DETROIT — Justyn-Henry Malloy's eighth-inning sacrifice fly helped the Detroit Tigers rally from a 3-0 deficit to move closer to the postseason with a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon.
''We do believe in what we can accomplish,'' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. ''Whether that's magic, whether that's momentum, whether that's mojo, whether that's vibe, whatever, we love it and we want more of it.''
Detroit, which has won five straight, is tied with Kansas City for the second and third American League wildcard spots, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins.
''We're bringing the energy right now,'' said rookie Colt Keith, who drove in two runs and scored another. ''We have such a good team. I love this group.''
The Tigers trailed 3-2 with one out in the eighth, but Riley Greene singled off Garrett Cleavinger (7-5) and Matt Vierling drew a walk.
Keith tied the game with an RBI single, bringing up Malloy — the last position player on the Tigers bench — to pinch hit for Kerry Carpenter. He lifted a fly ball to medium center and Vierling easily beat Jose Siri's throw.
''They have four lefties in their bullpen, and we knew (Malloy) was going to hit against one of them,'' Hinch said. ''He was waiting all day for that specific spot.''
Beau Brieske (4-4) got the win with two innings of relief. Jason Foley pitched the ninth for his 27th save.