Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays

Rays cruise past Tigers 14-8 as Díaz hits 2 homers and Thaiss drives in 4 runs

The 14 runs given up was a season high for Detroit, which entered with the best record in the majors.

Díaz hit his 19th career leadoff homer, launching a 3-2 fastball over the right-center fence. In the fifth, his solo shot extended the Rays’ lead to 9-3 and gave him multiple homers in a game for the first time since May 11, 2019.

Curtis Mead was 2 for 2 with three walks, three runs and an RBI. Díaz, Taylor Walls and Kameron Misner each drove in two for Tampa Bay, which is 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Yankees in the American League East.

Rays starter Shane Baz (7-3) won his fourth consecutive decision, striking out six and giving up four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Tigers left fielder Riley Greene was 3 for 3 with two homers and four RBI. It was his sixth multihomer game and third this season. He now has 29 RBI over his last 29 games dating to May 20. Colt Keith also homered for Detroit, which has lost four of its last six.

Key moment Tampa Bay chased Tigers starter Jack Flaherty (5-8) in the bottom of the third after a bases-loaded double by Walls. Flaherty has surrendered 15 combined runs over his past two starts, raising his season ERA from 3.41 to 4.83.

Key stat The Rays scored four runs in the bottom of the first, their most in the opening frame since they had four in a 5-4 home win over the Angels on April 9.

Up next Tigers RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (0-0, 3.97 ERA) gets the start against Tampa Bay RHP Ryan Pepiot (4-6, 3.11).

How can I watch Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays?

• TV Channel: Tigers at Rays 2022 MLB Baseball, is broadcasted on MLB.TV.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.