DETROIT 6, TEXAS 2

DETROIT -- Willie Blair scattered five hits over seven innings to
win his seventh straight home start and Damion Easley homered and
drove in three runs, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 6-2 victory
over the Texas Rangers. Blair (16-6) was touched for a two-run
homer by Ivan Rodriguez in the fifth but also walked just two and
tied a season-high with seven strikeouts. The right-hander is 2-0
in three starts against the Rangers this season. Bobby Witt
(11-10) Witt lasted 6 1/3 innings and was tagged for all six runs
and six hits. He also walked four and struck out three as he fell
to 1-6 in his last 11 starts.


DETROIT TIGERS 6, Texas Rangers 2

TEXAS                  ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
T Goodwin cf            3  1  0  0   1  1   2  .261
I Rodriguez c           4  1  2  2   0  0   0  .313
Greer lf                3  0  0  0   1  0   0  .323
J Gonzalez rf           4  0  0  0   0  1   3  .293
L Stevens 1b            4  0  1  0   0  3   0  .290
Leyritz dh              4  0  0  0   0  1   1  .275
D Cedeno 2b             4  0  1  0   0  1   1  .282
Tatis 3b                3  0  0  0   0  0   0  .239
Gil ss                  3  0  1  0   0  2   1  .221

Totals                 32  2  5  2   2  9   8

BATTING: 2B - D Cedeno (13, Blair). HR - I Rodriguez (16, 5th
inning off Blair 1 on, 2 out). RBI - I Rodriguez 2 (64). 2-out
RBI - I Rodriguez 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - J
Gonzalez 2, T Goodwin 1.  Team LOB - 5.

FIELDING: E - Witt (1, bobble); Tatis (6, throw).

DETROIT                ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
B L Hunter cf           3  1  1  1   1  0   0  .270
Easley 2b               3  2  3  3   0  0   0  .264
Higginson rf-lf         4  0  1  0   0  0   1  .299
To Clark 1b             2  0  0  0   2  1   0  .278
Fryman 3b               3  1  1  1   0  0   3  .271
Hamelin dh              4  0  1  1   0  0   2  .286
Trammell lf             3  0  0  0   0  1   1  .233
 J Encarnacion rf       1  0  0  0   0  1   0  .214
Casanova c              2  1  0  0   2  0   0  .243
D Cruz ss               3  1  0  0   0  2   2  .242

Totals                 28  6  7  6   5  5   9

BATTING: 2B - Fryman (23, Witt); Hamelin (15, Witt); Higginson
(27, Gunderson). HR - Easley (20, 1st inning off Witt 1 on, 0
out). S - D Cruz. SF - Easley, Fryman. RBI - Easley 3 (61),
Hamelin (49), B L Hunter (42), Fryman (92). 2-out RBI - Hamelin.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - Trammell 1, Fryman 1,
Hamelin 1.  Team LOB - 6.

BASERUNNING: CS - B L Hunter (17, 2nd base by Witt/I Rodriguez).

--------------------------------------------------
    Texas          - 000 020 000  --  2
    Detroit        - 320 000 10X  --  6

--------------------------------------------------

TEXAS                   ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Witt (L, 11-10)          6 1/3   6   6   5   4   3   1   4.45
Gunderson                0       1   0   0   1   0   0   3.00
Whiteside                1 2/3   0   0   0   0   2   0   5.05

DETROIT                 ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
Blair (W, 16-6)          7       5   2   2   2   7   1   3.96
D Brocail                1       0   0   0   0   0   0   3.15
Miceli                   1       0   0   0   0   2   0   5.35

Gunderson pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.

WP - Witt. IBB - To Clark 2 (by Witt,  (by Gunderson).
Pitches-strikes: Blair 110-76; D Brocail 8-5; Miceli 10-8; Witt
98-58; Gunderson 8-1; Whiteside 26-18.  Ground balls-fly balls:
Blair 6-8; D Brocail 1-2; Miceli 1-0; Witt 7-8; Gunderson 0-0;
Whiteside 1-2.  Batters faced: Blair 28; D Brocail 3; Miceli 3;
Witt 29; Gunderson 2; Whiteside 5.

UMPIRES: HP--Mike Reilly. 1B--Larry Young. 2B--Brian O'Nora.
3B--Dale Ford.
T--2:34.  Att--15,765.

–ß‚é