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Rangers try to tame Tigers in Arlington

Aug 10, 2012 - 2:56 PM (Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers have to leave the friendly confines of Comerica Park and will begin a six-game road trip tonight, starting with the first of three straight matchups with the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

The Tigers had won six in a row until losing the last two meetings of a four- game series versus the New York Yankees, and went 5-2 on the residency. After having the winning streak stopped with a 12-8 loss on Wednesday, the Tigers suffered a 4-3 setback yesterday afternoon when the Yankees scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning on home runs by Mark Teixeira and Eric Chavez.

Detroit reliever Joaquin Benoit served up the home runs and was slapped with the loss. The effort ruined a nice day for Tigers starter Doug Fister, who held New York to a pair of runs in 6 1/3 innings.

"It's frustrating to get a loss any day, but on the bright side we fought through it the whole time," Fister said. "Guys are playing together, guys are swinging the bats, playing defense. It just didn't fall our way today."

Alex Avila homered, Andy Dirks had two hits and an RBI and Omar Infante finished 3-for-4 for the Tigers, who are one game behind the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central lead and went 16-3 in the past 19 home games.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera had a hit and is still one home run shy of 30 for a fifth straight season. Cabrera would become the first player in franchise history to hit at least 30 home runs in five straight seasons.

Detroit will also visit Minnesota on the road swing and has dropped five of seven games as the guest.

The Tigers are slated to send Max Scherzer to the mound Friday. He is making his first start at the Ballpark in Arlington since Game 6 of the ALCS and is 0-1 in his previous two starts since going 4-0 in five trips to the hill. Scherzer has allowed nine runs in his past two outings, with nine strikeouts in each, and gave up four runs on 10 hits in five innings of a 10-8 win over Cleveland on Sunday.

Scherzer remained at 10-6 on the season in 22 starts and his earned run average grew slightly to 4.72. The right-hander hopes to stay unbeaten in the regular season against the Rangers as evidenced by his 3-0 mark and 3.41 ERA in six starts. He was rocked for nine runs on 11 hits in 8 1/3 innings last October at Texas.

The American League West-leading Rangers are back home after going 4-2 on a six-game road trip at Kansas City and Boston. They won two of three meetings with the Red Sox at Fenway Park and recorded a 10-9 win Wednesday thanks to Adrian Beltre's go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning.

Elvis Andrus scored the winning run and finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Geovany Soto and Mitch Moreland all homered. Hamilton posted three hits and four RBI for Texas, which is 5 1/2 games in front of Oakland in the division standings.

"He's started to swing a little bit better," Andrus said of Hamilton.

Matt Harrison was bailed out by the bullpen and allowed five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Roy Oswalt did no better by giving up four runs in 1 1/3 frames, but Alexi Ogando tossed two scoreless innings of relief and Joe Nathan shut the door in the ninth for his 23rd save.

Texas has won six of its last eight games and is 12-3-2 in its last 17 series. It is 20 games above .500 for the fifth time this season.

Scott Feldman will try to keep his unbeaten streak alive when he takes the ball for the Rangers tonight and has won four straight starts and six decisions in a row. He threw 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a 4-2 win at Kansas City on Saturday to improve to 6-6 with a 4.52 ERA in 19 games (16 starts) this season.

Feldman, a right-hander, is winless (0-2) in 10 career games (4 starts) with an 8.54 ERA in the regular season against the Tigers.

The Rangers have won five of seven encounters with the Tigers this season.