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Tigers rout Rangers

Jun 8, 2011 - 6:39 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Austin Jackson knocked in three runs on three hits as the Detroit Tigers racked up a season-high 20 hits to take an 8-1 triumph over the Texas Rangers.

Casper Wells and Alex Avila both had a pair of doubles and ended with three hits apiece for Detroit, which has won four straight and eight of its last nine games.

"Ever since [the weather] started warming up, it seems like our bats kind of warmed up, too," said Wells. "The pitching's been there all year."

Tigers starter Rick Porcello (6-3) received his sixth win in seven decisions, allowing a run on six hits over six innings.

Ryan Raburn knocked in two runs while Victor Martinez finished 3-for-5 in the victory.

Josh Hamilton drove in the lone run for the Rangers, who had won five straight before dropping the first two games of this three-game series.

Matt Harrison (5-5) surrendered four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and struck out five in a four-inning start for Texas. He gave up all four runs in the fourth inning.

"I thought for the first three innings he was very good. In the fourth inning, he just hit a wall," said Rangers manager Ron Washington.

Martinez's double started the four-run fourth. He then moved to third on Avila's single and touched home on Raburn's liner to left field. After Danny Worth drew a walk to load the bases, Jackson laced a shot into right to plate both Avila and Raburn. Wells cap off the big inning with a double down the left line to bring Jackson home.

The Rangers got on the board in the sixth, which was started with Ian Kinsler's single. He stole second, moved to third on David Murphy's base hit and scored when Hamilton clipped a slow dribbler that Avila picked up and threw to first.

The visiting team, though, got that run back and one during the next inning. With two men on, Jhonny Peralta had an RBI single through the left side, and after Avila struck out, Raburn lined a two-out RBI shot into left to expand Detroit's lead to 6-1.

Miguel Cabrera added a bloop hit to center that scored Wells in the seventh and Jackson collected an RBI single in the ninth to make up the final score.

Game Notes

Detroit selected infielder Colin Kaline, grandson of Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline, in the 26th round of the draft on Tuesday...The Tigers took two of three from the Rangers earlier in the year...Detroit was 8-for-21 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base.