Curtis Granderson's single loaded the bases, and Placido Polanco's infield single, a high chopper to third, made it 11-8 before Ordonez hit into an inning-ending double play. Inge hit a solo home run off Rich Thompson in the ninth.
A pitcher's duel, it wasn't.
Left-hander Joe Saunders became the first Angels starter to give up more than four runs this season, yielding two in the first, two in the third, and one in the fifth on Granderson's home run.
Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander was worse, needing 104 pitches to get through five innings, in which he gave up seven runs and nine hits.
Verlander threw 36 pitches in the first inning alone, including a hanging breaking ball that Morales lofted into the seats in right-center field for a three-run home run and a 3-2 lead.
Aybar's RBI double in the second made it 4-2. Detroit tied the score, 4-4, in the third and went ahead on Granderson's homer in the fifth, but the Angels countered with three in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-5 lead.
Izturis and Bobby Abreu opened with singles and Hunter hit an RBI single to right that advanced Abreu to third. Hunter alertly took second on the throw, and both runners scored on Morales' single to right.
mike.digiovanna@latimes.com
