Arlington, TX -- (Sports Network) - Curtis Granderson's two triples and four RBI helped give Kenny Rogers a victory over his old team, as the Detroit Tigers held off the pesky Texas Rangers, 8-7 in the opener of a three-game set.

Rogers (9-10), who was drafted by Texas in the 39th round of the 1982 draft and spent three different stints with the club, struck out seven and gave up three runs on eight hits and four walks to snap a personal four-start skid.

Gary Sheffield had three hits, including a two-run homer for Detroit, which had dropped five of seven. Brandon Inge reached base on all four of his plate appearances while knocking in a run for the victors.

Rangers starter Scott Feldman held the Tigers scoreless through six, but did not record an out in Detroit's four-run seventh. The right-hander scattered five hits and four walks in addition to four strikeouts in taking a no- decision. Frank Francisco (2-5) was given the loss after yielding the go-ahead run in his relief appearance.

Chris Davis was 3-for-4, while Michael Young and Frank Catalanotto drove in two runs apiece for Texas, which has dropped 10 of 12 and six straight to the Tigers dating back to last season.

Feldman, who gave up 12 runs in less than three innings in his last outing at Boston, held the potent Tigers lineup to a mere two hits through six frames. But things unraveled in the seventh, as Carlos Guillen beat out an infield single and Sheffield followed with a blast down the left-field line that stayed fair and landed in the seats to cut Detroit's deficit to 3-2.

The Rangers pulled their starter following Matt Joyce's two-bagger, and Francisco surrendered a one-out, run-scoring hit to Inge. Granderson took little time to break the 3-3 tie, as the speedster drilled a ball into the right-field gap and sprinted around for a go-ahead triple.

The visitors added four insurance runs -- all with two outs -- an inning later, as Texas third baseman Travis Metcalf booted Edgar Renteria's grounder, scoring one of the two base runners.

Jamey Wright then hit Inge to load the bases and Granderson came away with his second triple in as many innings, clearing the bases for an 8-3 lead.

As per usual, the Rangers did not go away easily, quickly loading the bases off Kyle Farnsworth. Catalanotto came through with a two-run, pinch-hit double and Joaquin Arias, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma before the game, also stepped off the bench to bloop an RBI double down the right-field line.

Young made the second out of the inning with an RBI grounder to third, but that was as close as Texas got.

Fernando Rodney struck out the always dangerous Josh Hamilton to finish off the eighth, and worked around a baserunner in the ninth to notch his fifth save of the season.

Gerald Laird broke a scoreless tie with two away in the fourth by lining an 0-2 offering in front of a diving Joyce in left, scoring Milton Bradley.

The Rangers tacked on two more an inning later as Young doubled home Ramon Vazquez and scored on Marlon Byrd's base hit to left.

Game Notes

Sheffield's blast was career home run No. 493...The Rangers were struck with unfortunate news before the game, as All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler, who led the majors in hits and runs before Monday's action, had to be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sports hernia. Texas recalled Arias to take Kinsler's roster spot...In Feldman's previous outing, he became the first major league pitcher to give up 12-or-more runs in a game without getting the loss since the Cardinals' Gene Packard on August 3, 1918.