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Sanchez shines as Tigers sweep Rockies

Aug 3, 2014 - 10:33 PM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Anibal Sanchez tossed seven scoreless innings and Victor Martinez added a three-run home run in support, as the Detroit Tigers finished a three-game series sweep over the Colorado Rockies with a 4-0 win.

Sanchez (8-5) allowed only two hits and no walks, while striking out a season- high 12 batters, improving his record to 4-0 against the Rockies in five career starts.

"He used his fastball perfectly," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He threw it in, he threw it out and as a result, all of his other pitches were much more effective."

Miguel Cabrera went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Tigers, who have won four of their last five and swept the Rockies for the first time since 2008.

Jorge De La Rosa (11-7), who lost for the first time in eight starts, was solid on the mound, but was tagged for four runs in the third inning. Colorado has now dropped seven of its last eight games.

With two outs in the third, Rajai Davis doubled to center before Ian Kinsler took first after being hit by a pitch. Cabrera knocked one in with a single. Next up, Martinez smacked one over the wall in left to put the Tigers up 4-0.

"That was the one blemish, I felt like, for Jorge," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He threw well, but they put together a big inning on him in the third."

The Tigers threatened to tack on more runs in the fifth. Kinsler and Cabrera hit back-to-back singles, putting Martinez at the plate with two on and two out again, but he flied out to right to end the inning.

Joba Chamberlain took over pitching duties for Detroit in the eighth. He gave up a lead-off single to Wilin Rosario, but struck out Brandon Barnes and DJ LeMahieu before getting Corey Dickerson to ground out.

Josh Rutledge singled to open the ninth, but Joakim Soria induced three straight fly outs to preserve the shutout.

Game Notes

Rosario was the only player to bat and not strike out for Colorado ... With 6 2/3 innings pitched, De La Rosa became the sixth pitcher in Rockies history to pitch at least 800 innings with the club ... Drew Stubbs stole second base in the top of the seventh for his 13th stolen base of the season, while Davis stole second in the bottom of the seventh for his 26th ... The Tigers begin a nine-game road trip on Monday, starting with a four-game series against the Yankees ... The Rockies begin a three-game set at home with the Cubs on Tuesday.