THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — Magglio Ordonez homered twice and drove in six runs to help the Detroit Tigers rout the Minnesota Twins 19-3 on Saturday night.
The defending AL batting champion hit a two-run shot to deep left field and drove in two runners with a third-inning double that gave Detroit the lead for good. He added another two-run shot to left during a six-run fourth.
Detroit’s victory ended a four-game losing streak against its AL Central rival.
Twins right-hander Boof Bonser (2-6) had his shortest outing of the season, lasting just three batters into the fourth. He gave up the Tigers’ first nine runs and remained winless in five May starts.
Ordonez’s double opened the scoring in a four-run third that also featured RBI singles by Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen.
Bonser was pulled after the first three men reached base in the fourth, but relievers Brian Bass and Juan Rincon didn’t fare any better. Bass gave up seven runs in 1 1-3 innings and Rincon allowed three more in the next 2 2-3.
Detroit scored six runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth.
Gary Sheffield had a two-run single in the fifth and finished with his first three-RBI game of the season. Placido Polanco was 4-for-5 and scored four times.
Detroit’s Nate Robertson (2-5) struck out four and allowed all three runs in 6 1-3 innings. The victory was his first since May 1.
Aquilino Lopez finished the game and struck out four while allowing just one hit..
Minnesota’s Alexi Casilla tied the game with a two-run homer in the third. Matt Macri, making his major league debut, added an RBI single in the fourth.
Notes: Ordonez raised his batting average to .330, an 11-point jump. His last six-RBI game was June 9, 2002, at Montreal as a member of the White Sox. … Macri started at third base and had singles in his first two at-bats. … Tigers players and coaches wore red caps during pre-game activities to salute the Detroit Red Wings, who opened the Stanley Cup finals across town Saturday evening. Mike Ilitch owns both teams.
