Tigers beat Orioles in 6th straight win

BALTIMORE (AP) - Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta homered, Doug Fister pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-2 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory.

Brennan Boesh had two RBIs for the Tigers, who moved three games over .500 (45-42) for the first time since April 24, when they were 10-7.

Cabrera hit his 19th home run in the fifth inning, a majestic drive to center off Luis Ayala that traveled an estimated 454 feet and provided Detroit with a 4-1 lead. Four batters later, Peralta hit a three-run, opposite-field shot to right off Dana Eveland.

Fister (3-6) gave up one run, struck out eight and walked none to earn his first road win in seven tries this season.

Detroit's Delmon Young had two hits and scored a run, but his streak of games with at least one home run ended at four, one short of the club record.

Orioles starter Jason Hammel (8-6) left in the fourth inning with a right knee injury. After throwing a pitch to Boesh, Hammel came off the mound awkwardly. He took a few practice throws before being removed by manager Buck Showalter.

It's the same knee that has been bothering Hammel for much of the season, and the Orioles can only hope the right-hander won't miss much time. Hammel, Baltimore's winningest pitcher, allowed two runs and five hits in three-plus innings. He has lost his last four starts.

Like Hammel, Baltimore is experiencing a substantial drop off following a surprisingly strong start. The Orioles have lost seven of 10 and are 6-14 in their last 20 games.

Sidelined with a wrist injury since May 29, Baltimore's Nick Markakis returned to the lineup and hit in the leadoff spot for the first time in his career. He went 1 for 4 with a third-inning RBI.

Baltimore scored its other run in the ninth when All-Star Matt Wieters doubled in All-Star Adam Jones.

With Markakis back in right field, Chris Davis played left field in the majors for the first time. Showalter said he was willing to take the risk because Davis "makes up for it with his bat."

Davis didn't make an error, but he didn't get a hit, either.

The Tigers averaged 6.2 runs in the five games before the All-Star break, and in the first inning it became apparent that the four-day layoff did nothing to hamper their productivity. Three of the first four Detroit batters singled to load the bases, and a two-out single by Boesh made it 2-0.

Baltimore ended the season's first half by being shut out in consecutive games by the Angels, and the Orioles' run of consecutive scoreless innings stretched to 24 until doubles by Wilson Betemit and Markakis made it 2-1 in the third.

After Hammel left in the fourth, Ayala retired the first two batters before giving up successive doubles to Alex Avila and Ryan Raburn.