(Sports Network) - Tommy Hunter hopes to deliver Texas' first series win in Detroit since 2007 this evening, when the Rangers play the middle test of their three-game set with the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Texas had lost 11 straight in Detroit before Nelson Cruz's two-run homer in the 14th inning propelled the Rangers to an 8-6 win in Monday's opener. Ian Kinsler provided a two-run homer and three RBI, while Josh Hamilton had four hits and drove in a run as the Rangers pounded out 19 hits to win for the fourth time in five contests overall and the 13th time in their last 16 on the road.
With another victory tonight, the Rangers would claim their first series win in Detroit since taking two of three from the Tigers in June of 2007.
Enrique Gonzalez (0-1) walked Hamilton with one out in the 14th before Cruz sent a 1-2 offering to the opposite field that landed barely over the wall in right for his 12th homer of the season. Cruz, who had three hits and four RBI, has gone 12-for-23 with 10 runs driven in over his last five games.
"It was a good feeling, especially since we had a hard time driving in a run after the seventh inning," Cruz said. "It was good to get that."
Matt Harrison (2-1) allowed two hits over four innings to get the win and Neftali Feliz recorded his 25th save, tying Kansas City's Joakim Soria for the American League lead.
Miguel Cabrera homered twice and drove in three runs for Detroit, but the Tigers dropped their season-high sixth straight game. Detroit also lost third baseman Brandon Inge, who suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone after getting hit with a pitch in the left hand during the game. He will miss the next 4-to-6 weeks.
"When you're going good you get them in and when you're not you don't," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We had some opportunities to do that, but we didn't do that [Monday]. It's part of struggling."
The Rangers hope to keep rolling tonight as Hunter tries to go 7-0 on the year. The 24-year-old beat Boston on Thursday, holding the Red Sox to a pair of runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings to become the first Texas starter to begin a season 6-0 since Esteban Loaiza in 1999.
Hunter, who beat the Tigers the only other time he faced them, has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in seven of his eight outings and has pitched to a 2.39 earned run average on the season.
Detroit, meanwhile, recalled righty Armando Galarraga to make the start tonight. Galarraga, who nearly threw a perfect game earlier in the season, was optioned to Triple-A Toledo earlier in the month because the Tigers did not have the need for a fifth starter until now. He is 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA on the year.
Galarraga has faced the Rangers three times and is 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA against them.
Texas has won three of its five matchups with the Tigers this season after losing seven of the nine meetings a year ago.