Hicks, Reyes Power Tigers Past Orioles In 12 Innings 8-4
DETROIT (AP) — Victor Reyes hit a tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning and John Hicks had the game-winning grand slam in the 12th to lift the Detroit Tigers to an 8-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
The loss gave Baltimore its second straight 100-loss season after the Orioles finished 47-115 a year ago.
Hicks' blast to the bullpen in left field came off Ryan Eades (0-1) on a 2-2 count, and was his 12th of the season.
Harold Castro earned a lead-off walk in the 12th, and Travis Demeritte doubled with one out to put two runners in scoring position. After Dawel Lugo was intentionally walked, Eades walked Brandon Dixon on four pitches to tie the game, setting up Hicks' slam.
Reyes hit his towering home run to right field off Baltimore closer Mychal Givens, who had worked nine straight scoreless appearances.
One inning earlier, Trey Mancini took rookie reliever Bryan Garcia deep for a two-out, three-run shot to put Baltimore up 3-2. It was Mancini's second home run in as many nights and 32nd of the season.
Detroit improved to 44-103, its most losses since setting a team mark at 43-119 in 2003, and is 3 1/2 games behind Baltimore for the league's worst record and the draft's first pick.
The Orioles had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 12th inning as Rio Ruiz singled to score Mason Williams off Daniel Stumpf.
Castro homered to right field in the third inning to open the scoring for Detroit.
Reyes had an RBI single and played nifty defense in center field, making a sliding catch and also throwing out Nunez, who was trying to stretch a leadoff single to second base in the seventh inning.
John Schreiber (2-0) earned the win in relief, finishing the 12th.
Baltimore's Gabriel Ynoa started and is winless in his 11 starts this season. He surrendered seven hits and two runs in four-plus innings.
RUN IT BACK?
Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said before the game that general manager Al Avila has told him he is welcome back next season. However, the veteran manager said he wants to see how things play out for his coaches before proceeding with his future, whether that means contract extension talks or working the final year of his three-year contract.
"I defend those guys, no matter what happens here," Gardenhire said. "That would be a hard thing to take, if anything happens to my coaches."
Gardenhire, in his 15th year as a manager, has 1,176 wins and 1,240 losses in his regular season career, and is 6-21 in the postseason.
BATTLE OF THE BAD
This series is the fourth time teams 50 or more games under .500 met, according to STATS, the first since Montreal played at San Diego on Aug. 29, 1969.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: In eight games since being added to the expanded September rosters, Mark Trumbo is hitting .263 with five hits in 19 at-bats. Trumbo missed over a year of game action with right knee surgery. He did not play on Saturday.
Tigers: Designated hitter Miguel Cabrera left the game in the seventh inning with right knee soreness.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Asher Wojciechowski (2-8, 5.51 ERA) is winless in eight starts, dating back to July 26.
Tigers: RHP Edwin Jackson (3-9, 9.76) has had success against Baltimore in his 17 seasons, going 7-1 with a 3.11 ERA against the Orioles.
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