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Rodriguez powers Tigers past Cardinals

May 20, 2007 - 5:19 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- After posting just three hits in the World Series last season against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ivan Rodriguez is taking an opportunity to use this weekend as payback.

The Tigers scored six times in the first three innings, three on a home run by Rodriguez, en route to an 8-7 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday.

Carlos Guillen singled to center to score Curtis Granderson and Magglio Ordonez to stake the Tigers to an early 2-0 advantage in the first. Granderson bounced an RBI double over the fence in left in the second before Rodriguez pounded a blast off Cardinals starter Anthony Reyes (0-7) in the third to expand the lead to 6-0.

"We couldn't score any runs in Boston," Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge said. "It was a good thing that we came home to face the Cardinals. "They are the world champs and the team that beat us last fall. If that doesn't motivate you, nothing will."

"We scored runs early," Sheffield said. "But we had to keep playing. They are the champs. They are not going to quit."

The Cardinals countered with a run in each of the next two frames off Tigers starter Nate Robertson (4-3) as Yadier Molina roped a double to deep center to score Jim Edmonds in the fourth. He followed with an RBI single in the fifth to score Scott Spiezio and trim the deficit to 6-2.

St. Louis missed out on an opportunity to plate another run when Albert Pujols was thrown out trying to score on the play. Left fielder Craig Monroe fired a perfect one-hop throw to Rodriguez at home to retire the five-time All-Star slugger.

Robertson yielded two runs and six hits with four walks and three strikeouts over five frames.

"I felt good tonight," Robertson said. "I had good command and had three pitches working. I threw a lot of pitches (and) they made me battle all night.

"As a starter, you want to go at least six innings. I kept us in the game. It was a good win."

Reyes lasted 5 2/3 innings, surrendering season highs in runs (7) and hits (9) with two strikeouts.

The Cardinals continued the comeback in a two-run sixth off reliever Wilfredo Ledezma. Spiezio followed So Taguchi's RBI groundout with a run-scoring single to right to plate David Eckstein, cutting the Tigers lead to 6-4.

Rodriguez, who finished just a triple short of hitting for the cycle, answered with a double to start the seventh and scored on a sacrifice fly by Monroe one out later to establish a 7-4 advantage.

St. Louis responded with another run in the seventh as Eckstein grounded a single past first baseman Sean Casey to score Adam Kennedy and narrow the Cardinals deficit to 7-5. Detroit reliever Tim Byrdak was removed and Fernando Rodney was called upon to record the final out of the seventh but Taguchi was caught stealing by Rodriguez to end the frame.

Gary Sheffield belted a solo home run to left in the bottom half of the inning to regain the Tigers' three-run bulge at 8-5.

"The home run was good but the most important part was that it contributed to the win," Sheffield said.

Closer Todd Jones, the fifth pitcher of the contest for Detroit, surrendered a RBI single to Aaron Miles and a run-scoring ground-rule double to trim the Detroit lead to 8-7 before intentionally walking Pujols to load the bases.

Jones forced a flyout to Scott Rolen for his 14th save in 16 chances.

Spiezio posted four hits and Molina had two hits and two RBI for the Cardinals, who are on a four-game losing streak for the third time this season.