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Ray, Cabrera lead Tigers to seventh straight win

May 7, 2014 - 4:58 AM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Robbie Ray pitched into the sixth inning in his major league debut and Miguel Cabrera went 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBI, as the Detroit Tigers posted their seventh straight win, 11-4, over the Houston Astros.

Ray (1-0), who had his contract purchased from Triple A Toledo before Tuesday's game, allowed five hits and a run over 5 1/3 innings. He also had five strikeouts before departing after throwing 86 pitches, 55 for strikes.

"He pitched very well. I think part of it was expected. I thought his curveball started out not great, but came around nicely," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

Ian Kinsler finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, part of a season-high 18-hit attack. Danny Worth drove in three runs in the second installment of this four-game series.

Torii Hunter continued his torrid pace at the plate by going 2-for-4 and knocked in a run Hunter is batting .421 (24-for-57) during a 13-game hitting streak.

Brett Oberholtzer (0-6) lost his 10th straight decision going back to last season. The lefty, who yielded nine hits and four runs over six innings, hasn't won since Sept. 1 against Seattle in his only career shutout.

"The Tigers can hit," said Oberholtzer. "The mindset I had was just to take it one pitch at a time. I'm really trying to stay away from the big innings."

Rookie George Springer had the first three-hit game of his career and knocked in a run for the Astros, losers of four in a row.

Hunter doubled in the first inning, but was then caught trying to steal third. Cabrera followed with a homer to left-center.

Detroit filled the bases with singles from Alex Avila, Worth and Kinsler in the third before Hunter lifted a sacrifice fly to center. Victor Martinez lined a single to left later in the frame to plate Worth, who tacked on a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 4-0 lead.

Ray worked out of a 1st-and-3rd jam in the opening inning by fanning two batters in recording three straight outs. He gave up only one hit over the next four innings. Dexter Fowler and Jason Castro singled in the sixth and the Astros scored when second baseman Kinsler dropped a pop-up in shallow right field. Chris Carter was credited with an RBI because Castro was out at second.

Evan Reed entered the game in relief for the Tigers and promptly got Jesus Guzman to ground into a double play.

Cabrera added an RBI single in the seventh, and J.D. Martinez tacked on a sac fly later in the frame for a 6-1 advantage.

Worth singled to left to drive in a pair during a five-run eighth. Cabrera added a two-run double and J.D. Martinez an RBI single, all off Josh Fields, who was charged with six hits and five runs in only two-thirds of an inning.

Springer's double to left scored Carter in the ninth. Matt Dominguez added an RBI single and Springer scored when L.J. Hoes beat out a potential double-play grounder. Justin Miller, who started the ninth inning, finished the game by striking out pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez.

Game Notes

Ray was in the Washington Nationals organization before the Tigers sent pitcher Doug Fister to the National League in exchange for Ray, Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi in December. He departed Triple A Toledo ranked fourth in the International League with a 1.53 ERA ... Houston second baseman Jose Altuve, who turned 24 Tuesday, made a diving catch on a ball hit up the middle from Cabrera in the third inning. Altuve has not made an error in his last 68 games ... Detroit has won nine of the last 10 meetings.