Max Clark hit his second career home run to help propel host Detroit to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, ending the Tigers’ six-game losing streak.
Javier Baez scored two runs and Hao-Yu Lee added an RBI single for Detroit.
Detroit starter Jackson Jobe gave up one run on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Drew Sommers (1-3) didn’t allow a baserunner in 1 2/3 innings while picking up his first major league win. Kenley Jansen got the last three outs to record his 17th save.
Tampa Bay starter Casey Legumina served in an expanded opener role, going 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Ian Seymour, who finished the game. Seymour (9-5) gave up all four runs — three earned — and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Seymour added five strikeouts without a walk in the middle game of the three-game series.
Junior Caminero had two hits and scored the lone run for the American League East Division leaders. Jonny DeLuca had the lone RBI.
The Rays took the lead in the fourth but it could have been more. Caminero led off with a single and moved to third on Liam Hicks’ double. One out later, Caminero scored on DeLuca’s infield single. Cedric Mullins walked to load the bases but Jobe escaped further damage by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout and groundout.
Detroit left two runners on in the bottom of the inning but broke through with three runs in the fifth.
Spencer Torkelson led off with a single. After a fielder’s choice, Clark whacked a sweeper from Seymour over the right field wall to make it 2-1.
Gleyber Torres reached on a bloop single that dropped between second baseman Richie Palacios and DeLuca in right. Torres advanced to second on a balk and scored when first baseman Jonathan Aranda misplayed Kevin McGonigle’s grounder.
The Tigers extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh. Baez led off with a triple. The next two batters failed to bring him in but Lee smacked a single to left to score him.
