Tigers 8, Braves 3
DETROIT -- Austin Jackson and Miguel Cabrera hit three-run homers while Doug Fister collected his fourth victory as the Detroit Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with a 8-3 victory at Comerica Park on Sunday.
Omar Infante also homered for the Tigers, who outscored the Braves 25-7 in the series. Fister (4-0) fought through misty conditions to pitch seven strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out eight without a walk. Jose Valverde got the last three outs and hasn't allowed a baserunner in three appearances.
Chris Johnson had two hits, including an RBI double, for Atlanta. The Braves struck out 39 times in the series and went 3-7 on their 10-game road trip.
Victor Martinez's sacrifice fly in the sixth put Detroit on top 4-3. Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a leadoff, ground-rule double. Prince Fielder's groundout advanced him to third before Martinez's long fly to center.
Detroit took control with a four-run seventh. Infante gave the Tigers some breathing room with his second homer in as many games.
Atlanta starter Mike Minor cruised through the first two innings but got into trouble in the third by issuing a one-out walk to No. 8 hitter Brayan Pena. Infante followed with a sharp single to left before Jackson blasted his second homer this season over the left-center-field fence on a 1-1 pitch.
The Braves tied the game at 3 in the fourth. After Fister got the first out, Justin Upton singled and Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch. Johnson slapped an opposite-field double for the Braves' first run, and Evan Gattis followed with an RBI single. Dan Uggla's fielder's choice evened the score when second baseman Infante pulled first baseman Fielder off the bag on a potential double-play ball.
NOTES: Detroit is 84-45 in interleague games since the start of the 2006 season. Boston (84-42) is the only team with a better interleague record during that span. ... Both teams return to league play Monday. The Braves begin a four-game home series against the Washington Nationals, while the Tigers complete an eight-game homestand with three against the Minnesota Twins. ... Atlanta center fielder B.J. Upton did not play Sunday. He was batting .151 with 30 strikeouts through 86 at-bats. ... Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez used a different lineup in all 10 games of the road trip. ... Justin Upton has 12 home runs this season. He hit his 12th for Arizona on Sept. 1 last season. ... Detroit's Torii Hunter (.380) and Cabrera (.370) had the two highest batting averages in the American League entering the game, while Johnson (.380) led the National League. Hunter slipped to .375 after Sunday's game, while Cabrera improved to .375. Johnson is up to .387.
