• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Byrd homers twice as Rangers rout Tigers

Sep 11, 2007 - 9:20 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- The Detroit Tigers are playing for their playoff lives, but one would think it's the Texas Rangers who are in a pennant race.

Marlon Byrd hit two home runs and Vicente Padilla pitched six scoreless innings as the Rangers blasted the Tigers, 13-6, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Tuesday.

Winners of six straight and 13 of 15, Texas' playoff hopes ended long ago.

But that didn't stop the Rangers from belting seven home runs against the defending American League champions.

"It's a fact of life," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "If you don't pitch, you don't win. We got bombed, we gave ourselves no chance to win."

With the loss, Detroit (78-67) fell four games behind the wild card-leading New York Yankees (81-62) and 6 1/2 back of the first-place Cleveland (84-60) in the AL Central. All three teams play later Tuesday.

In improving to 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four career starts against Detroit, Padilla (6-9) allowed three hits and three walks while striking out six in the 99-pitch effort.

"We don't like doubleheaders," said Texas manager Ron Washington, referring to the fact that two games in one day can tax a bullpen. "Padilla did a great job. Once again he worked off his fastball and it made everything else look good."

The righthander received plenty of run support, as the Texas lineup got to starter Chad Durbin (8-7) right away.

Jason Botts' two-out RBI single in the first and David Murphy's second home run of the season in the second gave set the tone for Texas.

Things got no better for Durbin in the third, when he hit Ian Kinsler with a pitch to start the frame and, after recording one out, allowed Byrd's eighth home run of the year - a career best for the center fielder.

A two-out double by Hank Blalock later in the inning spelled the end for Durbin. Detroit reliever Tim Byrdak eventually ended the frame, but not before throwing a wild pitch that plated Texas' fifth run of the game.

Durbin, who has split time between the starting rotation and bullpen this season, allowed five runs - four earned - and six hits in 2 2/3 innings.

"I had a good game plan, but just didn't execute," Durbin said. "I was up in the zone all day and couldn't get the big out when I needed it. They were very aggressive and hit my everything I tried to throw. I just couldn't get ahead of guys."

The Texas lineup went back to work in the fifth, when Byrd belted a one-out solo shot to record the first multi-homer game of his career.

"I'm happy about the win," Byrd said. "We're going in the right direction. We've got to keep pounding, keep playing the way we're playing. It's been a long year for us but we're now finally playing Ranger baseball.

"Pitching and defense and timely hitting. When you get pitching and defense, you always have timely hitting. That's just the way it works, the game flows in your favor."

Murphy, who finished a single short of the cycle, delivered an RBI triple later in the inning and came into score on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's 11th home run of the year.

"I knew (a single was needed for the cycle)," said Murphy, who struck out in his final at-bat during the ninth inning. "I'm not going to lie. It would have been fun but at the same time, if I can't be happy with the day that I had, there's something wrong."

Ramon Vazquez followed with a solo blast to give the Rangers a commanding 11-0 lead.

The home run barrage was capped by Blalock's eight home run of the year in the seventh and Freddy Guzman's first career blast in the ninth.

Mike Hessman hit a three-run home run as the Tigers tallied six runs over the final two innings, but it was not nearly enough to overcome the sizeable deficit.

Detroit's All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez did not play after leaving Monday's win against Toronto due to dizziness. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that Rodriguez is "over the dizziness" and will start the second game.