Pudge Rallies Slumping Tigers to Home Win

Ivan Rodriguez hit a tying two-run triple in a six-run eighth inning then scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to lift the high-priced Detroit Tigers to their first win at home this season, 11-9 over the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers won for the first time in seven games at home and improved to 3-10 overall, still the worst record in baseball.

Detroit's much-hyped lineup finally came through, leading to a season high in runs, just when it seemed that the team's miserable season was going to take another turn for the worse. Trailing 9-5, the Tigers scored six runs in the eighth inning. Placido Polanco, mired in an awful slump, drove in the final run to give Todd Jones a two-run cushion.