Tigers Rally In Ninth To Roll Past Rays 10-7

Down five runs heading into the ninth, the Detroit Tigers rallied back to score eight runs in the inning and surge to a 10-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Thursday night.

Tigers Rally In Ninth To Roll Past Rays 10-7

The Tigers– who earned their third straight victory– became the second team this season to overcome a deficit of five or more runs to win in the ninth inning. The Royals did it to the Chicago White Sox on May 28 in Kansas City, scoring seven runs to win 8-7.

“You’re not really thinking about trying to rally,” said center fielder Cameron Maybin, who sealed the win for the Tigers with a bases-clearing double. “You’re just thinking about doing the job and trying to pass the baton. Everybody went up there giving good at-bats, quality at-bats, not trying to do too much. Fortunately enough, we continued to fight, never quit. That’s what it’s about.”

According to STATS, the Tigers’ win was their seventh in the last 100 years when trailing by five runs or more entering the ninth and first since Sept. 21, 2013, against the White Sox.

Tampa Bay initially appeared to have the game secured, as right-hander Matt Andriese had thrown three scoreless innings of relief and had tossed just 27 pitches. However, manager Kevin Cash chose to start with right-hander Ryan Garton since the Rays had built a comfortable five-run lead.

The Tigers greeted Garton with four straight hits to reduce the lead to 7-3. Erasmo Ramirez then took over with the bases loaded and zero outs to face Justin Upton, who furthered the rally with an RBI single to center field. Steven Moya hit a sacrifice fly and Jarrod Saltalamacchia followed with an RBI single. Ramirez then walked Ian Kinsler to force home the tying run before Maybin’s three-run double capped off Detroit’s eight-run explosion.

“They just pieced together a bunch of hits,” Cash said. “They did it against Ryan and they did it against Erasmo. We always talk about how hitting is contagious. That was one contagious inning for them.”

Ramirez allowed four runs on three hits in 1/3 of an inning.

Rays center fielder Desmond Jennings left in the third inning with tightness in his left hamstring. Jennings suffered the injury in the second as he rounded first base on a double to left-centerfield. The center fielder said he didn’t believe the injury was serious, and that his hamstring will be evaluated Friday afternoon.

Right-hander Francisco Rodriguez got Brandon Guyer to ground into a double play to end the game, thus recording the save.

The Rays loaded the bases with two outs in the third when Nick Franklin was sent to the plate to pinch-hit for Jennings after he left. Franklin fell behind 0-2 to Jordan Zimmerman before hitting a ball to shallow left field. The ball dropped and then took an odd bounce to avoid Upton in left field. Three runs scored on the hit, including Logan Morrison and designated hitter Corey Dickerson, who ran through third-base coach Charlie Montoyo’s stop sign and slid safely across home plate.

The two teams will face off for the second game of their four-game series in St. Petersburg, Florida on Friday night. Tigers (41-38, 3rd in AL Central) right-hander Michael Fulmer (7-2, 2.40 ERA) returns to the rotation for his first start since June 22. Lefty Drew Smyly ((2-8, 5.32 ERA) will take the mound for the Rays (33-45, 5th in AL East) for his 16th start.

Fulmer began his dominant stretch by outpitching Smyly on May 21 at Comerica Park, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with 11 strikeouts. On Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, Smyly allowed eight runs in five innings.

PHOTO: ST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUNE 30: Jarrod Saltalamacchia #39 of the Detroit Tigers crosses home plate ahead of catcher Hank Conger #24 of the Tampa Bay Rays to score off of an RBI single by Ian Kinsler during the sixth inning of a game on June 30, 2016 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)