Tigers 2 - 3 Rays
Final/10
  for this game

Rays slip past Tigers

Aug 25, 2011 - 5:45 AM

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St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Sean Rodriguez beat out a potential force play at second base, allowing Ben Zobrist to score the winning run in the 10th inning, as the Rays edged the Detroit Tigers, 3-2, at Tropicana Field.

Zobrist reached safely on a fielder's choice in the ninth. Duane Below (0-2) struck out Matt Joyce and Casey Kotchman was hit by a pitch before pinch- hitter Rodriguez walked to load the bases. Elliot Johnson then grounded a ball to third baseman Brandon Inge. Ramon Santiago seemed late getting over to second and Rodriguez slid and was ruled safe by second base umpire Ed Rapuano to end the game.

"It's the thing we try to get everybody to do," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of his team's hustle. "It's incredible that you can't get everybody to do that all the time.

Longoria, who had three hits, homered in the fourth inning off Max Scherzer, as the Rays broke a two-game skid with the finale of this four-game series coming up Thursday afternoon.

Joel Peralta (3-4) pitched the 10th inning to get the win in relief of Wade Davis, who allowed four hits over nine innings.

Alex Avila went deep for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who had won five in a row.

Scherzer surrendered four hits over five innings.

"It was a good game. ... We just couldn't break through and get a big hit," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Austin Jackson's sacrifice fly plated Jhonny Peralta in the third, but Longoria went deep to left leading off the Tampa Bay fourth.

Johnny Damon's double scored Sam Fuld in the fifth for a 2-1 Rays edge, but Avila cranked his 16th homer of the year to right with one out in the seventh.

Game Notes

The Rays, who are 1-5 against Detroit this season, had lost six in a row to the Tigers...Tampa Bay needs eight more wins for 1,000 all-time...Tampa Bay has won 11 of its last 15 games...The Rays, who left 12 men on base, have won each of the last five games started by Davis and nine of his last 11.






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