Rookie Has Strike Stuff for Tigers

DETROIT — Rookie Brian Moehler doesn’t consider himself a strikeout pitcher. Juan Gonzalez, for one, may differ.

Moehler pitched eight strong innings and Melvin Nieves and Tony Clark homered Friday night to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Moehler (3-3) won for the first time since he pitched a two-hit shutout on April 26 against the Angels. Moehler gave up seven hits with one walk and a career-high nine strikeouts as the Tigers won for the seventh time in 11 games.

“Usually you’ll see me getting 14 or 15 ground-ball outs,” Moehler said. “But some nights you have the strikeouts, some nights the ground balls, and eventually it evens out.”

Moehler struck out Gonzalez four times, including a two-on, two-out fan that ended the Rangers’ final threat with the Tigers leading, 4-1, in the eighth.

Detroit Manager Buddy Bell considered pulling Moehler as Gonzalez came to the plate but decided to stay with him.

“It was a hard decision,” Bell said. “He had pitched a good game and I didn’t want to see him lose it, but he seemed to be getting stronger later in the game and Juan wasn’t picking him up very well.”

Clark’s three hits in four at-bats led the Tigers offensively.

“I’ve been trying to stay on the ball a little bit longer instead of trying to pull the ball like I always used to,” Clark said.

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