Confidence has been firmly restored among the Detroit Tigers. All it took was the return of the long ball, their favorite weapon.
The Tigers hit a grand slam for the third straight game Thursday, tying a major-league record, in beating the Baltimore Orioles 17-11 in Detroit.
Detroit won the second and third games of the four-game series, 15-5 and 15-1. Baltimore won the opener 4-1. It was the seventh time this season Detroit has scored 17 or more runs in a game.
“This was a very important series for us,” said Gary Thurman, who had a double and a triple in the seven-run first inning. “This is a big confidence builder.”
After getting grand slams Tuesday and Wednesday from Dan Gladden, Chad Kreuter hit one Thursday, while Gladden settled for a two-run homer. The grand slams in three consecutive games tied a major-league record set by the Milwaukee Brewers April 7-9, 1978.
– Melido Perez won for the first time since June 27, taking a no-hitter into the sixth and allowing two hits over 7 2/3 innings as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 4-1 in Boston. In the American League East race, New York is one game behind Toronto, a 9-2 loser to Minnesota.
– Colorado completed its first four-game sweep-and in Dodger Stadium, no less. The Rockies’ 4-1 victory made it five straight overall, the club’s longest winning streak.
