every day, he said. And I think that making improvements in certain are

DETROIT -- On the way to winning their sixth straight game, the Detroit Tigers found an extra team-bonding moment.The Tigers held an 8-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but sensed that the Houston Astros were upset that both Jose Altuve and George Springer had been hit by pitches.So, when the Astros Scott Feldman hit Cameron Maybin to start the seventh, the Tigers were ready to get revenge in their own way. First, Maybin stole second -- something he would normally never do with an eight-run lead.I believe in playing the game the right way, so I took second to let them know that I knew what was going, he said. After that, I left it up to the big fella, because I knew he had my back.Miguel Cabrera hit Feldmans next pitch into the Astros bullpen for his second homer of the game. That made it a ten-run game, and the Tigers went on to an 11-0 win Sunday.I didnt need to say anything to Feldman -- that was just baseball, said Cabrera, who celebrated a bit more than expected, given the score. Thats how you play the game.The Tigers, who began the day one game behind Boston for the second American League wild-card spot, have now won six straight -- including a sweep at Fenway Park. The win extended Detroits lead over Houston to 1 1/2 games.It is easy to be confident when you have won six in a row, but weve always felt like this team was going to be in the race, said Justin Upton, who also homered for Detroit. This is a really good team, and were getting hot at the same time were getting healthy.Detroit outscored Houston 28-8 in the series.This wasnt our day, it wasnt our weekend and it wasnt our series, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. We need to pack our stuff and get out of here.James McCanns first career grand slam capped Detroits six-run first inning.Mike Pelfrey (4-9) got the win, pitching five shutout innings and allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four. He has now allowed fewer than two runs in five of his last eight starts.Pelfrey, though, was forced out by tightness in his back, and was having an MRI after the game.Dallas Keuchel (6-11) took the loss, allowing seven runs and seven hits in five innings, walking three and striking out four.Two days after scoring nine runs in the first two innings off Collin McHugh, the Tigers were all over Keuchel. Seven of the first eight batters reached base, capped off by McCanns grand slam to make it 6-0. Only Maybin getting thrown out on the bases kept the defending Cy Young winner from giving up more runs in the inning.A couple tough-luck plays kind of extended that inning, and then I elevated a pitch to McCann, Keuchel said. That was the difference maker.The Astros loaded the bases in the third, but Pelfrey got out of the jam by retiring Carlos Correa on a broken-bat grounder to third. Houston had them loaded again in the seventh, but Bruce Rondon struck out Correa.Cabrera made it 7-0 with a fifth-inning homer off Keuchel, and Mike Aviles added an eighth run in the next inning. He doubled off Scott Feldman and scored on Jose Iglesiass one-out sacrifice fly.TRAINERS ROOMAstros: 1B Marwin Gonzalez (hand) and OF Carlos Gomez (hamstring) were both out of the starting lineup, leaving OF Jake Marisnick as the only healthy position player on Houstons bench. Gonzalez, who got hurt Friday night, is scheduled to see a hand specialist on Monday.Tigers: OF J.D. Martinez (elbow) went 2 for 5 for Triple-A Toledo on Saturday, and is now hitting .350 after four games of a rehab assignment. He still hasnt played the field, but the Tigers are hoping to have him back by weeks end.OLD FRIENDSMcCanns first-inning homer was the first grand slam of his career and the 15th home run. Not only did the grand slam come against Keuchel -- his college teammate at Arkansas -- he has also homered twice against Drew Smyly, who also played with them with the Razorbacks.FIRST HITHouston rookie Alex Bregman got his first career hit in the third inning, ending an 0-for-18 start. Cabrera called for the ball and ceremoniously presented it to Bregman, who tossed it to the Astros dugout.UP NEXTAstros: Return home for the first of four games with Toronto. The Astros may have to start rookie Joe Musgrove, because scheduled starter Doug Fister is with his wife, who is about to give birth to the couples first child. The Blue Jays havent announced their rotation for the series.Tigers: Off Monday before hosting the White Sox for three games. Anibal Sanchez (5-11, 6.56) is scheduled to start the opener against James Shields (5-12, 4.68). Stars Jerseys China .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Stars Jerseys 2020 . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. https://www.cheapstarsonline.com/ . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. Wholesale Stars Jerseys . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Dallas Stars Store .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Addressing reporters for the first time since opting not to pursue further appeals of his four-game suspension in the Deflategate saga, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady called it a personal decision and said he is trying to move on.The four-time Super Bowl winner spoke to the media Friday at New Englands training camp. He is allowed to practice with the team and play in the Patriots preseason games but will miss the first four regular-season games.I tried to come out here and just focus on what I need to do to get better and help our team, he said. Ill be excited to be back when Im back, and Ill be cheering our team on, hoping they can go out and win every game.Brady was suspended for his role in the use of deflated footballs in the 2014 AFC championship win over Indianapolis. He initially won a court appeal, but that was overturned, and Brady chose not to continue the legal fight.The 39-year-old led the league with 36 touchdown passes last season. He must be away from the team beginning Sept. 3, the day of final cuts, and can return on Oct. 3, the day after the Patriots fourth game of the season, against AFC East rival Buffalo. The first game for which Brady will be eligible is Oct. 9 at Cleveland.The suspension will snap his streak of 126 consecutive games played -- 112 in the regular season and 14 playoff games.Asked if it was a difficult decision not to pursue legal avenues to dismiss the suspension imposed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Brady replied:I think its just personal and Ive tried to move on from it so I try to, like I said, focus on the positive and being out here with my teammates and getting better. I dont want to go out and do anything but try to be a great example for your teammates, and weve got a lot of competitive guys that are down here on the practice field, and I think thats where the focus needs to be.Brady cited the support hes received from the Patriotts, his family and fans throughout the process.dddddddddddd He would not say if he was angry at Goodell for the punishment.I have a job to do and I try to approach it the best way I can, Brady said. Ive always tried to do things the same way and every days important to me. Certainly, as someone whos been around here a long time, I know Ive got to bring it every day, and I think I just try to go out there and lead by example, try to bring it and show my teammates that Im ready to go mentally and physically every day.Brady would not say whether the suspension has changed the way hes preparing in training camp. He seemed especially vocal during the morning practice session, an intrasquad scrimmage.Honestly, Im just trying to be as good as I can be every day, he said. And I think that making improvements in certain areas, and weve tried to make them when they changed our offense. And weve got a lot of new players on the team and were just trying to incorporate them. So I feel like were building toward something. And weve got a lot of meaningful preseason games coming up that we have to see some improvements in, and weve got a lot of practices left. Its a long season, so its just going to be a lot of hard work and discipline and effort, and like I said, Im going to go out and do the best that I can do.Brady said he is trying not to think about what it will be like to be away from his team. He would not say how he plans to spend his time away from the Patriots.I try to just be as positive as I can be, he said. I think thats kind of always been my motto. I know over the course of my career Ive been faced with different things and tried to overcome them the best way I could or the best way I knew how and Ill try to do the same thing.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '