DETROIT -- Getting the rust off following a rest was a problem for the Baltimore Orioles' Ubaldo Jimenez and the Detroit Tigers' Anibal Sanchez.

But it was no problem at all for the Tigers' Jose Iglesias, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez.

Shortstop Iglesias hit a three-run home run, designated hitter Victor Martinez smacked a two-run blow and right fielder J.D. Martinez added a solo shot -- all off Jimenez -- to help Sanchez win his sixth straight decision, a 7-3 victory over the Orioles on Friday.

"It was a sticky, tough night," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said of Jimenez (7-5), who was not sharp while going just 4 2/3 innings and allowing seven runs on seven hits. "It happens to guys a lot coming out of the All-Star break. One of the good things that happened was that a lot of our bullpen guys were able to get in some work."

"After the fourth or fifth inning I started to figure out my location," said Sanchez (9-7), who threw 99 pitches and was able to get through six innings before needing bullpen help. "Every lead I had, I needed."

"He battled through it," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "He didn't have his best stuff. I don't know if the long layoff affected him. He didn't pitch since Seattle. I don't think he was as crisp as he would be if he was on a regular five-day rotation."

Right-hander Sanchez gave up eight hits and two walks in his six innings but got help in right from Martinez, who reached over the fence to haul in what would have been a two-run home run by right fielder Chris Davis for the third out of the third. Martinez also snagged a rising line drive by designated hitter Jimmy Paredes with the bases loaded for the third out of the fourth.

"If he (Martinez) doesn't catch that ball, it's a different score," said Sanchez, a sentiment echoed by Showalter. "And if he doesn't catch that line drive...

"J.D. made the game."

"He's really gotten better and better in right field," Ausmus said. "We moved him around a little bit last year, right field and left field. This year, since spring training, he's been in right field, and I think he's got a comfort level with it, especially at Comerica Park.

"He knows where the wall is, he knows the angles, and he just seems more at ease out there than he did a year ago."

Detroit caught a break in the ninth when Davis was called out on a 3-2 pitch that graphics showed to be off the plate. A walk there would have loaded the bases against right-handed closer Joakim Soria.

"We were four inches from bringing the tying run to the plate," Showalter said. "But the sky is not falling. Good times are ahead."

Baltimore got to Detroit's bullpen for a run in the seventh. The Orioles put runners at first and third against right-hander Al Alburquerque, and scored when second baseman Ian Kinsler threw wildly to second for an error on a fielder's choice RBI grounder by Davis off lefty Blaine Hardy.

Hardy finished the seventh, got the first out of the eighth, and newcomer right-hander Neftali Feliz turned the game over to Soria after getting the final two in the eighth.

Detroit has now scored 67 runs in its last 11 games, since Ausmus retooled his batting order. But the Tigers are only 6-5 in those games.

J.D. Martinez hit his 26th home run and fifth in 11 games with nobody on in the fifth to give Detroit a 7-2 edge.

One inning earlier, shortstop Iglesias, hitting .233 over his previous 10 games, came up after singles by first baseman Alex Avila and catcher James McCann to line his second home run of the season over the fence in left to expand the Tigers' lead to 6-2.

Iglesias was hit by a pitch in the second, stole second and scored on a ground rule double to left by center fielder Anthony Gose, putting Detroit up 3-1.

Baltimore loaded the bases off Sanchez in the fourth and got a run when first baseman Chris Parmelee hit into a force play at second, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

The Orioles had scored their first run in the second on a two-out single to right by second baseman Jonathan Schoop with runners at first and third.

Victor Martinez hit a two-run home run to right in the first, the fourth he had hit off Jimenez in 25 at-bats, to enable the Tigers to jump on top 2-0.

NOTES: Detroit placed 1B Marc Krauss on the paternity list Friday, calling up INF Dixon Machado from Triple-A Toledo to replace him. Machado is in his second stint with the Tigers. ... Baltimore missed on signing its second-round draft choice, RHP Jonathan Hughes of Flowery Branch, Ga. Hughes will attend Georgia Tech instead. ... The Tigers' highest unsigned pick at the Friday deadline was seventh-round selection SS Nicholas Shumpert of Highlands Ranch (Col.) High School. ... Orioles RHP Chris Tillman, who will face Detroit on Saturday, is 3-0 against the Tigers in six career starts. Baltimore also signed lefties Dana Eveland and Andy Oliver to Triple-A contracts.