The Tampa Bay Rays won a nail-biter Friday night. They've now won four in a row, tying their season high. (Photo credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
The Tampa Bay Rays won a nail-biter Friday night. They’ve now won four in a row, tying their season high. (Photo credit: Tampa Bay Rays)
The Tampa Bay Rays continued their offensive run on Friday night, tying a franchise record, and holding on for a 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Tampa Bay is back to over .500 for the second time this season.


Source: FanGraphs

Tampa Bay took an early one-run lead in the first inning after Steven Souza Jr. hammered the second pitch of the game over the left field wall.

It was Souza’s team leading ninth homer of the season.

Brad Miller followed by working a five pitch walk, then scored on Corey Dickerson’s two-out double to left. Desmond Jennings preceded to reach on an infield single that was grounded wide of first before the RBI machine, Logan Morrison, drilled a single to right, scoring Dickerson to cap the three-run rally.

Morrison has now picked up an RBI in three consecutive games.

After the shaky first, Sanchez settled in and retired 12 of the next 13 batters before a three-run sixth.

Down by three, Detroit was able to steal a run against starter Matt Andriese in an awkward second inning. Justin Upton walked with one out on a borderline 3-2 pitch, and then went from first to third on Cameron Maybin’s single to right. Upton later scored on an Andriese balk, also moving Maybin up to second.

This is "ball four" to Justin Upton, which consequently cost Andriese and the Tampa Bay Rays a run. (Photo Credit: Tigers Strike Zone)
This is “ball four” to Justin Upton, which consequently cost Andriese and the Tampa Bay Rays a run. (Photo Credit: Tigers Strike Zone)

Either Upton had something on home plate umpire Jerry Meals, or the strike zone was a mess, because Andriese was squeezed once more against Upton later in the game — another call that resulted in a free pass and a run.

Detroit evened up the score in the third, and it all started when Ian Kinsler lined a single to center. JD Martinez grounded a potential double play into the shift at short, but Steve Pearce complicated things when he broke for the ball, leaving Miller’s only play at first. The mighty Miggy came through with a two-run homer to right (his first of two on the night) knotting the score at three. Nevertheless the Rays answered a few innings later with a three-run rally in the sixth.

Evan Longoria sparked the rally with a single to left, extending his hit streak to eight games, before Pearce walked ― chasing starter Anibal Sanchez.

Lefty Kyle Ryan entered the game and quickly fanned Corey Dickerson before Desmond Jennings grounded to second for the second out. His out was productive, however, and both runners moved into scoring position. Ryan obviously felt the pressure placed on him by the next batter — subsequently walking the thunderous bat of Morrison, and setting the plate for Kevin Kiermaier. The Outlaw tripled into the right field corner on the first pitch of the at-bat, scoring three and giving Tampa Bay the lead for good. Detroit nearly erased the three-run lead in the bottom of the inning though.

The Tigers  chased Andriese after a V-Mart single, a Nick Castellanos fielder’s choice (which again should have been a double play), and another egregiously called walk of Upton.

How in God's name is this a ball?!
Ball three, not strike three. How in God’s name is this a ball?! (Photo Credit: Tigers Strike Zone)

Cameron Maybin welcomed reliever Ryan Webb with a single to left on a hanging breaking pitch, thus loading the bases. Catcher James McCann then chased Webb with a base hit, making it a two-run game. Kevin Cash saw enough and called upon the rubber-armed Erasmo Ramirez, who got a double play ball to keep the Rays in front.

After putting down the first two batters of the seventh, Ramirez surrendered a mammoth homer to Cabrera, his second of the game, bringing Le Tigre within one. Yet Pearce stole the run back with a solo shot of his own in the top of the eighth, capping the Rays scoring.

Enny Romero followed with a shutout eighth, punctuated with an inning ending double play from McCann. Alex Colome entered in the ninth…but his assignment would be a tough one.

Colome, who has not allowed a run in 11 save situations this year, began the frame by coaxing a Jose Iglesias ground-ball to short, however, Miller mishandled it for his second error of the night. El Caballo got Kinsler and JD Martinez to go down swinging, bringing Cabrera to the plate.

Cabrera, who now is 4-5 with two homers against Colome, singled to right putting runners at the corners. Nevertheless V-Mart, grounded into the shift to Miller, ending the game.

The Rays have now collected at least six runs for the sixth straight game, tying a franchise record set initially in 2005. Tampa Bay also hit two homers, giving the team 60 on the season, tops in the majors.

The New What Next

Tampa Bay and Detroit will play the second of three on Saturday. Drew Smyly will toe the rubber opposite of Michael Fulmer. Smyly is coming off an uneven start in Toronto, walking four and throwing 101 pitches in five innings but allowing only one run and earning the win. Fulmer makes fifth start since his April 29 big-league debut. He lasted just Lasted 4-1/3 innings in his last start. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.

Rays 5/21/16

Guyer LF
Miller SS
Longoria 3B
Pearce 2B
Dickerson DH
Souza RF
Morrison 1B
Kiermaier CF
Casali C
Smyly LHP

Noteworthiness

— Haters of Kevin Cash take note: last night’s win allowed Cash to improve to 100-101 on his career as manager, reaching 100 wins quicker than his four predecessors: Larry Rothschild (246), Hal McRae (272), Lou Piniella (235), and yes…Joe Maddon (266).

— The Rays have now scored at least four runs in 15 of their last 25 games.

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