SPORTS> North America
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SPORTS> North America
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Tigers top Rays on Polanco's three-run homer
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-31 10:34 DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers roared from behind on Placido Polanco's three-run, eighth-inning homer to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 and give Justin Verlander his 15th win of the season on Sunday. Polanco drilled a two-out pitch off reliever Grant Balfour over the left field fence to rally the American League Central Division leaders from a 3-1 deficit. "When I hit it, I knew it had a chance," Polanco told reporters. "But I was kind of blowing it, pushing it, like, 'Go, go, please'." Verlander (15-7) worked eight innings to join the Yankees' CC Sabathia as the league's only 15-game winners. The right-hander also was hoping the ball would clear the fence. "I saw a similar ball get caught in the All-Star Game by the same guy," Verlander said in a reference to Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford. "I was hoping it had just enough legs on it to get out behind the fence and he wouldn't have a play on it." BIRTHDAY WIN Adam Wainwright of the National League St. Louis Cardinals leads the Major Leagues with 16 wins. He stopped the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Sunday, his 28th birthday. Verlander survived a pair of fourth-inning home runs by the Rays while striking out four and walking three. He gave up six hits. Curtis Granderson's third-inning single put the Tigers on the scoreboard first. Tampa Bay responded with Evan Longoria's solo homer and a two-run blast by Akinori Iwamura in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. The win kept the Tigers 4-1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins in the Central Division. Tampa Bay, the 2008 AL champions, dropped to 11-1/2 games behind the East-leading New York Yankees. The Rays trail AL wild card leader Boston by 5-1/2 games. |
