DETROIT (AP) - Danny Worth has a pretty impressive knuckleball for an infielder.
That doesn’t mean the Detroit Tigers want him on the mound on a regular basis.
For the second time in three games, Worth pitched the ninth inning of a blowout loss, this time allowing a run in a 12-2 rout by the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Detroit has lost five of six, allowing 45 runs in that span and looking nothing like the team that raced out to a comfortable lead in the AL Central.
“I don’t want to turn it into a sideshow with a position player pitching, but we’ve got to do something to rest some of the arms in the bullpen,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.
Worth struck out two against Texas on Thursday, but on Saturday he allowed an RBI double to Michael Choice. By then, the game had been pretty much decided.
Nick Martinez pitched six sharp innings for his first major league win and fellow rookie Rougned Odor drove in five runs with a pair of triples to lead the Rangers. Martinez (1-1) allowed a run and eight hits, and Adrian Beltre and Donnie Murphy homered. The Rangers scored four runs in the fourth, plus three each in the sixth and seventh.
Rick Porcello (7-2) had won his last six starts before being knocked around by Texas. He allowed eight runs and 12 hits in 5 1-3 innings.
“After the third inning, I really struggled the rest of the game,” Porcello said. “You’re not on top of your game every time out.”
Leonys Martin, Murphy and Odor - the last three hitters in the Texas batting order - combined for eight hits, eight RBIs and seven runs. Odor had four hits after going 6 for 31 in his first 11 games.
Martinez was making his fourth start for the Rangers, and the 23-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.14. With Texas ahead 5-1 in the fifth, the Tigers put two men on, but Martinez got Torii Hunter to hit into an inning-ending force play with Miguel Cabrera looming on deck.
Martinez ended his day by getting Nick Castellanos to line into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth.
Detroit actually scored first on an RBI double by Rajai Davis in the second, but Porcello allowed four runs with two out in the fourth. Chris Gimenez hit an RBI double and scored on a single by Martin. Odor added a two-run triple.
Beltre hit a solo homer in the fifth, and Murphy’s two-run shot the following inning made it 7-1. Mitch Moreland added an RBI double in the sixth, and Odor hit his second triple in the seventh - this one with the bases loaded.
“It was nice to see the bottom of the order come through like that,” Murphy said. “It’s fun, because normally you don’t see that. Odor, the day he had, that was unbelievable, and Martin, it was fun watching him too. I’m glad that we were productive for the team today.”
Texas put Prince Fielder on the disabled list this week with a neck problem that is expected to cost the slugger the rest of the season. Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was pulled in the sixth Saturday with a sore left ankle, although the Rangers said the move was precautionary.
NOTES: Detroit’s Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez and Texas’ Alex Rios had three hits each. … Detroit RHP Corey Knebel made his major league debut in relief of Porcello. He allowed the three-run triple by Odor. … Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 10 games. … There were replay overturns at first, second and third, two on challenges by the Tigers. In all three cases, the call was changed from safe to out. … The Tigers wore the uniform of the Detroit Stars, while the Rangers wore the uniform of the Fort Worth Texas Black Panthers as part of a Negro Leagues tribute game. … Detroit sends RHP Justin Verlander (5-3) to the mound Sunday to face Texas RHP Colby Lewis (3-3).
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