Clips rebound to deck Dogs twice

Following three feeble losses to Detroit, the Clips rebounded with 1-0 and 5-2 wins to complete a 2-out-of-5 series with the Demolition Dogs.

Game Four saw a highly improbable pitching duel between Victor Zambrano and Ted Lilly. Zambrano went the distance and gave up only three hits, but one of those was a double by Jason Varitek, who eventually scored on a sac fly for the game's only run. Lilly struck out 10 and held Detroit to just five hits himself, but needed ninth-inning help from Mr. Perfect, Francisco Rodriguez, who shut the door with one out and a runner at third by whiffing Larry Walker and getting Garrett Anderson to line out to end the game.

In Game Five, homers by Khalil Greene and David Ortiz led to a three-run third that KO'd Detroit starter Steve Trachsel. The Dog's pen kept Applegate at bay the rest of the game, but Detroit couldn't muster much offense against Brett Tomko and Rheal Cormier, who came on in the seventh for a three-inning save of a 5-2 Clips victory.

Applegate mustered just 11 runs and 26 hits in the series, a stark contrast to their April road series in Detroit when the Clips racked up 41 runs on 52 hits.

The Clips stand 6-9 on the month as they open their home series with Superior.