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Tigers batter Mariners again, complete sweep

May 22, 2008 - 9:06 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- After struggling to score runs for the past week, the Detroit Tigers capped an explosive series against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.

Brandon Inge and rookie Matt Joyce each homered as the Tigers pounded their way to a three-game sweep of the Mariners with a 9-2 rout.

Inge blasted a three-run homer in the second inning and Joyce hit a two-run shot in the fifth for Detroit, which outscored Seattle, 30-14, over the course of the series.

Detroit, which had scored just 14 runs in its previous seven games, batted .393 (44-for-112) in the series and clubbed seven home runs.

"We had a nice series," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We hit some balls over the fence. We had some bloopers fall in. It's good when everybody is making contributions."

Magglio Ordonez drove in a pair of runs and Gary Sheffield had three hits and two runs scored for the Tigers, who handed the Mariners their 10th loss in 11 road games.

"This has been very tough on us," Seattle manager John McLaren said. "I know we are capable of winning, but we are just not doing it. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. It's a case of poor hitting, pitching and managing and everything else."

Mariners starters Carlos Silva, Jarrod Wasburn and Miguel Batista all failed to make it past four innings during the series, giving up a combined 20 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings.

Batista (3-6) was charged for five runs - four earned - in three innings Thursday. The veteran righthander allowed seven hits and one walk, striking out two.

Ordonez drove in Sheffield with an RBI double in the first inning, and the Tigers took a 4-0 lead in the second on Inge's fourth homer of the season.

"I do think that hitting is contagious," Inge said. "One guy gets a hit and then the next guy wants to do better. We've got to take it at-bat by at-bat, pitch by pitch."

With the score at 5-1 in the top of the fifth, Seattle had its best chance to cut into the deficit, loading the bases with nobody out.

But Raul Ibanez grounded into a double play - which scored one run - and Richie Sexson flew out to right as Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman escaped further trouble.

"It's a uphill battle every game," McLaren said. "I don't know what to tell you. We had runners in scoring position but we could get only one run. That's not going to cut it."

After the Mariners failed to capitalize on a big opportunity, the Tigers took a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Joyce blasted a two-run shot to right field.

Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera each drove in a run in the sixth, capping the Tigers' scoring.

The run support was more than enough for Bonderman (3-4), who won his first home start since July 1, 2007. He had gone 0-8 with a 7.42 ERA in his last 11 starts at Comerica Park.

"I didn't even realize that," Bonderman said when told about his recent home record. "You guys tell me numbers I don't know about. Getting first pitch strikes was important for me. It is for any pitcher. The hitters can't sit on any one pitch when you get ahead in the count."

Bonderman gave up two runs and eight hits over six innings, walking two with a pair of strikeouts.

Tigers rookie reliever Freddy Dolsi retired all nine batters he faced, earning his first career save.

"Everybody is in good spirits," Leyland said. "Hopefully we can keep it going. I don't know how it'll turn out, but we'll be ready to play.

"We got good pitching. We got good hitting. We scored some runs. Are we capable? Yes. Will we continue to do it? I don't know."