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Inge's three RBI carries Tigers past Blue Jays

Apr 13, 2007 - 4:45 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Brandon Inge and the Detroit Tigers continue to get it done on the road.

Inge drove in three runs as the Tigers won their third straight game, 5-4, over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of their four-game series.

Since 2006, the defending American League champion Tigers have put together the best record away from home at 54-34, including a 5-2 mark to start this season.

"I've always loved to take my team on the road," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "I want the whole world to see this team. I want everybody in baseball to see the Tigers play because I think we've got a good team. That doesn't mean it's easy - it's not. It's very difficult, but it doesn't bother me at all. I'm proud to take teams on the road. I always have been."

Inge opened the scoring in the third inning with his first homer of the season off Toronto starter Tomo Ohka (0-1) and capped a three-run fourth with an RBI single as Detroit grabbed a 4-0 lead.

"I just stuck with it. This game has so many ups and downs that I've learned over the years not to panic," Inge said. "I felt fine the whole time. I was seeing the ball well and hitting it on the sweet part of the bat. It's just one of those things that gets magnified when you start the season."

The 29-year-old Inge, who had just one base hit prior to Thursday's game, added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Sean Casey, pushing the Tigers' advantage to 5-2.

Detroit starter Mike Maroth (2-0) allowed two runs and nine hits in six innings for the win. The lefthander walked two and struck out two, improving to 4-3 all-time against the Blue Jays.

"(Maroth) knows how to pitch," Leyland said. "You have to know how to pitch with your stuff. He's got less chance to get by with mistakes than other guys because he doesn't throw as hard or have a great 12-to-6 curveball. He's a very, very good pitcher. He stays within himself and he knows the type of pitcher he is."

Gregg Zaun and Lyle Overbay plated runs in the eighth inning off Joel Zumaya as Toronto closed within 5-4. However, the hard-throwing Zumaya closed the door in the ninth, retiring three straight batters for his first save.

"I had the feeling that I was going to close the game," Zumaya said. "Leyland gave Todd Jones the day off. I told myself to go right after those guys and see what could happen. I wasn't joking around. I wasn't going to let my team down."

Ohka gave up five runs and eight hits in six frames.

"I gave up five runs," Ohka said. "I don't care if I pitch a bunch of innings or not. As long as the team gets a win that's the most important thing for me."

In the fourth inning, Toronto's John McDonald doubled to left and came around to score when Aaron Hill delivered a two-run homer.

"We had some chances, but it just didn't happen," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "It wasn't a real pretty game either and that didn't help."

Toronto third basemen Troy Glaus left after two frames with heel soreness and is listed as day-to-day.