Detroit, MI (Sports Network) – Johnny Damon went 3-for-5 with three RBI as Detroit dumped the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9-4, in the finale of a three-game series from Comerica Park.
Will Rhymes had three hits and knocked in two, and Alex Avila added two runs driven in for the Tigers, who snapped a four-game slide and salvaged a game in the set.
Rick Porcello (5-10) allowed eight hits and three runs — two earned — over six innings for the win.
Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera and Jeff Mathis each drove in a run for the Angels, who have now lost four of six.
Trevor Bell (1-3) was tagged in the loss for nine hits and six runs — four earned — over 5 1/3 frames.
The Tigers moved ahead with three runs in the home sixth. Jhonny Peralta singled with one out, then Ryan Raburn followed with a hit and Brandon Inge walked to load the bases. Avila then slugged the go-ahead two-run single before Bell was yanked for Michael Kohn. Two batters later, Rhymes added an RBI single for a 6-3 game.
Abreu’s groundout in the seventh made it a two-run game, but Detroit extended its lead in the eighth on Damon’s two-run single and an RBI hit by Austin Jackson.
Jose Valverde worked around a walk in the ninth and closed out the game with a scoreless frame.
The Angels hit the scoreboard in the fourth as Alberto Callaspo reached on Porcello’s throwing error, advanced on a Maicer Izturis single and scored on a wild pitch.
Detroit tallied three times in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Don Kelly and back-to-back doubles from Rhymes and Damon, but LA came back with two in the sixth on RBI hits from Rivera and Mathis.
Detroit won six of the 10 meetings over Los Angeles this season, including four of six at Comerica…Bell is the grandson of Bob Bell, who was the original Bozo The Clown…Raburn finished with two hits and scored twice…Izturis, Rivera and Reggie Willits added two hits for the Angels…The Tigers stay home to face Tampa Bay and the Angels head home to host Kansas City on Monday.