DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers insisted they were not concerned about their worst skid of the year a few hours before playing the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the AL championship series. Travis Wood Jersey . Detroit later showed it still has what it takes to win with strong pitching, big hits and usually sound defence. Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning and Victor Martinez cleared the fences in the eighth, helping Detroit beat Boston 6-2 and end a season-high five-game losing streak Friday. "This was a good night for everyone," Drew Smyly said after pitching six strong innings. Detroit had lost 13 of 17 games, including the previous four, since sweeping the Red Sox on the road a few weeks ago. "Ive spoken to players a couple times over this stretch," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Theres no reason to throw a fit unless its a lack of effort or concentration. This stretch has not been caused by a lack of concentration or effort." Smyly (3-4) snapped a skid of his own. He was 0-2 in his last two starts, giving up a total of nine runs over nine innings, and was 0-3 in his previous six outings. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits over six innings and struck out four, walking only one against the Red Sox. "He was locating his pitches and keeping us off balance," Boston centre fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said after going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. "He had command on both sides of the plate." Rubby De La Rosa, meanwhile, paid a steep price for letting some pitches sail too high. De La Rosa (1-1) gave up four runs, nine hits and two walks. He had five strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings. In his first start of the season, he threw seven scoreless innings against Tampa Bay last week. "I feel almost 100 per cent like last time," De La Rosa said. "I just missed more pitches." Boston has lost four straight after winning seven in a row. The Red Sox are averaging fewer than three runs during the losing streak. "Offensively, were scuffling," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Weve had a rough go with runners in scoring position." The Red Sox hope to end a trend this weekend. In their last seven series, they been swept four times and have won each game in the other three matchups. "We became so accustomed to being consistent," Farrell said. "The last two and a half weeks have been difficult." Kinsler and Hunter cleared the fences during a three-pitch sequence in the fifth, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead. "They squared (De La Rosa) up when he was up in the strike zone," Farrell said. The Red Sox pulled within two runs in the sixth when Dustin Pedroia reached on Romines throwing error, advanced to third on David Ortizs single through the right side against a shifted infield and scored on Jonny Gomes sacrifice fly. Detroits Ian Krol and Joba Chamberlain each threw an inning of scoreless relief and Joe Nathan pitched the ninth in a non-save situation. NOTES: Tigers C Alex Avila is expected to miss Saturdays game after being hit in the head by Ortizs backswing in the eighth inning, and being replaced by Bryan Holaday. "Hes in a good humour, but he got stung pretty good," Ausmus said. ... Red Sox hitting coach Greg Colbrunn is expected to stay hospitalized in Cleveland for at least another week after he had bleeding in the area between his brain and the thin tissues covering it. Tim Hyers, Bostons minor league hitting co-ordinator, is filling in for Colbrunn while hes away from the team indefinitely. ... Tigers SS Eugenio Suarez was held out of the lineup to rest his sore left knee and Ausmus said he is "hour to hour," when asked for timetable on his return. ... The Tigers will send RHP Max Scherzer (6-2) to the mound against Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (6-6) on Saturday in a nationally televised game. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (left knee) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday in Detroit, where Mike Napoli, who is on the DL with a sprained left finger, is expected to hit against him. Travis Wood Cubs Jersey . That is, how does he keep the red hot bat of Juan Francisco in the lineup when first base is taken by Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind is back as the designated hitter? "Maybe Francisco can play second," joked Gibbons. Drew Hutchison Blue Jays Jersey . It was the second disappointment this week for Juventus at the capitals Stadio Olimpico, after being eliminated from the Italian Cup with a 1-0 loss to Roma on Tuesday.It may have been Chelsea who recently featured in an episode of The Simpsons, but its Manchester United who have morphed into a mere caricature of themselves. Rooneys latest piece of football genius lost in the furore which now stalks David Moyes, and the man who gave the Manchester United striker his start as a 16-year old at Goodison Park back in 2002. Verbally abused as he sat in the dugout during the later stages of yet another disjointed performance in the midweek Manchester Derby - a banner which proclaimed the Ferguson rubber stamped appointment has now become a focal point for growing supporter fury with the 50-year old Scotsman. The Chosen One has become the Chastised One. The Old Trafford storm clouds are certainly gathering and how Moyes will hope that infamous Manchester rain will play its part just ahead of the kick off against Aston Villa Saturday when most of the 75,000 in attendance will be gazing skyward at a plane which will trail a, "Wrong One: Moyes Out" banner. Weve moved on then from a time where fans would meet down the pub pre-match and march in protest to the ground. This fly by is not the work of a few mavericks merely looking for cheap publicity at Moyes expense, but is the response to a season lost from the all influential Red Issue Fanzine. Raising the $1,500 cost in less time it took for Toure to bang in a third Manchester City goal, earlier Friday Red Issue explained their motivation for organizing the fly by protest in a statement to the media. "The decision to fly a plane over Old Trafford bearing the slogan Wrong One: Moyes Out is one born out of acute frustration. It is frustration at the poor results, lack of fight on the pitch and the unavoidable signs that David Moyes isnt up to the highest standards required to manage Manchester United Football Club." "A significant proportion of Manchester United fans have had enough and unequivocally want David Moyes sacked. Further frustration has been created from the inaccurate perception that all Manchester United fans are behind David Moyes." "The plane and banner which will fly over the stadium this Saturday attempts to directly counter this very unpopular [Chosen One] banner with the words Wrong One and the Moyes Out wording is our statement of what a significant group of Manchester United fans want to happen next at our club." Choice words. To his credit at Fridays pre-match press conference, Moyes defended the supporters right to protest and reiterated his appreciations to all the supporters who continue to back him. Intriguingly that number includes the supporter who rose to Old Trafford infamy when back in 1989 he unfurled a banner which demanded Fergsuon depart a club he had been in charge of for three years but was yet to deliver any silverware. We all know now how that ended. Such though has been the dramatic fall from grace under Moyes, even the leagues CEO Richard Scudamore felt compelled to discuss the matter when stating a belief Manchester Uniteds current predicament was bad for business. No club in English football is more passionately followed across the globe than the champions. Cleveland Indians Jersey Cyber Monday. The season long funk has also wreaked havoc with Rio Ferdinands personal and social life. The six-time BPL winner has disclosed a preference currently for not taking his kids to school or go out for an evening. This, as ways to avoid supporters and the embarrassment of a season that even with seven matches remaining will return the lowest point total for Manchester United in the Premier League era. Astonishingly, Sir Alex Ferguson is no longer immune from abuse; this occurring as he was sat up in his directors box perch Wednesday evening. Not only did Ferguson leave Moyes soiled goods with many players clearly past their sell by date, there is also a growing sense Ferguson did most of the bidding for the much despised Glazer family. Since they took control in 2005, the owners are reported to have taken $1 biliion out of the club. This income has been taken out to service interest payments and meet other financial demands. Money supporters say should have been reinvested in the squad. To arrest the decline it will take more than the type of panic buying that saw Manchester United pay well over the market odds for Fellaini in the summer and Mata in January. Let there be no doubt these are unprecedented times at Old Trafford. One of the more popular London tabloids spoke Thursday of a coup led by the class of 92 and bankrolled by oil money. Even the New York Stock Exchange got in on the action when the clubs share price rose five per cent. For a club which has already lost six BPL matches at home, Moyes will need a significant response from his players Saturday. Up next is an April Fools Day date with the European Champions Bayern Munich. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
