Colt Keith hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh and the host Detroit Tigers stretched their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.
Keith also had an RBI single for Detroit, which will go for a three-game sweep Wednesday afternoon. Spencer Torkelson homered for the other Tigers run.
Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings and struck out eight. Tommy Kahnle (1-1) got two outs and picked up the win. Will Vest struck out three in the ninth for his 15th save.
Rays starter Ryan Pepiot gave up two runs in six innings with six strikeouts. Jonathan Aranda homered and scored both Rays runs.
Aranda gave the Rays an early lead as the second batter of the game, lifting a Flaherty fastball over the right field wall for his 11th homer.
Tampa Bay had two on and no one out in the second, but Flaherty escaped that jam. He wasn’t so fortunate in the third, as Aranda smacked a one-out double and Josh Lowe brought him home with a two-out single.
Detroit stranded two baserunners in the bottom of the inning but didn’t have a hit until Torkelson clubbed his 21st homer with one out in the fourth. He took advantage of a hanging Pepiot slider.
The Tigers tied it at 2 in the fifth. Zach McKinstry walked and stole second before Matt Vierling was hit by a pitch for the second time in the contest. One out later, Keith knocked in McKinstry with a single, but Vierling was caught in a rundown on the play.
The Tigers took the lead in the seventh. McKinstry walked and stole second once again before Keith’s two-out, two-run shot off Edwin Uceta (5-2). Keith mashed a changeup over the right field wall.
Detroit loaded the bases against Eric Orze in the eighth on two walks and a hit by pitch, but Orze struck out McKinstry and Vierling to leave the runners stranded.
–Field Level Media
