DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers insisted they were not concerned about their worst skid of the year a few hours before playing the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the AL championship series. Derrick Nnadi Jersey . Detroit later showed it still has what it takes to win with strong pitching, big hits and usually sound defence. Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning and Victor Martinez cleared the fences in the eighth, helping Detroit beat Boston 6-2 and end a season-high five-game losing streak Friday. "This was a good night for everyone," Drew Smyly said after pitching six strong innings. Detroit had lost 13 of 17 games, including the previous four, since sweeping the Red Sox on the road a few weeks ago. "Ive spoken to players a couple times over this stretch," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Theres no reason to throw a fit unless its a lack of effort or concentration. This stretch has not been caused by a lack of concentration or effort." Smyly (3-4) snapped a skid of his own. He was 0-2 in his last two starts, giving up a total of nine runs over nine innings, and was 0-3 in his previous six outings. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits over six innings and struck out four, walking only one against the Red Sox. "He was locating his pitches and keeping us off balance," Boston centre fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said after going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. "He had command on both sides of the plate." Rubby De La Rosa, meanwhile, paid a steep price for letting some pitches sail too high. De La Rosa (1-1) gave up four runs, nine hits and two walks. He had five strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings. In his first start of the season, he threw seven scoreless innings against Tampa Bay last week. "I feel almost 100 per cent like last time," De La Rosa said. "I just missed more pitches." Boston has lost four straight after winning seven in a row. The Red Sox are averaging fewer than three runs during the losing streak. "Offensively, were scuffling," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Weve had a rough go with runners in scoring position." The Red Sox hope to end a trend this weekend. In their last seven series, they been swept four times and have won each game in the other three matchups. "We became so accustomed to being consistent," Farrell said. "The last two and a half weeks have been difficult." Kinsler and Hunter cleared the fences during a three-pitch sequence in the fifth, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead. "They squared (De La Rosa) up when he was up in the strike zone," Farrell said. The Red Sox pulled within two runs in the sixth when Dustin Pedroia reached on Romines throwing error, advanced to third on David Ortizs single through the right side against a shifted infield and scored on Jonny Gomes sacrifice fly. Detroits Ian Krol and Joba Chamberlain each threw an inning of scoreless relief and Joe Nathan pitched the ninth in a non-save situation. NOTES: Tigers C Alex Avila is expected to miss Saturdays game after being hit in the head by Ortizs backswing in the eighth inning, and being replaced by Bryan Holaday. "Hes in a good humour, but he got stung pretty good," Ausmus said. ... Red Sox hitting coach Greg Colbrunn is expected to stay hospitalized in Cleveland for at least another week after he had bleeding in the area between his brain and the thin tissues covering it. Tim Hyers, Bostons minor league hitting co-ordinator, is filling in for Colbrunn while hes away from the team indefinitely. ... Tigers SS Eugenio Suarez was held out of the lineup to rest his sore left knee and Ausmus said he is "hour to hour," when asked for timetable on his return. ... The Tigers will send RHP Max Scherzer (6-2) to the mound against Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (6-6) on Saturday in a nationally televised game. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (left knee) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday in Detroit, where Mike Napoli, who is on the DL with a sprained left finger, is expected to hit against him. Anthony Hitchens Chiefs Jersey . 8 Sergio Parisse for its penultimate Six Nations match against Ireland at Lansdowne Road. Armani Watts Jersey . Adam LaRoche will take that. "I like our position in the standings and I like how our team is playing," LaRoche said after Washington swept a day-night doubleheader from the Cubs on Saturday. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Dorian-ODaniel-Chiefs-Jersey/ .Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting through Nassau Coliseum.VANCOUVER - Blake Nill says he could be taking on the biggest challenge of his career.The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds introduced Nill as the new head coach of their football team on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after he resigned from the same position with the Calgary Dinos.It was something that I thought about long and hard, but I was convinced in my discussions with the athletic department, with the backers, that it was time for UBC, Nill said at his introductory new conference. They wanted to step up and they wanted to put their football team as the flagship and get them back on the map.Ive always felt B.C. is rich with talent, the university is rich with tradition, and now its just a matter of combining everything (and) changing the culture ... making sure the kids understand what it takes to be successful, and I think Im capable of doing that.Known for his ability to recruit, Nill might have his work cut out for him in the short term. UBC hasnt won a conference championship since winning the Vanier Cup in 1997 and is coming off a 2-6 campaign that cost head coach Scott Olson his job.The Thunderbirds have not had a winning season since 2004 and are a combined 24-56 over the last 10 years, but Nill said there is reason for optimismI can honestly say this may be the most talent-laden team that Ive taken over, he said. I think (its) more or less installing a new culture. Installing a culture of work ethic, of speed, of strength, of accountability.Once the kids realize they need to be accountable to themselves and their teammates, I think youll see a change fairly quickly.Nill spent the last nine seasons with the Dinos, leading them to six straight Hardy Cup titles as Canada West champions and three Vanier Cup appearances.Prior to that, the native of Hanna, Alta., coached the Saint Marys Huskies for eight years, making four trips to the Vanier Cup, including victories in 2001 and 2002.Extremely difficult decision, extremely tough decision, Nill said of leaving Calgary. But I believe as a coach theres 10 years in your career (at one university). I think that once you get to the seventh, eighth, ninth year of a certain tenure, its time to look at another place — something to rejuvenate your desire, your passion for the game.That was a big factor in my decision to come here.The future of UBCs football programm had been subject to a review earlier this year, but Nill said he got assurances that the university and its alumni are willing to do what it takes to be competitive at the national level. Anthony Hitchens Jersey. I have two motives for all my kids: I want them to graduate and I want them to have a shot at a ring, said Nill, who had 23 players drafted by CFL teams during his time in Calgary. If that was too extreme, they had the wrong guy in the meeting ... now Im here to get to work.Canadian university footballs coach of the year in 1999 with Saint Marys, Nill has a career regular-season and playoff record of 130-47. He was 6-2 with the Dinos in 2014 before losing to the Manitoba Bisons in the Hardy Cup.We knew we needed the right leader. We knew we needed an extraordinary coach, said Ashley Howard, UBCs managing director of athletics and recreation. We knew we needed somebody with CIS experience — not just somebody with a proven track record of maintaining success — but somebody who knew how to build teams.Nill said that while focus has to be on recruiting and improving the product on the field, its equally important to build up UBCs alumni association so that the football team can compete financially with CIS powerhouses like Laval, Montreal and Calgary.The universities throughout the country are not prepared to fund (football programs) entirely, so what you need is third-party funding, he said. I was convinced by the athletic department and the backers that I have met that they are ready to go all in in terms of getting UBC football on board and up to the level where it should be.Nill, who said UBC pursued him harder than any other potential suitor has in his career, added hes hoping to get sense of what he has to work with on the current roster over the next three months before spring practice.Im neither soft nor cuddly. Its going to be a situation where the kids are going to have to respond to what I expect. Im a fundamentalist, said Nill. I expect a lot of hard work. I expect total commitment. Im a very logical coach. I look at things and say Logically if youre going to beat the University of Calgary you have to be bigger, faster, stronger.The only way you can do that is through hard work in the gym. If that doesnt work with this current group of young men its my responsibility to go out and get another group. 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