DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs with a double and a single to reach 74 RBIs and the streaking Detroit Tigers rode a five-run fourth inning to a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night for their 10th win in 11 games.
New York, which has lost eight of 11, took advantage of two Detroit errors to cut its deficit to 6-5 in the seventh.
Jay Bruce followed two singles with a sharp grounder to first, but Cabrera’s try for a force at second hit the runner in the back, allowing one run to score. Fill-in Detroit third baseman Mike Aviles booted Wilmer Flores’ grounder for a run-allowing error before Justin Wilson was able to get a double play and a groundout to end the inning.
Left-hander Matt Boyd (3-2) struggled through the last of his five innings but picked up his second straight win. He allowed six hits, including two home runs, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Alex Wilson pitcheded a scoreless sixth, Shane Greene worked a shutout eighth and Francisco Rodriguez posted his 32nd save of the season with a run-free ninth — with right fielder J.D. Martinez throwing Bruce out at the plate trying to score from second on a two-out single to right.
Mets starter Logan Verrett (3-7) gave up seven hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings, walking and striking out two.
Curtis Granderson hit his 18th home run of the year, a solo shot to right, with one out in the fifth off Boyd, cutting the Mets’ deficit to 6-2. Ty Kelly singled, Neil Walker walked and Flores lined an RBI single over first base to let New York shave off a run and make it 6-3.
The Tigers chased Verrett with five runs in the fourth.
Victor Martinez doubled and went to third on a single by J.D. Martinez. Nick Castellanos was hit by a pitch and, with one out, Jarrod Saltalamacchia roped a two-run single to give Detroit a 3-1 lead.
Ian Kinsler made it 4-1 with a line single to left and Cabrera drove in two more with a line single to right off reliever Jonathon Niese, upping the lead to 6-1.
Castellanos came out of the game immediately after scoring and the Tigers announced in the sixth he had suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone in his left hand, which will likely put him out at least a month.
Bruce hit his 27th home run of the season — a drive to the deepest part of right center — leading off the fourth to tie the score for the Mets at 1. Seven of his last eight hits have gone out of the park.
Tyler Collins walked with one out in Detroit’s first and scored from there when Cabrera doubled to extreme left field to stake Boyd to a 1-0 lead.
NOTES: Mets INF Jose Reyes (oblique) will take part in a simulated game Monday and begin a rehab assignment Tuesday. He is eligible to come off the disabled list on Thursday. … Detroit RHP Jordan Zimmermann will throw a bullpen Sunday to test the condition of his sore right lat muscle. … Tigers CF Cameron Maybin did not start for the third straight game due to a sore left thumb. … New York had both of its regular catchers in the lineup at the same time, Travis d’Arnaud behind the plate and Juan Rivera as the designated hitter.