Recap: Detroit vs. Tampa Bay
Sports Network | September 25, 2008
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Ramon Santiago homered twice, and the Detroit Tigers prevented the Rays from clinching the first division title in franchise history with a 7-5 win over Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game series.
Ben Zobrist homered twice and drove in four for the Rays, who could have clinched the AL East with a win. A Boston Red Sox loss to the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night will also hand the division title to the Rays, who have already locked up the first playoff spot in franchise history,
Mike Hessman, Dusty Ryan, and Curtis Granderson each hit solo homers for the Tigers, who hit five solo shots -- four off of Rays left-hander Scott Kazmir. Armando Galarraga (13-6) got the win despite allowing five runs on six hits in 7 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and two walks for the Tigers, who had dropped six straight.
Kazmir (12-8) gave up four runs -- all on leadoff homers -- on six hits in five innings, with eight strikeouts and two walks for the Rays, who had won four straight.
Zobrist's second long ball of the day, a three-run shot to dead center field with two outs in the eighth, pulled Tampa Bay within two runs, and ended Galarraga's day. Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney came on and recorded the last four outs, however, for his 11th save.
Zobrist belted a one-out solo homer in the first to give the Rays the early lead, but with the ball flying out of Comerica Park as much as it did Thursday, the one-run lead didn't hold long. Santiago went deep to left to lead off the home half, knotting the game at 1-1.
Santiago took Kazmir out to left again to lead off the third, for just his third homer of the season and ninth of his career. Hessman's leadoff homer in the fourth added another run, and Ryan's leadoff homer in the fifth, his second of the year, gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead.
Evan Longoria's solo blast to left with one out in the seventh cut Tampa's deficit to two runs, but the Tigers answered with three in the home half.
Santiago led off with a single and came home on Marcus Thames' double to left. Thames eventually came home on a Miguel Cabrera sacrifice fly, and Granderson followed with a solo homer down the line in right, his 21st, for a 7-2 Detroit lead.
It was Zobrist's first career multi-homer game, and Santiago's second. Santiago also went deep twice against the Boston Red Sox on June 3, 2002...Tigers reliever Todd Jones made his retirement official on Thursday. The 40-year-old veteran ranks 14th on the all-time list with 319 saves and holds the Tigers' franchise record with 235 saves. In 45 games for the Tigers this season, Jones has 18 saves with a record of 4-1 and an earned run average of 4.97. He has spent much of the second half of the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. The Tigers will hold a ceremony prior to their game against the Rays on Saturday to honor Jones.
