Bases-loaded walk propels Detroit over the Rays in 11
DETROIT >> Robbie Grossman drew a bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning, Jeimer Candelario homered twice, and the Detroit Tigers pulled out an 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
The walk issued by J.P. Feyereisen (4-4) brought in Victor Reyes.
“I was swinging (with the count) 3-1,” Grossman said. “I wanted to get another chance to get a good pitch to hit but I saw it as a ball out of his hand.”
Candelario’s second homer, a two-run shot, tied the game in the 10th after the Rays took a 7-5 lead in the top of the inning. Kyle Funkhouser (7-3) pitched a scoreless inning to pick up the win.
Yandy Diaz doubled twice and drove in three runs for Tampa Bay. Brett Phillips, activated off the 10day injured list earlier in the day,
hit a two-run homer during the Rays’ four-run eighth. Nelson Cruz also homered for the Rays, his 31st.
The AL East-leading Rays dropped two of three at Detroit, their first series loss since Aug. 13-15 at Minnesota.
“They did a heck of a job fighting back each inning,” Phillips said. “It’s something we’re very familiar with ourselves. It’s a tough one to lose but that’s how it’s going to be when we face teams down the stretch.”
Candelario’s first homer gave Detroit a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Phillips’ two-run homer and Yandy Diaz’s two-run double in the eighth moved the Rays in front, 5-2.
The Tigers tied it in the bottom of the inning on Miguel Cabrera’s two-run single and Phillips’ throwing error from right field, which allowed pinch-runner Derek Hill to score.
“We did a nice job of hanging in there all the way to the end,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “So proud of them for responding after the four-spot, which was a gut punch. In the end, we outplayed ‘em.”
Kevin Kiermaier had an RBI groundout after Diaz’s 10th-inning double. Candelario tied it once again with his two-out, two-run blast.
“It’s always great to put the barrel on the ball and contribute,” Candelario said.
Andrew Kittredge surrendered Candelario’s tying homer.
“Hung a breaking ball and unfortunately, made me pay for it,” Kittredge said.
Plate umpire Sean Barber was a late scratch. A threeman crew worked the game with Mark Carlson taking Barber’s spot.
The Tigers’ Wily Peralta (3-3, 3.60) will face Milwaukee on Tuesday. He allowed one earned run in a fourinning outing at Pittsburgh last Tuesday.