at Florida.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 9
Toronto 4
Baltimore 7
NY Yankees 6
Detroit 11
Tampa Bay 0
Boston 14
Minnesota 4
Kansas City 10
Chi. White Sox 7
Texas 10
Oakland 7
Anaheim 7
Seattle 6
Philadelphia 7
Milwaukee 4
St. Louis 14
Cincinnati 3
Pittsburgh 10
Chicago Cubs 4
Florida 9
NY Mets 8
San Francisco 4
Colorado 1
San Francisco 3
Colorado 0
(2nd game)
Atlanta 7
Montreal 3
Arizona 10
Houston 4
San Diego 7
Los Angeles 2
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