AMERICAN LEAGUE Woeful Tigers win third straight

Detroit needs six wins in its final 23 games to avoid matching the Mets' record.
DETROIT (AP) -- Like many other major leaguers, Cleveland rookie Jody Gerut has feasted on Detroit's pitching this season. So when he batted in the ninth inning, with the game-tying run at second base, Tigers manager Alan Trammell had reason for concern.
With Detroit holding on to a one-run lead in the ninth Thursday, shortstop Ramon Santiago dropped what looked like a routine game-ending pop-up, allowing Matt Lawton to reach second base.
It also brought Gerut to the plate with a chance to hurt the Tigers once again. He entered the game with 27 RBIs in 17 games against Detroit this season -- he only has 41 against the rest of baseball -- but Danny Patterson struck him out to end the game and give the Tigers a 2-1 win.
"When Lawton was up, I just had a feeling that Jody Gerut was going to get one more shot at us," Trammell said. "But Danny made a great pitch and now we are done with that kid for the season. To be honest, we've had enough of him."
Gerut finished the game 0-for-5, but could have had much more. He hit two fly balls to deep right-center that were run down by Bobby Higginson and was robbed of a double by first baseman Carlos Pena.
"That never sits well -- it's a shame that in baseball you don't get points for line drives," Gerut said.
Rare win streak
The win gave the Tigers their first three-game winning streak and their first series win since sweeping the White Sox from July 8-10. Detroit (37-102) needs at least six wins in its final 23 games to avoid matching the post-1900 record of 120 losses in a season, set by the 1962 Mets.
"Right now, any three-game winning streak is big, but this one doesn't feel any different than the one against Chicago, however long ago that was," Trammell said. "It feels awfully good, but we have to keep it going."
Cleveland, which had six hits, had won 12 of 16 games against the Tigers before losing the last three.
"I made it very clear that you can't get caught up in who you play or where you're playing, you've still got to go out and execute and play the game if you're going to give yourself a chance to win," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "We just missed a lot of opportunities today."
Gary Knotts (3-5) got his first major league win since May 24, allowing one run and six hits in 62/3 innings in his first start since being sent to Triple-A Toledo on June 23.
Patterson earned his third save.
Jake Westbrook (6-9) lost despite pitching a five-hitter for his first complete game in 31 career major league starts. He is 1-3 in his last five starts.
"I felt real good today. I was pumped up most about throwing strikes," Westbrook said. "The last couple outings, I've been kind of all over the place but I was able to pound the zone today and felt good about that."