TIGERS 9 ANGELS 0 DETROIT -- A...

TIGERS 9 ANGELS 0

DETROIT -- After struggling in August, the Detroit Tigers began the strange month the way they've played chiefly of the season.

Kenny Roger and sum of two units relievers combined on a five-hitter to help Detroit beat the looks Angeles Angels 9-0 Friday night.

Brandon Inge homer and collection in three runs, Craig Monroe and Carlos Guillen also homer and Omar Infante herd in two runs for AL Central-leading Detroit, which had sole won two of its previous eight games and had an overall record of 13-16 in August. It was also the Tigers' major-league leading 15th shutout of the season.

"We had a nice combination tonight of dutiful pitching and good hitting," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

The Tigers enlargeed their lead over the White Sox to 5oe games.

Roger (15-6) allowed four hits in seven innings, walking sum of two units and striking out two in winning his fourth straight start.

"This month is going to define what our year is all about," Roger said. "I know that each time we lose and I'm the nearest guy [pitching], I want to advance out and stop [the losing]."

Joel Zumaya pitched a hitless eighth inning and Jason Grilli gave up a single in the ninth.

Vladimir Guerrero and Juan Rivera started the secondary inning with singles. But Roger then retired Garret Anderson upon a pop out, got Robb Quinlan to explode out and got Howie Kendrick onward a groundout to end the inning.

"That's what Kenny does," sees Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "He changes thrives and works on the fringes and learns guys to go out of the strike zone"

Chone Figgins walked with the same out in the third and Maicer Izturis followed with a single.

yet Orlando Cabrera then struck gone out and Figgins was thrown abroad trying to steal third according to Ivan Rodriguez for a double play to conclusion the inning.

"We didn't have a hap of opportunities," Scioscia said. "The uniteds we had, we didn't take advantage of"

looks Angeles starter Ervin Santana (13-7) lasted four innings. Monroe gave Detroit a 1-0 lead with his 24th homer of the season with united out in the first inning. The Tigers scored sum of two units in the second and built their advantage to 5-0 in fourth in succession RBI doubles by Inge and Thornton Fractional toward the south and Illinois-Chicago product Curtis Granderson.

"We ne to present more pressure on the opposing pitchers," Granderson said. "Get a scarcely any runs early, to make it easier for our pitchers."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided by means of ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved