Clark, Tigers Smell The Rose

Since Tony Clark stopped trying to hit home runs, they've come in bunches.

Clark homered twice and had four RBI, and Dave Mlicki pitched a six-hitter as the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox 9-1 Sunday.

It was Detroit's 500th win against Boston at Tiger Stadium.

"You make adjustments as you go," said Clark, who has hit over 30 homers each of the past two years. "Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't. I got to feeling I was making too many adjustments."

"I looked at a lot of tape of home run hitters," said Clark, who has hit six homers in the past eight games. "Most times, it didn't look like they were trying to hit it out. If you hit it hard, more times than not it will get out."

"So, I'm not trying to hit up any more. I'm just trying to drive the ball."

Boston has lost seven of 11 and is 20-26 since taking a 1½-game lead in the AL East on June 4.

"I thought we'd win, especially after beating them 11-4 yesterday," Boston first baseman Mike Stanley said. "We're struggling right now. We've just got to find a way to keep our heads above water."

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Tony Clark is all smiles Sunday after hitting two homers.(AP)

Mlicki (5-9), who had lost four of his previous five decisions, struck out five and walked one in his second complete game, the sixth of his career.

Brian Rose (6-3), who has allowed 21 runs in his past five starts, gave up five runs, seven hits and two walks in five-plus innings.

"I gave up the big run when I didn't want to, and that's why we lost," Rose said. "I gave up a three-run homer. In a close game like that, you've just got to do better than that."

The Tigers hold a 500-433 lead in the series between the two AL charter members in Detroit. All-time, the Red Sox hold a 954-914 edge in the series.

The Tigers, who have won six of their past eight, took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the third. Deivi Cruz, who bunted for a single, went to second on third baseman John Valentin's throwing error and scored on Brad Ausmus' single.

Alvarez, called up Saturday to replace injured Bobby Higginson, homered leading off the fifth for a 2-0 lead.

Frank Catalanotto and Palmer singled to start the sixth and scored on Clark's 15th homer that gave Detroit a 5-0 lead and chased Rose.

Palmer hit a three-run homer off Mark Guthrie in the seventh and Clark, who has homered in two straight games, followed with a solo homer off Rheal Cormier.

Trot Nixon, who hit three homers Saturday, tripled and scored on Damon Buford's sacrifice fly in the Boston eighth.

Notes

• Nixon went 5-for-7 in the final two games of the series with three homers, a double and triple.
• Clark extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games.
• The Tigers have scored 73 runs in 11 games since the All-Star break, yet they are just 6-5 over that span.
• The Tigers honored their 1984 team with watches in pregame ceremonies. That was the last time Detroit won a World Series.

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