n Stamkos continued towards his potential return on Friday

DETROIT -- Max Scherzer gave Detroits beleaguered bullpen a bit of a breather. Thomas Meunier Jersey . Scherzer struck out nine in seven innings -- fanning Mike Trout three times in the process -- and the Detroit Tigers finally managed to beat the Los Angeles Angels, 5-2 on Saturday. Detroit had dropped 10 straight to the Angels, including an 11-6 loss the previous night in which Los Angeles battered the Tigers with 10 extra-base hits. "I realized it was important to get deep into a game, and thats why even after the sixth inning I said, Let me go back out there," Scherzer said. "I know our bullpen has been taxed as of late." Nick Castellanos and Victor Martinez homered for the Tigers, who beat the Angels for the first time since Aug. 26, 2012. Albert Pujols hit his 498th homer, connecting for a solo shot in the ninth for Los Angeles. Scherzer (1-1) allowed a run and three hits with two walks. The AL Cy Young Award winner struck Pujols out twice and shut down Trout, rebounding quickly after giving up a homer to J.B. Shuck to lead off the game. "Some days youve just got to tip your cap. (Scherzer) made a few good pitches," Trout said. "Hes got good life on his fastball. The ball, in the middle, kind of rises up from that kind of sidearm motion." Joba Chamberlain struck out two in the eighth for the Tigers, and Joe Nathan got Trout looking to start the ninth. It was Trouts first career four-strikeout game. "Hes a great hitter, and I respect everything that he does," Scherzer said. "Youve got to be really aggressive right back at him." C.J. Wilson (2-2) gave up three earned runs in five innings. Shuck led off the game with a homer, but that was all the scoring for the Angels until Pujols homered for the second straight day, hitting his sixth shot of the season. In a sign of things to come, Scherzer struck out Trout, Pujols and Raul Ibanez immediately after allowing the homer to Shuck. Wilson made it through a shaky first inning, but Castellanos hit a two-run homer in the second to put the Tigers ahead to stay. Detroit added an unearned run in the third. Miguel Cabrera reached on an error by right fielder Brennan Boesch and went to second on a wild pitch. Cabrera was then called out at third when Trout -- his foil from the last two American League MVP races -- made a nice throw from centre. The Tigers challenged the call, however, and Cabrera was ruled safe. Cabrera scored on a sacrifice fly by Austin Jackson to make it 3-1. The Tigers thought theyd escaped a jam in the fourth when Ian Stewart was called out trying to steal second, but the Angels challenged and the call was overturned. With runners on second and third, Scherzer struck out Erick Aybar for the third out. Martinez added a solo homer in the fifth, and Ian Kinslers sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 5-1. Scherzer, meanwhile, looked every bit his Cy Young self. Trout, Pujols and Ibanez -- the second, third and fourth hitters in the Los Angeles lineup -- went 0 for 8 with seven strikeouts and a walk against the Detroit starter. "I cant say enough about how important that start was -- not only for us as a team, but just for the bullpen," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We had a bunch of guys out there who really could use a day off." Its no surprise when Scherzer pitches well, but Chamberlains performance may have been even more encouraging. He retired the side on eight pitches -- all strikes -- in the eighth. "If he keeps throwing all strikes, hell pitch a lot," Ausmus said. NOTES: The Angels have outscored opponents 19-5 in the first inning this year. ... Los Angeles entered the game with a major league-high 27 homers and an AL-worst 20 homers allowed -- then added to both those totals. ... Detroit RHP Rick Porcello (1-1) faces Angels LHP Hector Santiago (0-2) on Sunday. Michy Batshuayi Belgium Jersey . As the schedule flipped from November to December, they would go on to drop five straight, falling six games below the .500 mark before a franchise-altering trade turned them into an unrecognizable team. Axel Witsel Jersey . “The shootout, theres nothing wrong with it, I think its an exciting part of the game but its just one small aspect,” said Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. “Its a skill exhibition. If you can get it back closer to regular hockey and have it decided that way; that would be my preference.” “I dont think its a knock on the shootout, I think more of the managers would like to see it end in overtime,” added Washington Capitals GM George McPhee. http://www.belgiumsoccerauthority.com/thibaut-courtois-belgium-jersey/ . In a series of tweets, it is explained by the Department of Player Safety that Niederreiter makes full body contact with Burrows and although there is head contact, he does not "pick" the head in the course of making the hit.Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos continued towards his potential return on Friday, taking part in practice drills with light contact. While the 23-year-olds progress had some teammates saying he was looking pretty good, Stamkos offered a more tempered approach to his return. "I dont feel where I need to be in order to play a game yet, but its getting there," he told reporters after practice at the Bell Centre in Montreal. "Its nice to hear that the guys are saying that. Today I was in the corners a little more and getting bumped around (but) by no means was it full contact." Stamkos fractured the tibia in his right leg in a Nov. 11 game against the Boston Bruins and underwent surgery the following day. He returned to practice earlier than expected, leading each days progress to be closely monitored by Lightning fans as well as Canadians. Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman named Stamkos to Canadas 25-man roster for the coming Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, but with Canadas first game just two weeks away, the clock is ticking on his hopes to be healthy in time. "You just have to listen to your body," Stamkos said. "Were talking a lot about the Olympics and my goal is to try to be ready for those Games, but your body doesnt lie. If youre doing certainn movements and you feel pain then thats an indicator that maybe its not quite ready. Jan Vertonghen Jersey. . "It is tough mentally as well, going in there knowing that youre a little hesitant in certain areas. Ive said that before that thats what you dont want so you just try to overcome that as you progress and you take more contact in practice and hopefully that goes away." Stamkos scored 14 goals and 23 points in 17 for the Lightning this season prior to his injury. However, opportunities to get into game action before the Olympics are dwindling for the sniper. The Lightning have four games remaining before the NHL goes on break for the Games with the teams final game coming Feb. 8 against the Detroit Red Wings. While the Brampton, Ontario native wouldnt commit to a timeline, he acknowledged his progress thus far and expressed hope for it to continue over the next two weeks. "It has gotten better," he said. "Theres less and less pain every time I get on the ice but there is still a little discomfort. "Im hoping in the next week and a half, two weeks, that that feels a lot better and I can do certain movements without having that pain or at least with some pain thats manageable. Right now its still a little sharp in certain areas so thats what Im trying to improve." 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