Pinch hitter Hao-Yu Lee ignited a two-run 10th inning with an RBI single and the Detroit Tigers completed a highly successful West Coast swing with a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon.
Max Clark added a run-scoring infield out for a two-run cushion and Tyler Holton threw a scoreless bottom of the 10th, giving the Tigers a seventh win on a just completed nine-game trip to West Sacramento, Seattle and San Francisco.
Kenley Jansen (3-4) brought about extra innings by striking out the side in the ninth. Holton, who like Jansen struck out all three batters he faced, notched his second save.
Sam Hentges (1-4) began the 10th for the Giants and was charged with both runs.
The game turned into a battle of bullpens after starters Troy Melton of the Tigers and Logan Webb of the Giants pitched brilliantly, each charged with one run.
Seeking to improve his record to 8-1, Melton took a 1-0 lead into the seventh before giving way to the Detroit bullpen after Rafael Devers led off the inning with a single.
The Giants turned that into a game-tying, unearned run when Osleivis Basabe, who had reached on a fielder’s choice grounder, stole second and continued to third on a throwing error by catcher Eduardo Valencia. He then scored on an infield single by Drew Gilbert.
The run was charged to Melton, who limited the Giants to four hits in his six-plus innings. He walked one and struck out five.
The Tigers opened the game’s scoring against Webb in the sixth on a double-play grounder by Gleyber Torres after Zach McKinstry and Kevin McGonigle had opened the inning with consecutive singles.
The game featured just two extra-base hits. Gilbert tripled off Melton with two outs in the second, but was stranded when Daniel Susac grounded out. Six innings later, Valencia smacked a one-out double off Webb, who retained the tie by getting McKinstry to line out and McGonigle to fly out.
The latter was the final pitch Webb threw, completing eight innings with one run and four hits allowed. He walked one and struck out two.
Spencer Torkelson, who singled between Lee’s hit and Clark’s infield out in the 10th, had a pair of hits for Detroit, which won for just the fourth time in 11 extra-inning affairs this season.
Devers and Gilbert had two hits apiece for the Giants, who lost for the seventh time in their last nine games.