Laird, Cabrera help Tigers win sixth straight, 5-3

DETROIT (AP)—Lou Piniella is ready to take a page out of his mentor’s book.

Three decades after Billy Martin pulled the Detroit Tigers batting order out of a hat, Piniella said he’s ready to try the same thing after his Chicago Cubs stranded 13 runners in a 5-3 loss to the Tigers Wednesday night.

“I might leave the couple guys that are doing their jobs in their places and draw out the rest of them,” he said. “We couldn’t be any worse.”

The Cubs have scored only seven runs in their last three games, leaving 31 runners on base in the process.

“We’re getting hits, but we’ve got to start driving guys in,” said Geovany Soto(notes), who had a solo homer for Chicago. “We’re all trying to make something happen, and it just isn’t.”

Chicago’s offensive woes, combined with homers from Gerald Laird(notes) and Miguel Cabrera(notes), helped the Tigers post their sixth straight win.

“Thank god we’re going to get them out of here before their bats get going, because they will,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. “We let them have way too many opportunities tonight.”

Zach Miner(notes) (5-1), the third of seven Detroit pitchers, picked up the win. Fernando Rodney(notes) finished for his 15th save in as many tries. The Cubs put the first two batters on, but Rodney retired the next three to end the game.

“Rodney was real wild to start, and that’s not good,” Leyland said. “He did a great job getting out of it, though.”

Rookie Rick Porcello(notes) allowed two runs and seven hits. He walked four in five-plus innings.

“I thought I did OK, battled out of some jams early,” said the 20-year-old Porcello. “I think the biggest thing was just to keep us in the game and give us a chance.”

Rich Harden(notes) (4-4) took the loss, giving up four runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings.

“It was an ugly game and I was unhappy with my performance,” he said. “That’s all I have to say.”

Derrick Lee extended his hitting streak to a career-high 21 games with a seventh-inning single. It’s the longest hitting streak by a Cub since Jerome Walton’s 30-gamer in 1989.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on Cabrera’s 15th homer, but Soto tied the game with a solo shot in the fifth. The Cubs then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, but Porcello stuck out Micah Hoffpauir(notes) to end the inning.

Laird put the Tigers back in front with a fifth-inning homer off Harden.

Porcello came out after a walk and a single to start the sixth, and Nate Robertson(notes) allowed a single to Kosuke Fukudome(notes) to load the bases. Miner struck out Soto before Mike Fontenot(notes) tied the game 2-2 on a fielder’s choice.

Harden walked a pair of batters in the Detroit sixth, and Lou Piniella brought in Aaron Heilman(notes) with one out. Slumping Magglio Ordonez(notes) hit a bloop single to right, loading the bases. One out later, Adam Everett(notes) beat out an infield single to give the Tigers the lead and Curtis Granderson(notes) walked to make it 4-2.

The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, and Fox’s sacrifice fly pulled the Cubs within 4-3.

Carlos Marmol(notes) walked in a run in the eighth for the final margin.

NOTES: Placido Polanco(notes) had an odd at-bat in the third, bunting a ball off the visor of his batting helmet, then losing his grip on the bat, which sailed into the Tigers dugout. … Ordonez cut off his trademark long hair before the game, hoping to end a season-long slump that has seen him hit just two homers. He finished with two singles. “I was jealous—he has beautiful hair,” Leyland said. “I told him that if I had been there, I’d like to have picked it up and made a toupee.” … Joel Zumaya, who allowed an eighth-inning homer to Hoffpauir in Tuesday’s win, pumped his fist after striking out Ryan Theriot to end Wednesday’s eighth.