DETROIT (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning for the Tampa Bay Rays, who walked a franchise-record 13 times while rallying to beat the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Friday night.
“How many?” asked a surprised Taylor Walls, who drew three of the walks from the ninth spot in the batting order. “I knew we had a bunch, but I didn’t realize we had 13. That’s obviously a great night from our whole lineup.”
Three of the walks came in Tampa Bay’s three-run eighth. The Rays trailed 3-0 after two innings before coming back to win their third straight game.
“We left a lot of runners on base early in the game, but we came through clutch in the times when we really needed it,” said Walls, who scored twice. “When we have that much traffic on the bases, and we’re putting the barrel on balls, we know we’re going to get something.”
The Rays had walked 12 times in an 11-inning win over the Marlins on June 19, 2010, and had walked 11 times in several nine-inning games.
“I’m so pleased with how the guys laid off so many close pitches, and it was just as satisfying to see Brandon come through with yet another big hit,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
The Tigers led 3-2 going into the eighth before Joe Jimenez (3-1) walked the first two batters —Tampa Bay’s 11th and 12th walks — and Lowe followed with a two-run double. Isaac Paredes, traded from Detroit to the Rays in the spring, made it 5-3 with an RBI single.
“I really don’t even know how to describe this one,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We had a hard time right from the get-go, and the game isn’t going to let you give away that many free at-bats without it catching up to you.
”It was a bad night on the mound.”
Jalen Beeks (2-1) picked up the win with a…