Jeimer Candelario hit a pair of home runs and knocked in three runs, while Robbie Grossman drew a game-ending walk with the bases loaded as the host Detroit Tigers edged the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 in 11 innings on Sunday.
Candelario’s second homer, a two-run shot, erased Tampa’s 7-5 lead in the 10th inning.
Miguel Cabrera had a two-run single for Detroit, while Kyle Funkhouser (7-3) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief.
Tigers starter Tarik Skubal, who is on an innings limit, struck out six in three innings. He allowed one walk and one hit.
Yandy Diaz drove in three runs for the Rays, while Brett Phillips hit a two-run homer during a four-run eighth-inning uprising to give Tampa Bay a late 5-2 lead. Nelson Cruz also homered for the Rays. J.P. Feyereisen (4-4) took the loss.
After the Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a Victory Reyes single, Cruz tied it in the fourth against Jose Urena with his 31st home run of the season and the 35th of his career against the Tigers, including postseason games.
Candelario put the Tigers back on top 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth with his 13th home run, which he pulled over the right-field wall.
Phillips’ homer in the eighth inning, his 11th of the season, came after pinch-hitter Austin Meadows led off with a single. Randy Arozarena followed by getting hit by a pitch and Manuel Margot walked. Both advanced on Cruz’s long fly ball before Diaz’s two-run double for the 5-2 advantage.
Detroit tied it in the eighth against David Robertson. Cabrera’s two-run single was the team’s fourth consecutive hit and pinch-runner Derek Hill scored two batters later on a throwing error by right fielder Phillips after a fly ball by Harold Castro.
After Diaz’s go-ahead double in the 10th, Kevin Kiermaier added an RBI groundout to give the Rays a 7-5 lead. But Candelario then hit a two-out, two-run shot off Andrew Kittredge to tie it again, this time at 7-all.
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–Field Level Media