DETROIT -- Max Scherzer is pitching so well, hes tough to beat. The Detroit Tigers are pretty good, too, at the plate and in the field. Scherzer pitched three-hit ball and struck out nine over eight innings, leading Detroit past the Houston Astros 2-0 Monday night for its season-high sixth straight victory. The reigning Cy Young Award winner will get credit for the win, but acknowledged he had plenty of help. Alex Avila threw out three runners. Austin Jackson sprinted toward the centre field wall to catch a deep drive. Andrew Romine perfectly placed a bunt down the third base line to put Nick Castellanos in scoring position for Rajai Davis. Davis broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh inning. "Those are the little things that go on," Scherzer said. "Thats why as a team, were successful." Victor Martinez hit a solo homer in the eighth inning and Joe Nathan pitched the ninth for his sixth save in eight chances for the AL-leading Tigers. "You definitely enjoy the winning streaks," Scherzer said. "You play 162 games, if you dont enjoy these, youre just going to beat yourself up." The Astros, who have the worst record in the majors, had a team meeting recently and manager Bo Porter told his players that they need to realize there is a lot of baseball left to play this season. "I wanted to make sure that as a team, we dont lose sight of that," Porter said. Scherzer (4-1) earned his fourth straight win. He has struck out at least seven in each of his seven starts this season, the only pitcher to pull off that feat in franchise history and the first for any team since San Franciscos Tim Lincecum in 2010. "Hes a Cy Young winner for a reason, but Jarred (Cosart) matched him pitch for pitch," Porter said. "That was a great performance, but we couldnt get him a win." Jarred Cosart (1-3) allowed an unearned run and four hits in seven innings. Nick Castellanos reached in the seventh because first baseman Marc Krauss dropped a perfect throw from third baseman Matt Dominguez. "I just took my eye off the ball," Krauss said. "That was a pretty bad time to do something like that because Cosart was pitching his guts out against one of the best teams in baseball, and I handed them another out in a key situation. "I feel horrible because I cost him a great shot at a win," he said. Scherzer gave up a leadoff walk to Krauss in the eighth and Jonathan Villar singled with one out. Jose Altuve then struck out and Avila threw out pinch-runner Marwin Gonzalez trying to steal third. "That was definitely a momentum-shifter," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. Nathan walked Dexter Fowler to lead off the inning. Fowler tried to advance on a pitch in the dirt and was thrown out by Avila, a call that stood after a video review. "I was a little surprised that they went down two runs," Avila said. Houstons Anthony Bass, who pitched at nearby Wayne State University, gave up Martinezs homer. Both starting pitchers slowed down lineups that have been more productive lately. The Tigers scored at least eight runs in each win during their three-game sweep at Kansas City last weekend. Houston had a combined 20 runs in its previous three games. NOTES: The Tigers cleared the way for LHP Robbie Ray to make his major league debut. They took 1B Jordan Lennerton off their 40-man roster, outrighting his contract to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, and optioned RHP Jose Ortega to pitch for the Mud Hens. Ray is listed as the probable pitcher for Tuesday nights game at home against LHP Brett Oberholtzer (0-5) the Astros. The 22-year-old Ray was a key part of the off-season trade that sent RHP Doug Fister to Washington. ... Astros RHP Scott Feldman, who has been on the DL since mid-April with right biceps tendinitis, is expected to start Friday at Baltimore. ... Porter said RHP Matt Albers, on the DL with shoulder tendinitis, is "getting closer," to returning. ... Many of the Tigers were sporting Zubaz pants -- with orange and blue stripes -- in the clubhouse before the game and had matching flip flops, ties and headbands in their lockers. Ausmus said they were team-bonding gifts from RHP Joba Chamberlain. "The sad part is I had Zubaz when I was younger," the 45-year-old Ausmus said. "For the guys in the clubhouse, this is retro." ... Lions safety Glover Quin, Michigan guard Nik Stauskas and U.S. Speedskating Olympian Kelly Gunther each threw a ceremonial first pitch. Air Max 180 Australia . The team announced the moves before Sundays game against Houston. Shaw was 1-4 with a 4.26 ERA in 43 games for the Diamondbacks. Bergesen was claimed off waivers from Baltimore on Friday. Air Max 270 React Sale . -- Detroit shortstop Jose Iglesias says he has stress fractures in both legs and isnt sure when hell be able to play again, leaving the Tigers two weeks to fill his spot for opening day and perhaps a lot longer. http://www.outletairmaxaustralia.com/air-max2-light-buy-australia.html . But Paul Osbaldiston, Hamiltons assistant special teams and kicking coach, said the team still relished the championship game workout. Nike Just Do It Shoes Australia . Balotelli was out at dinner with his brother Enoch and came home to discover he had been burgled. The car was later found abandoned. Balotelli wrote Saturday on Twitter: "I feel empty! No emotions . Nike Air Max Zero Australia . Head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed on Sunday that his starting goalie has a head injury and the team will take it day by day.EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers returned to the ice Wednesday after 12 days off for the Olympic break, several of them with red faces either from sun tanning or the hard bike riding that was part of the mini training camp/conditioning session they were put through. "It feels a lot shorter than it was," said veteran defenceman Andrew Ference, who spent part of the break with his family in Canmore, Alta., visiting former Olympians Thomas Grandi and Sara Renner. "But its a really good chance to get rid of all the little aches and pains." Ference said it has to be remembered that with back-to-back condensed seasons - last year because of the lockout - players need the break both mentally and physically. "The last calendar year I think I played 110 or 120 games, so its a much welcomed break." It was a break that came with the Oilers suddenly having found their game in the midst of another disastrous, non-playoff season. They went into the Olympic break having won five of their previous seven games - one of the losses was in overtime - and outscoring their opponents 18-12. Their previous 10 games before the break - the statistic the NHL keeps - showed them at 5-3-2, a record that put them in the middle of the pack, unlike the 29th place they are in with their overall record of 20-33-7. "It is tough from that aspect," forward Jordan Eberle said of the untimely break. "Some of the GMs around the league have been complaining, some of the teams were going well and then you get this break. Its almost like a new season starting. "But, for me personally, I feel you get re-energized, with a little more jump and a little more excitement to play, like you didd in camp.dddddddddddd I feel really energized and ready to play." Like many of the players, Eberle took a vacation away from the game, away from Edmonton and away from winter. But not away from working out. "Yeah I went away but I definitely worked out," he added. "I knew today was going to be a tough day. It was just a bit of a skate but most of the stuff was in the gym and it was tough." Ference said the players were put through a tough physical that included a hard bike ride but said everybody looked fine. "Nobody was puking." Veteran Ryan Smyth said it would have been nice to be playing in the Olympics again, but he appreciated the great family time he had in Mexico. And as a player turning 38 on Friday, he said "any time you get some rest for the body to recuperate, it will really help." While players made sure they stayed physically active and in shape, they were able to mentally turn off the game and enjoy some rare family time. "Your mind is a little off on vacation so you give yourself a break there," said Eberle, second on the Oilers scoring with 45 points. "But as far as your body you have to make sure youre still able to come back and play 22 games. So everyone took their mind away from the game, which is a good thing. "I went on vacation somewhere hot and your mind is so out of it that you think, wow, I have to come back and play hockey? But as soon as you get to Edmonton, see the snow on the ground, it changes pretty quickly. I got on the ice, felt pretty excited to get back. Its almost like a new season here." The Oilers resume play Feb. 27 at home against the Minnesota Wild. 20:11ET 19-02-14 ' ' '