Major League Baseball

Rangers' Grimm roughed up in 8-2 loss to Tigers

Published Jun. 26, 2012 1:48 a.m. ET

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The first time was much better for Texas Rangers rookie Justin Grimm.

Nine days after his impressive winning major league debut, and never pitching above Double-A before that, Grimm allowed six runs and eight hits while facing only 12 batters in an 8-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

''My breaking ball wasn't good. ... I didn't have damage control,'' Grimm said. ''I'll take this one on my shoulders. It's a humbling game. I know it's not going to be the last time.''

Struggling slugger Josh Hamilton hit his first homer his last 12 games for Texas, a two-run shot in the seventh. His 23rd homer pushed his majors-best RBI total to 66.

Hamilton was coming off a three-game series against Colorado when he was 1 for 12 with eight strikeouts. He was 0 for 2 with a walk Monday before his 409-foot blast in the seventh over the Texas bullpen in right-center off reliever Brayan Villarreal.

Tigers starter Rick Porcello (5-5) struck out seven and walked three in six-plus innings for only his second win his last nine starts.

''He really was commanding his sinker,'' Rangers first baseman Michael Young said. ''He got that big lead and he wanted to throw strikes.''

Porcello was gone before time Hamilton homered, pulled after walking Leonys Martin to start the seventh. That led to the only run charged to Porcello.

When the Rangers had to create a spot in their rotation last week to add three-time All-Star Roy Oswalt to the mix, they opted to move Scott Feldman to the bullpen rather than send the 23-year-old Grimm back to the minors.

Grimm won his June 16 debut against Houston, when he struck out seven - five in a row at one point - with no walks. He allowed six hits in six innings.

Nothing good happened for him against the Tigers in a rematch of last year's AL championship series.

''I still had the same plan I wanted to go out and execute,'' Grimm said. ''I didn't throw pitches in the right location. I got them up.''

Austin Jackson led off the game with a double and Quintin Berry followed with a bunt fielded by Grimm. But when the pitcher turned to throw, first base was uncovered because first baseman Michael Young charged in and second baseman Ian Kinsler didn't get there.

''It was a misjudgment,'' manager Ron Washington said of how Young played the ball. ''In that situation with a runner on second base, if the ball goes the other way you have to bust back to the bag.''

Miguel Cabrera followed with a two-run double. Delmon Young's run-scoring single and Jhonny Peralta an RBI double before he scored on Ramon Santiago's single that made it 5-0.

Berry drew a leadoff walk to start the second, and Grimm was gone after Cabrera singled. Fielder greeted reliever Michael Kirkman with a sacrifice fly.

Grimm threw 52 pitches, 40 of them in a top half of the first inning that took 23 minutes to play.

''Obviously, he got hit around by a pretty good-hitting team. He threw the ball out over the plate and they hit it,'' Washington said. ''As of now, he's preparing for his next start. If that changes I'll let you know.''

Prince Fielder, the husky first baseman who signed a $214 million, nine-year deal with the Tigers last winter after having some talks with Texas, even had a nifty 3-5-6-3 defensive play.

After Mike Napoli's leadoff double in the fifth, Fielder made a backhanded stop on Martin's grounder. Fielder ran toward Napoli, who had stopped between second and third bases, and eventually threw the ball to third baseman Cabrera. After a relay to shortstop Peralta, he threw back to Fielder to make the tag near third base.

NOTES: Texas 3B Adrian Beltre had three hits, and is hitting .512 (21 of 41) his last 11 games. ... The game time temperature was 100 degrees, the first triple-digit game of the season. ... Yu Darvish (9-4), who has won all six of his starts at Rangers Ballpark, pitches for Texas on Tuesday. Drew Smyly (2-2) comes off the DL to start for Detroit. The lefty's been out since June 11 with a blister on his left middle finger. ... Texas LH Derek Holland is going to Triple-A Round Rock for two rehabilitation starts. The team said Holland will be assigned to the Express on Wednesday, when he will throw about 50 pitches in a start. He has been out since June 6 because of a shoulder fatigue after losing about 15 pounds over a two-week period because of stomach virus.

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