Saturday, 2 a.m.
Their defense was better. Their pitching was better. Their hitting was better.
So is there any wonder that the Detroit Tigers won an easy game over the Tampa Bay Rays Friday night?
The Tigers knocked the Rays around severely, taking a 13-4 win. The Tigers scored 10 of their runs in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring 10 runs on nine hits in the two innings. After 70 games, the Rays have once again dropped to .500.
It was the worst loss of the year for the Rays.
Erasmo Ramirez had a tough night, giving up 10 runs and nine hits in only 4 2/3 innings. He gave up a first-inning run for the sixth time in his last seven.
“He probably missed too much over the white,” said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. “We like our pitchers to attack, attack, attack. It looked like a couple were up in the zone.”
The Rays' troubles actually began on offense. Mallex Smith was thrown out in the fourth trying to steal home, and an inning later,
the Tigers came up with three gems. Jose Iglecias robbed the Rays of two hits and Justin Upton robbed Corey Dickerson of a home run.
Cash wasn't concerned by Smith being thrown out at the plate.
“I'm fine with that,” Cash said. “Looking back. (He should have) gotten his lead a little farther off the bag. There's going to be decisions like that that Mallex is going to make. He's going to try to impact the game with his speed. If you're going to allow him to do that, sometimes, he's going to get caught.”
Daniel Norris pitched well for Detroit, giving up three runs over six innings. He improved the record of lefties against the Rays to 16-8 this year.
Daniel Robertson drove in three runs with two hits. Smith and Tim Beckham also had two.
The Rays try to win their first game of the series tonight when Chris Archer pitches against Michael Fulmer.
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