ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Detroit Tigers rookie right-handed pitcher Michael Fulmer became the first Tiger starter since at least 1913 to allow one run or fewer in eight consecutive starts.
Fulmer outdueled ex-Tiger Drew Smyly Friday as the pitchers combined to strike out 18 batters.
The Tigers scored six runs (four earned) off Smyly and went on to beat the Rays, 10-2, at Tropicana Field.
Victor Martinez hit a pair of three-run home runs for the Tigers and finished with six RBIs, one shy of his career-high.
The win put the Tigers (42-38) four games over .500 for the first time since May 1.
Fulmer had been tied with Justin Verlander and Al Benton for the longest streak of starts allowing one run or fewer in franchise history. Verlander's seven start streak was from June 9 to July 10, 2011. Benton's streak went from April 19 to May 24, 1945.
Fulmer allowed two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings against the Rays. He struck out 10, one shy of his previous career-high, which also came against the Rays.
The Rays went down swinging on each strikeout Friday against Fulmer, who had at least one strikeout in each inning he pitched. He struck out two batters each in the first, second and fifth.
Fulmer gave up a single with two outs in the second to Rays DH Corey Dickerson and a one-out single to first baseman Logan Morrison in the seventh.
Fulmer gave up a leadoff walk to Oswaldo Arcia in the sixth. Hank Conger struck out swinging at a change-up and Fulmer got the next two hitters on groundouts.
Dickerson made the final out of the seventh when he struck out swinging at a 96-mph fastball to become the 10th strikeout victim.
Fulmer struck out 11 Rays in a 5-4 win in Detroit on May 21. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk in seven innings in that start.
The Tigers scored four runs in the seventh inning to take a 7-0 lead. James McCann came home on a wild pitch by Smyly with Miguel Cabrera batting.
Smyly exited after giving up a walk to Cabrera and Martinez hit a three-run home run off right-hander Danny Farquhar that hit the C-ring catwalk in right.
Martinez hit a three-run home run to left in the ninth to give the Tigers a 10-0 lead.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Cameron Maybin led off with a single and stole second. Nick Castellanos hit a two-out RBI double to left.
Maybin hit a two-out, two-run single in the fifth inning to give the Tigers a three-run cushion. Maybin extended his hitting streak to seven games and finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Maybin hit a three-run double in the ninth inning of Thursday's 10-7 win over the Rays.
Mike Aviles had reached on a throwing error by Rays shortstop Brad Miller in the fifth and Jose Iglesias hit a one-out single. Iglesias has reached safely in 23 of his last 27 games.
Smyly allowed six hits and four walks over 62/3 innings with eight strikeouts for the Rays.
The Tigers have scored 10 runs in three straight games for the first time since scoring double-digit runs in four straight games from July 28 to Aug. 1, 1996. The Tigers beat the Marlins, 10-3, on Wednesday in Detroit.
Tigers right-handed pitcher Mark Lowe gave up a two-run home run to Brad Miller in the ninth inning.
