TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Riley Greene had three hits and Wenceel Pérez and Parker Meadows each homered and drove in three runs and Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win at Tampa Bay on Sunday at Steinbrenner Field.
Pérez broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run blast in the seventh inning off Garrett Cleavinger (0-3). Dillon Dingler added two hits and an RBI for Detroit, which maintained the best record in the majors (49-30).
All three of Greene’s hits, including doubles in the second and ninth, led off run-scoring innings. In left field, meanwhile, he made sliding catches to rob Jake Mangum and Junior Caminero of extra bases. And with two outs in the third, he retired Brandon Lowe on an acrobatic catch in foul territory, nearly flipping into the Tigers’ bullpen.
Yandy Díaz (13 games) and Lowe (11 games) each extended hitting streaks with infield singles for Tampa Bay.
Caminero hit his team-leading 19th homer and reached the 50-RBI mark on the year.
Tigers starter Casey Mize left a 1-1 game in the sixth after a visit from athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades, leaving with an undisclosed injury. He allowed one run and six hits in five innings, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Two Detroit starting pitchers already are on the injured list, right-handers Jackson Jobe (right elbow surgery) and Reese Olson (right ring finger inflammation).
Tyler Holton (3-3) picked up the win in relief.
Key moment
Heavy ninth-inning rain jump-started the Tigers’ offense. Through the storm, Detroit hit for the cycle in the six-run inning, breaking open a 3-1 game with six consecutive hits. Greene and Spencer Torkelson led off with doubles, Javier Báez tripled and Meadows blasted a three-run homer.
Following the barrage, play resumed after an 18-minute delay.
Key stat
Greene batted .600 (6 for 10) in the series with five runs, two doubles, two homers and four RBI.
Up next
Detroit opens a home series Tuesday against the Athletics, with LHP Tarik Subal (8-2, 2.06 ERA) facing RHP Luis Severino (2-7, 4.42).
Rays RHP Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.95) starts Tuesday at Kansas City against LHP Kris Bubic (6-2, 4.12).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Zak Gilbert, The Associated Press
