DETROIT _ It was another bad day for the Detroit Tigers' bullpen.
It came, like clockwork, in the eighth inning, against the Boston Red Sox.
Similar to Opening Day's eighth inning meltdown, it put the Tigers behind late in a game they had control of. Dissimilar, they did not come back to win.
Holding the smallest of leads entering the top of the eighth Sunday afternoon, Boston beat up set-up man Bruce Rondon and left-handed reliever Kyle Ryan for four runs to beat the Tigers, 7-5.
Rondon was once again the first person accused with the final score. He allowed a walk and a single. Left fielder Justin Upton was the next. On the single, he airmailed a throw to third base, allowing runners to advance to second and third.
After an intentional walk, manager Brad Ausmus called on Ryan.
The left-hander promptly walked lefty-hitting Brock Holt to tie the game and allowed a two-run single to Sandy Leon to lose the lead for good. The Red Sox scored another on a groundout.
The Tigers' bullpen has been bad through the first five games of the season: In 16 innings pitched, relievers have allowed 16 runs on 20 hits.
On this day, it squandered an opportunity to take a series from the flu-ridden Red Sox, who profile as one of the best teams in the American League.
It was a back-and-forth game, with lefty Daniel Norris and former Tiger Rick Porcello trying to dance around damage throughout. Both were hit solidly but managed to pitch deep into the game.
Norris exited after 6 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out two. Early on, he was rusty but like Jordan Zimmermann on Saturday, settled into a groove in the middle innings.
His win was washed away after the Red Sox successfully challenged the neighborhood play in the top of the seventh inning. On the play _ which initially was an inning-ending double play _ second baseman Ian Kinsler did not touch second base. One batter later, Andrew Benintendi singled to left field to tie the game.
But the back-and-forth variety continued: The next inning, Nick Castellanos was finally rewarded for his hard hits all series, depositing a Porcello offering into the visiting bullpen in leftfield for his second home run of the season.
It gave the Tigers a late lead _ until the bullpen blew up again in the eighth.
They threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning, putting the first two men on base and scoring once, on a Victor Martinez single, but could not equal the score.
