Martinez Is Shaky in Loss

It all had to stop eventually--Detroit’s slide, Boston’s surge and the Red Sox’s knack for winning in their last at-bat.

The Tigers ended all that as they pounded Pedro Martinez through six innings, then stopped Red Sox rallies in the eighth and ninth for a 7-5 victory Tuesday night.

“I’m glad we won. I’m glad we’re leaving here too,” Detroit Manager Buddy Bell said. “This team’s very hot.”

Boston had won seven consecutive games and 14 of its previous 15 games, while Detroit had lost five in a row and its last 11 on the road. But on Tuesday night, the Tigers went ahead for good, 5-4, on Andy Tomberlin’s RBI single in the seventh.

“These guys are on a roll,” Tomberlin said. “They feel like things will turn out for them, but it’s really good to beat those guys. This could be the start of something for us.”

The Tigers avoided setting a team record for their worst start ever. They’re 5-17, the same mark the 1952 team had after 22 games. And they did it against Martinez, who began the night with a 1.69 earned-run average and an AL-high 51 strikeouts.

Martinez had only six strikeouts Tuesday and gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings. But he refused to blame his performance on gastritis, for which he is taking medication.

“It was more mechanical than anything,” said Martinez, who said he was releasing the ball with his chest facing the plate too squarely. “I wasn’t sharp, so today everybody can blame it on me.”

Martinez left with the score 4-4 after six innings, and the Tigers went ahead against Jim Corsi in the seventh on Tomberlin’s first RBI this season. Brian Hunter’s third homer, a two-run shot off Corsi, made the score 7-4 in the eighth.

“We scored five runs and usually five runs is good enough,” Corsi said. “The home run really took the wind out of our sails.”

Boston won its eighth game in its last at-bat Monday night by scoring three runs in the eighth for a 6-5 victory over Detroit.

On Tuesday, the Red Sox had a chance to do it again in the eighth. One run scored on a double by Scott Hatteberg, a walk to Darren Bragg and a pinch-hit single by Midre Cummings. But Nomar Garciaparra ended the inning by grounding to third with the bases loaded.

“We understand not all of them are going to be the same way,” Martinez said of the comeback victories.

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