Jeimer Candelario hits 2 homers, Robbie Grossman draws walk-off walk in Detroit Tigers’ 11-inning win over Tampa Bay
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 10-day injured list earlier in the day, hit a two-run homer during the Rays’ four-run eighth. Nelson Cruz also hit his 31st homer for TB.
The AL East-leading Rays dropped two of three at Detroit, their first series loss since Aug. 13-15 at Minnesota.
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 put them 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.