The Detroit Tigers were cruising to an unexpectedly easy victory over the first-place Tampa Bay Rays when everything fell apart in the bottom of the ninth.
The Rays scored three runs in the ninth to tied the game and then hit a walk-off, three-run home run in the 10th to beat the Tigers 7-4 on Friday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Rays (92-56) have won the first two games of the four-game series against the Tigers (70-78), who took two of three from Tampa last weekend in Detroit.
Rookie outfielder Akil Baddoo hit the first lead-off home run of his career off Rays starter Luis Patiño in the first inning to give the Tigers a lead they held for nearly the entire game.
The Tigers tacked on two in the second with doubles by Harold Castro and Niko Goodrum. They added another in the third when Robbie Grossman walked, advanced to third on a couple of singles and then tested left fielder Randy Arozarena’s arm on a medium-deep fly ball by Harold Castro.
Arozarena made a perfect throw, but Grossman slid in just ahead of the tag.
Tigers starter Casey Mize worked three innings as planned, part of an effort to limit his overall innings in 2021. He was hit hard in the first, but allowed only one run. He retired six of his final seven batters, striking out three of them.
Four Tigers’ relievers cruised through five relatively trouble-free innings, although Drew Hutchison walked three, including back-to-back batters in the fifth.
But things went downhill quickly in the ninth. Manuel Margot lined a ball that deflected off the left throwing hand of Tigers’ pitcher Gregory Soto for an infield single.
Soto appeared shaken up by the 99 mph line drive that nearly hit his head, but stayed in the game. He issued a walk and then a single to load the bases as Michael Fulmer rapidly warmed in the bullpen.
When the Rays turned to right-handed pinch hitter Yandy Diaz, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch opted for Fulmer.
Diaz hit a two-run bloop single and Randy Arozarena followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
The Tigers went down quickly in the top of the 10th and reliever Bryan Garcia struggled in the bottom of the inning. After issuing a walk to Taylor Walls, he fell behind Brett Phillips, who crushed a 3-1 fastball into the right-field seats.
Up next: The Tigers and Rays meet again on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal (8-12, 4.21 ERA) will face Rays lefty Ryan Yarbrough (8-5, 5.27).
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