DETROIT -- The way the Tigers' starting staff has been pitching, the bottom third of the Astros' lineup was an unlikely cast of characters to chase Rick Porcello from the game on Wednesday.Porcello, the closest thing to the Reggie Jackson of May, encountered trouble from the American League's lowest-scoring offense in the seventh inning. But Joba Chamberlain induced a groundout of Jose Altuve for the third out. Detroit held on to beat the Astros, 3-2, at Comerica Park to extend baseball's longest current winning streak to eight games. 
The Tigers won despite knocking only five hits, tied for the second fewest they've had all season, and a day after they clubbed a season-high 18. Two of those hits, however, left the yard.Before allowing three consecutive two-out hits to Houston's seven, eight and nine hitters, Porcello pitched impressively. He allowed two runs in his 6 2/3 innings off seven hits to become only the American League's second five-game winner.While "Mr. May" may not carry the same weight as Jackson's "Mr. October" moniker, it's difficult to ignore the numbers Porcello has put up in May over his six big league seasons. In 27 career starts, he is 15-6 with an ERA of 3.12.It briefly looked as if Tigers manager Brad Ausmus had left Porcello in the game one batter too long. With runners on the corners in the seventh and two outs, the pair conferenced, and Ausmus opted to stick with his starter. Marwin Gonzalez then singled to pull the Astros to within a run.Chamberlain struck out the side in the eighth after ending the seventh-inning rally.Fans who braved the wet conditions that briefly delayed the first pitch were rewarded with another Miguel Cabrera long ball. He sent a fastball on the inner third of the plate over the right-field wall for his second homer in as many nights, giving the Tigers a 2-0 first-inning lead they wouldn't relinquish.Cabrera's ability to drive an inside pitch to the opposite field further proves his slow start was little cause for alarm.In the sixth inning, with Detroit leading, 2-1, Victor Martinez homered on an 0-2 fastball from Houston starter Brad Peacock. The round-tripper extended Martinez's hitting streak to 10 games, which is now the team's longest after Torii Hunter snapped his 13-game streak with an 0-for-4 night.Matt Slovin / MLB.com
The Tigers won despite knocking only five hits, tied for the second fewest they've had all season, and a day after they clubbed a season-high 18. Two of those hits, however, left the yard.Before allowing three consecutive two-out hits to Houston's seven, eight and nine hitters, Porcello pitched impressively. He allowed two runs in his 6 2/3 innings off seven hits to become only the American League's second five-game winner.While "Mr. May" may not carry the same weight as Jackson's "Mr. October" moniker, it's difficult to ignore the numbers Porcello has put up in May over his six big league seasons. In 27 career starts, he is 15-6 with an ERA of 3.12.It briefly looked as if Tigers manager Brad Ausmus had left Porcello in the game one batter too long. With runners on the corners in the seventh and two outs, the pair conferenced, and Ausmus opted to stick with his starter. Marwin Gonzalez then singled to pull the Astros to within a run.Chamberlain struck out the side in the eighth after ending the seventh-inning rally.Fans who braved the wet conditions that briefly delayed the first pitch were rewarded with another Miguel Cabrera long ball. He sent a fastball on the inner third of the plate over the right-field wall for his second homer in as many nights, giving the Tigers a 2-0 first-inning lead they wouldn't relinquish.Cabrera's ability to drive an inside pitch to the opposite field further proves his slow start was little cause for alarm.In the sixth inning, with Detroit leading, 2-1, Victor Martinez homered on an 0-2 fastball from Houston starter Brad Peacock. The round-tripper extended Martinez's hitting streak to 10 games, which is now the team's longest after Torii Hunter snapped his 13-game streak with an 0-for-4 night.Matt Slovin / MLB.com
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