ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays accomplished a modest goal with a doubleheader split against the Detroit Tigers.
Toby Hall hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning to lead Tampa Bay to a 6-4 victory in the second game Thursday, giving the Devil Rays a 40-38 record at Tropicana Field for their first winning season at home.
"Baby steps," Hall said. "It's only going to get better."
With the Tigers leading 4-3 in the eighth inning of the nightcap, Jose Cruz Jr. hit a one-out double off Craig Dingman (2-2) and went to third on Jorge Cantu's base hit. Geoff Blum followed with a single to right to tie it.
Jamie Walker came in and induced Carl Crawford to fly out, but Hall doubled into the left-field corner to make it 6-4.
"Any team would hate to lose two in a row in a doubleheader," Cantu said. "We tried to get (Detroit winning pitcher Jeremy) Bonderman in the first game, but couldn't. He was in command all game. We got them in the second one."
Travis Harper (6-2) picked up the win despite giving up two runs and two hits in one inning. Danys Baez pitched the ninth for his 30th save.
Omar Infante and Craig Monroe hit run-scoring singles in the eighth to put the Tigers up 4-3. Infante's hit-and-run single into left-center field off Harper scored Nook Logan -- who had walked -- all the away from first to tie it at 3.
Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead on Cantu's two-run double in the first. The Tigers tied it at 2 on Carlos Pena's homer and Logan's RBI single in the fifth.
Cantu, 4-for-4, put the Devil Rays ahead 3-2 on a triple in the sixth off reliever Al Levine.
Tigers starter Wilfredo Ledezma gave up two runs and five hits in five innings, while Tampa Bay's Mark Hendrickson allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings.
Notes
- Tampa Bay OF Damian Rolls was caught attempting a straight steal of home in the seventh inning.
- Devil Rays 1B Aubrey Huff was hit on the right hand by a pitch in the first inning, but remained in the game.
- Detroit C Ivan Rodriguez was rested in Game 2.
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