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Astros win in Detroit for first time since 2000

May 15, 2013 - 10:17 PM Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Carlos Corporan doubled in the go-ahead run during the top of the ninth inning to give the Houston Astros a much-needed 7- 5 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game set from Comerica Park.

Corporan also had a solo home run as part of a 2-for-3 performance, with J.D. Martinez adding a three-run blast to help the Astros halt a six-game skid and pick up their first win in seven matchups with Detroit this season.

The triumph was Houston's first at Comerica Park since July 14, 2000.

Hector Ambriz (1-2) recorded the final out of the eighth to notch the win, with Jose Veras working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to register his fifth save of the year.

Avisail Garcia slugged his first major league homer, a three-run shot in the second inning, for Detroit, while Matt Tuiasosopo finished 3-for-3 with an RBI single in the setback.

Tigers starter Max Scherzer allowed five runs while striking out seven in a seven-inning no-decision. Al Alburquerque (0-1) was hung with the loss after permitting the eventual winning run to reach in the ninth.

Alburquerque walked Martinez on five pitches to begin the final inning, prompting Tigers manager Jim Leyland to summon Phil Coke out of the pen. Corporan then drove the lefty's first pitch into the gap in left center to bring home pinch-runner Brandon Barnes and break a 5-5 tie.

"One [pitch] gets away from me and he gets the barrel on it," said Coke of Corporan's double. "I tip my cap to him for hitting a mistake pitch."

The Astros got some additional insurance when Trevor Crowe, running for Corporan, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before crossing the plate on a Matt Dominguez sac fly.

Veras made it quite interesting during Detroit's final at-bat, however, by walking a pair of hitters and hitting Torii Hunter with a pitch to fill the sacks and bring the dangerous Miguel Cabrera to the plate with two out.

"I've been on the other side with him for many of those shots," said Astros manager Bo Porter, a former coach for part of Cabrera's tenure with the Florida Marlins. "It's one of those things where you see him walking up there, you say to yourself, 'Oh boy, this is a tough situation to be in'. But Veras made a good pitch, Cabrera put a good swing on it and Barnes-ey made an even better play."

The reigning American League Triple Crown winner launched a pitch deep to right center, with Barnes making the catch just inches shy of the wall to enable Houston to prevail.

Scherzer had yielded just one hit -- Corporan's homer in the second -- through the first three innings, but faltered in the fourth as the Astros overcame a 4-1 deficit.

Jake Elmore started the rally with a leadoff double in front of Carlos Pena's RBI single and a walk to Chris Carter. That brought up Martinez, who crushed Scherzer's hanging slider well into the seats to put the Astros on top by a 5-4 count.

Scherzer settled down thereafter, and the Tigers drew even with an unearned run in the sixth.

With two out, Houston shortstop Marwin Gonzalez booted a grounder off the bat of Victor Martinez to extend the inning, and Jhonny Peralta and Tuiasosopo came through with consecutive base hits to tie the game and chase Astros starter Dallas Keuchel.

Corporan's solo homer in the top of the second gave Houston a 1-0 edge, but the Tigers answered with a four-run bottom of the frame highlighted by Garcia's monster shot that cleared the Astros' bullpen in left-center field.

Keuchel had retired the first two hitters of the inning before walking Peralta. Tuiasosopo and Brayan Pena followed with back-to-back singles to forge a 1-1 tie and set the stage for Garcia's first big league homer.

Keuchel was charged with five runs -- four earned -- allowed on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings of work.

Game Notes

Houston had lost in six straight visits to Comerica and had been outscored 50-12 in its six previous meetings with Detroit this season ... Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder had a string of 24 consecutive games reaching base safely at home end after going 0-for-4 ... Carlos Pena's RBI single extended his hit streak to five games ... Elmore ended 2-for-4 in his second game filling in for regular second baseman Jose Altuve, who was placed on the bereavement list by Houston on Tuesday.