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. Authentic Ernie Banks 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. Authentic Ron Santo Jersey . Thaddeus Young scored seven of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Turner added 22 points, and the 76ers hung on for their first road win since Nov. 1, beating the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 on Sunday night. Authentic Mark Grace Jersey . The (14-15-5) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 33 points. They trail sixth place Nashville and fifth place Dallas by two points. http://www.cheapcubsjerseysshop.com/?tag=authentic-willson-contreras-jersey . -- The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed cornerback Perrish Cox to a one-year contract.TORONTO -- England striker Jermain Defoe is a test for any MLS defence. He is nigh unstoppable against the leagues worst. The 31-year-old dangerman set up two goals and scored two himself as Toronto FC rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the slumping Houston Dynamo 4-2 on Saturday night. Defoe played provider for Jonathan Osorio and Dominic Oduro in the first half then scored himself in the 63rd and 89th minutes to help Toronto (7-5-3) snap a three-game winless streak. Defoe, who has 10 goals in 12 league games, was a one-man wrecking crew in a wide-open entertaining game. "It helps having a world-class player like Defoe any time, to tell you the truth," said manager Ryan Nelsen. "But in times like this (going down early) yes, because you know youre going to get chances and you just hope they get taken. And when youve got a player of that ability, they get taken. "Our attacking guys got the boys at the back out of a bit of trouble. Because we dug ourselves a bit of a hole. But having said that, after 90-odd minutes, it was a proper team performance with a lot of character." Brad Davis scored twice in the first half for Houston (5-11-3), which has conceded a league-worst 38 goals this season, before an announced sellout of 22,591 at BMO Field. The two teams combined for 30 shots, with each managing eight on target. Toronto goalie Joe Bendik helped the home side comeback with some key saves in the second half. "The crowd got their money worth, didnt they," said Nelsen, who clearly could have done without some of the early drama. "We came out slow, very slow." Houston coach Dominic Kinnear saw it from the other side. "Good start and then we made some mistakes that they were more than happy to take advantage of." Somewhat amazingly, the win marked the first time in club history that Toronto has overcome a two-goal deficit to win in league play. It also marked only the third time in club history that the team has scored four unanswered goals (it happened before in a 4-1 win over D.C. United on Sept. 28, 2013, and a 4-0 victory over FC Dallas on June 17, 2007). The four goals also tied a Toronto franchise record. Houston went ahead in the 13th minute, taking advantage of some Brazil-type defending by Toronto. English forward Giles Barnes waltzed past Osorio, Doneil Henry and Mark Bloom before feeding an open Davis, whose hard left-footed shot from inside the penalty box beat Bendik. The home side paid for some more poor defending in the 29th minute as Bloom and Steven Caldwell both went for -- and missed -- a Barnes cross, leaving Davis all alone at the side of the goal. Toronto pulled one back in the 39th minute when Hall fumbled a Defoe cross. The ball fell kindly to Osorio who, thanks to an opportune move towards goal, knocked it in with his head. Cheap Chicago Cubs Jerseys. Defoe played provider again on a counter-attack in first-half stoppage time after Barnes cut through the Toronto defence before losing possession and going down. While he lay face first on the turf, Osorio found Defoe on a three-on-two and the English forward slid the ball to an open Oduro on the right. Oduros first shot was blocked by Hall but he made no mistake with the rebound to register his 47th career MLS goal -- and first for Toronto. Defoe capped off a stylish attack to make it 3-2 in the 63rd minute after Brazilian winger Jackson backheeled the ball to Osorio, who found Defoe. Spurning a teammate on his left, Defoe accelerated past two Houston defenders and sent the ball through Halls legs. "It was a simple pass to Defoe ... Thats what happens when you have a star player like that up front," said Osorio. Defoe then pounced on an errant back pass from substitute Servando Carrasco late in the game to come in all alone on goal. The beleaguered Hall got a piece of his first shot but Defoe calmly went past him to knock the ball in. "It was like Christmas, man," said Defoe, flashing a smile. "I just couldnt believe it." Defoe had almost scored in the 29th minute but Hall palmed his free kick over the bar. The loss extended the Dynamos winless streak to seven games -- a 1-6 stretch that saw them outscored 19-4 and set a club goalless record streak of 480 minutes. Houston has not won in the league since May 17 (a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy). "Pretty disappointed, being up two goals we were in the driver seat," said Davis. "We are just letting too many goals in. We are just getting scored on a little too easy." The Dynamo are 1-8-1 on the road this season, scoring seven goals while conceding 24. The two team meets again next Saturday in Houston, after Toronto hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps in a midweek game. Caldwell may be in doubt for that midweek game after exiting in the 69th minute with a quad injury. A full-page ad in local papers welcomed the return of Toronto star midfielder Michael Bradley but Nelsen kept the U.S. international out of practice during the week in a bid to rest some niggling injuries. Bradley, who played some 60 minutes last week, did not even make the bench Saturday. The Dynamo have suffered in midfield from an injury to Ricardo Clark (concussion) and the World Cup absences of American Davis and Honduran Boniek Garcia. All three were back Saturday for the second game in a row. Saturday also marked the return of injured Houston defenders Jermaine Taylor (hip contusion) and David Horst (groin). Houston collected five yellow cards to Torontos one. Taylors yellow card means he faces a suspension. Cheap Steelers Jerseys Cheap Patriots Jerseys Cheap Bills Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Giants Jerseys Cheap Redskins Jerseys Cheap Bears Jerseys Cheap Eagles Jerseys Cheap Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Jaguars Jerseys Cheap Raiders Jerseys Cheap Dolphins Jerseys Cheap Panthers Jerseys Cheap Lions Jerseys Cheap Browns Jerseys ' ' '