Tempers flare as Tigers’ streak stalls

DETROIT — Three months after Michael Fulmer took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning against the Angels, they exacted their revenge with a Kaleb Cowart two-run homer and the stingy pitching of Brett Oberholtzer and Jhoulys Chacin, ending the Tigers’ five-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory on Saturday night at Comerica Park.

Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, manager Brad Ausmus and hitting coach Wally Joyner were all ejected in a span of four innings for arguing balls and strikes on a frustrating night for Detroit.

Fulmer (10-5), pitching on seven days’ rest as part of Detroit’s plan to temper the rookie’s innings total and protect his arm, struggled with command and paid for it with a three-run third. After Fulmer hit Carlos Perez, he fell behind on Cowart, challenging him with fastballs over the plate on 3-0 and 3-1 counts. Cowart drilled the latter deep to right for his second Major League home run. Justin Upton’s catch at the left-field fence on an Albert Pujols drive denied a three-run homer, but C.J. Cron singled home Kole Calhoun.

Fulmer allowed five hits over as many innings, walking one and striking out four. Oberholtzer, starting in place of Chacin, allowed only an Ian Kinsler homer over three innings before Chacin delivered four scoreless innings of relief. Miguel Cabrera singled and scored in the eighth, but JC Ramirez stranded the potential tying run at third base by retiring red-hot Upton.

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