Galarraga throws seven shutout innings as Tigers top Dodgers

DETROIT (AP) -- The Tigers have one starting pitcher with a winning record. No, not Justin Verlander, not Jeremy Bonderman. Kenny Rogers? No. And Dontrelle Willis has yet to win a game.

That would be Armando Galarraga.

The rookie Galarraga and Freddy Dolsi combined for a three-hitter and Marcus Thames and Magglio Ordonez homered to lift Detroit to a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.

Galarraga (6-2), who didn't start the season in the majors, allowed three hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out five.

"He's got an assortment of pitches and he throws strikes," Tigers' manager Jim Leyland said. "He can throw something other than the fastball for a strike when he's behind in the count ... He moves the ball in and out."

Opponents are hitting just .173 against him.

"My sinker was good tonight," he said.

It was the Tigers' fourth-straight win and their sixth victory in the last seven. They've only allowed six runs in the four wins, just two in their last three.

"The guys have been pitching great and we've been adding a little offense to it," Thames said.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers can't hit no matter who is pitching.

Los Angeles lost for the third straight time. The Dodgers have a .138 average (13-for-94) in those games, and have scored just one run.

"We didn't have many scoring chances tonight. That's been our problem for a while," Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said. "We have to get better at-bats. We need to get our confidence back before we can start winning again."

In their last 21 games, the Dodgers have been shut out four times and scored a single run in eight other contests. They are 6-15 during that stretch.

Juan Pierre's liner leading off the sixth hit Galarraga in the right ankle. It was a bit swollen after the game.

"It hurt," he said.

Leyland said the ankle likely would be X-rayed.

Dolsi retired six straight in the eighth and ninth for his second save in as many chances.

Derek Lowe (4-6) took the loss for Los Angeles. He gave up three runs, two earned, and eight hits in seven innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out five.

Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the fifth. Thames led off with his eighth homer, lining Lowe's 2-1 pitch over the left-center field fence.

"It was a sinker. I think he left it out over the plate," said Thames. "I thought it would be off the wall when I hit it. But it carried for me."

Ryan Raburn singled one out later and Curtis Granderson followed with a double. Rookie Michael Hollimon then got his first major league RBI with a sacrifice fly to left.

The Tigers made it 3-0 in the sixth on Los Angeles first baseman James Loney's error on Thames' grounder. It scored Miguel Cabrera, who had doubled with one out and moved to third on a groundout.

Both benches and bullpens emptied after Detroit's Carlos Guillen was hit by Dodgers' pitcher Cory Wade in eighth.

"The ball just slipped," said Wade. "I wouldn't throw at a batter when were down by three runs."

Wade pointed to first after hitting Guillen, and then "everything broke loose," Wade said.

Neither Guillen nor Leyland thought Wade threw at Guillen, but both said things escalated because of Wade's gestures.

After order was restored Ordonez drove Wade's 2-0 pitch into the left-field stands down the line for his 10th home run.

Game notes
Detroit optioned LHP Clay Rapada to Triple-A Toledo after the game. He was 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA in 14 games. ... Lowe is a native of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn. ... Detroit RHP Joel Zumaya, on the disabled list recovering from offseason right shoulder surgery, is scheduled to continue his rehabilitation stint with an appearance for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday. The set-up man is also scheduled to pitch on Monday and Tuesday.