Bad Weather Helps Tigers Defeat Witt

DETROIT —  Rain delayed the game’s start for 50 minutes. When play began, the temperature was an unseasonably cool 54 degrees.

But Texas right-hander Bobby Witt wasn’t using any of that as an excuse Sunday after he lost for the first time this year after seven wins, 13-5, to the Detroit Tigers.

Bobby Higginson hit a grand slam, getting four hits and tying his career high with five runs batted in. Bob Hamelin added three hits, with a home run, for Detroit.

“I think everybody’s had to pitch in tough weather sometime this year,” said Witt, who lasted just 4 1/3 innings and gave up six runs. “That was not a factor at all.”

More important, Witt said, was that he couldn’t get his pitches down in the strike zone. Five of the Tigers’ eight hits off him went for extra bases, including Hamelin’s homer and two doubles by Melvin Nieves.

“I had the ball up from the get-go,” Witt said. “I was moving up most of the time, so obviously I was doing something wrong. Hamelin hit a fastball up, and most of my sliders were spirals that didn’t do anything.”

Witt was bidding to become the fourth pitcher in the majors to start the season at 8-0, joining Roger Clemens, Jimmy Key and Pedro Martinez.

Felipe Lira (3-2) settled down after the first inning to win his third consecutive decision.

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