Tigers Get Early Jump on Martinez

Luis Pujols called it Detroit’s best victory this year.

The Tigers tagged Boston ace Pedro Martinez for four runs in the first inning, then had to rally to beat the Red Sox, 7-6, on Shane Halter’s run-scoring double in the 10th inning Monday night at Detroit.

“We played hard, we played well and we came back from behind,” said Pujols, Detroit’s manager.

Martinez gave up consecutive homers to begin a game for the first time in his career, then finished strong for his second consecutive no-decision.

“I threw strikes and they hit them out,” Martinez said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. I felt pretty good and I was able to bounce back after the first inning.”

The Red Sox went ahead, 6-4, on Trot Nixon’s two-run homer in the fourth, but Tim Wakefield (2-2) couldn’t hold the lead.

Ramon Santiago’s second homer of the game--and his career--pulled Detroit within a run in the seventh, and Wendell Magee tied the score with a two-out single in the eighth against Wakefield.

Bobby Higginson led off the 10th inning with a walk and pinch-runner Damian Jackson went to second on a one-out balk. Halter’s drive off the center-field wall ended the game.

“We did a good job of coming right back, then Trot hit a big homer for us,” Boston Manager Grady Little said. “That’s what we’ve been doing all year. We just didn’t get a win out of it this time.”

Santiago hit his first homer 397 feet over the right-field fence, then Damion Easley homered to left. Santiago had two homers in 429 at-bats at Class-A Lakeland last season.

“He got some juice out of nowhere,” Pujols said.

Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 1--Jose Cruz Jr. homered twice at Toronto and the Blue Jays won their first game under new Manager Carlos Tosca.

The Blue Jays, who swept Detroit over the weekend, fired manager Buck Martinez before the game.

Cruz, who had been in a 10-for-61 slump, had three hits and four runs batted in. He led off the fourth with a homer against Tanyon Sturtze (0-7), Toronto’s first hit of the game, and hit a three-run drive in the fifth.

Pete Walker (1-0), making his second major league start, gave up one run and five hits in five innings, struck out seven and walked one.

Baltimore 4, New York 3--Mike Bordick hit a run-scoring double in the ninth at New York and the Orioles defeated closer Mariano Rivera again.

The Yankees had scored two runs in the eighth to tie the score.

Gary Matthews Jr. singled against Rivera (1-2) with one out in the ninth and stole second with two out. Bordick followed with a line drive down the left-field line.

Rivera fell to 1-7 with a 4.47 earned-run average in his career against the Orioles. No other team has defeated Rivera more than twice.

Chicago 4, Kansas City 0--Jon Garland (6-4) gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings at Chicago and the White Sox ended a seven-game losing streak.

Magglio Ordonez, Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko each drove in runs.

Garland walked four and struck out five to improve to 2-1 with a 1.25 ERA in his last three starts.

Seattle 4, Oakland 1--Freddy Garcia (7-4) did not give up a run--a homer by John Mabry--until the eighth inning at Oakland and won his third consecutive game.

The last five runs Garcia has given up have been homers. Garcia gave up five hits in 7 2/3 innings and struck out five.