Major League Baseball

Tigers 8, Angels 6

Published Jul. 17, 2012 4:19 a.m. ET

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On this night, Quintin Berry was the best rookie on the field.

The Detroit outfielder had three hits, two stolen bases and scored twice, helping the Tigers rally to an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

Berry even outplayed Mike Trout - but don't expect him to push the Los Angeles phenom in the Rookie of the Year race.

''No, man. That dude's ridiculous,'' Berry said. ''If you all are expecting that, you all can relax. That dude's fun to watch.''

Berry has also become a fan favorite after joining the Tigers this year as a virtual unknown. He's hitting .297 and provides some extra speed for a lineup that doesn't have too much of it. Berry scored the tying run in the seventh, stealing second and third before Delmon Young's sacrifice fly.

Brennan Boesch followed with a two-run homer to make it 7-5. The Tigers have won 11 of 15 and are within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

''Different people can contribute, one through nine,'' Boesch said. ''I think that's what you need to have success, especially in the American League, with a lot of potent lineups. I think we're definitely one of the teams that runs out a lineup that has a lot of depth, and recently it's showed.''

The Angels led 5-2 after a four-run fifth, but the Tigers chipped away, scoring two runs in the bottom of that inning and three more in the seventh. Boesch's homer off reliever LaTroy Hawkins (2-2) broke a 5-all tie.

Octavio Dotel (3-2) got the win in relief. Joaquin Benoit worked the eighth and Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 21 chances.

The Angels got Albert Pujols to the plate as the tying run against Valverde in the ninth, but he flied out to center to end it. Torii Hunter had four hits and drove in three runs for Los Angeles, and Mark Trumbo hit his 25th homer of the season.

Ervin Santana allowed four runs - two earned - in six innings, but the Angels couldn't hold on. Berry led off the Detroit seventh with a single off reliever Hisanori Takahashi. Hawkins then came on and, after Berry stole second, got Miguel Cabrera to ground out.

Los Angeles then walked Prince Fielder intentionally, but Berry stole third and was able to score on Young's flyball. Boesch's ninth homer of the year put the Tigers ahead.

Trumbo led off the eighth with a homer, but Berry's RBI single in the bottom half made it 8-6.

''He gives them a different dimension to their offense,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ''He's got the speed to make plays, and he's obviously in a great spot in the order with Cabrera and Prince coming up behind him. ... You can see the things that Berry brings to that team, and a lot of those things helped them win the game tonight.''

Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first when Austin Jackson reached on an error by shortstop Erick Aybar and eventually scored on Cabrera's groundout.

In the second, Trumbo hit a deep flyball that Jackson caught at the wall in left-center in perhaps the deepest part of spacious Comerica Park.

Hunter ended the bottom half with a terrific catch at the wall in right, robbing Berry of a potential extra-base hit and then throwing back to first to double off Jackson.

Hunter then tied it with an RBI double in the third.

The Tigers scored another unearned run in the fourth. With men on first and second, Boesch hit a comebacker and Hawkins threw wildly to second for an error, allowing Fielder to come around and score.

That lead was short-lived. Trout - the spectacular Los Angeles center fielder - tied it with an RBI single in the fifth, Hunter followed with a two-run double and Pujols made it 5-2 with a double of his own that brought home another run.

NOTES: Detroit OF Andy Dirks (right Achilles tendinitis) was in the clubhouse before the game and was upbeat about his progress. ''I went down to Florida for a week, worked down there and it's showing signs of good improvement. I'm moving around pretty good. I can run on it pretty good, hitting's fine,'' he said. ''This is the best it's felt in a long time, right now.'' ... Jackson has scored a run in 13 straight games. ... The Tigers optioned RHP Luis Marte to Triple-A Toledo and will recall RHP Jacob Turner (0-0) on Tuesday to start against the Angels that night. Los Angeles has not officially named a starting pitcher.

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