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Francisco Rodriguez sued by landlord for damage to rental home

Former Detroit Tigers closer Francisco Rodriguez is being sued for $80,000 by a landlord who says Rodriguez damaged a home he had rented just outside of Detroit and took a wall tapestry valued at more than $10,000.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month by Akram Namou, who had rented a furnished home to Rodriguez for $10,000 a month.

"There is major damage to the house," Namou's lawyer, Rima Elzein, told the Detroit Free Press. "The hope is to collect and fix it and either put it up for sale or lease it again."

Elzein said the missing tapestry, which depicts a Tiger, was "this beautiful art piece that (my client) had purchased from overseas and it was hanging in the house when they leased it to Mr. Rodriguez."

Elzein, who said they had failed in attempts to resolve the matter with Rodriguez's management team, also cited damage to a TV, crystal lamp, glass shelves and tiles, and a Moroccan mirror.

Rodriguez, who ranks fourth all time with 437 saves, was released by the Tigers in June after struggling with a 7.82 ERA. He was picked up earlier this month by the Washington Nationals but never appeared in a game before being released.