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Kinsler fuels Tigers past Orioles

May 13, 2014 - 4:52 AM Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) - Ian Kinsler's two-run homer helped propel the Detroit Tigers past the Baltimore Orioles, 4-1, in the opener of a three- game set.

Kinsler finished the night 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson both knocked in a run and Victor Martinez supplied two hits for the Tigers, who have won two of their last three.

Rick Porcello (6-1) won his fifth straight start after allowing just one run on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks across six innings.

Steve Clevenger contributed three hits -- two of which were doubles -- and an RBI for the Orioles, who have dropped two straight after winning five in a row.

"We just didn't score any runs," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "One run on a ball that was close to being caught, otherwise they pitch a shutout."

Baltimore starter Bud Norris (2-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up all four runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 frames.

The O's got on the board first in the second. J.J. Hardy singled on a line drive to right and came home on Clevenger's fly ball that landed at the warning track in left for an RBI double.

The Tigers took the lead in the fourth. Kinsler walked, stole second and advanced to third on Torii Hunter's lineout. Cabrera's line-drive single to center brought home Kinsler.

Martinez followed him up with a double to center to place men on second and third with one out. Jackson's flyout brought in Cabrera to give the Tigers the lead.

Clevenger led off the bottom of the seventh with a double off the center field wall and moved up to third on Jonathan Schoop's groundout, but he was left stranded after Nick Markakis flied out to center.

Norris stayed in the game to pitch the eighth. He issued a walk to Alex Avila to lead off the inning, and two batters later, Kinsler added two insurance runs for the Tigers with a shot to left. The benches cleared after Norris hit Hunter with a pitch. The two exchanged words as Hunter made his way to first, and after continued shouting, Norris was ejected.

"Even if (Norris) didn't try to do it, it still looks fishy," Hunter said of being plunked right after Kinsler's home run.

After Al Alburquerque pitched a scoreless eighth, Joe Nathan took the mound in the ninth for Detroit and needed just six pitches to earn his eighth save of the season.

Game Notes

The game's start time was delayed by 35 minutes due to rain ... Porcello tied his career-long winning streak that was set from July 5 to August 15, 2013 ... Detroit has won three of four games against Baltimore this season ... Markakis' 18-game hit streak came to an end. He was one game shy of tying his career-long streak.