ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Detroit Tigers scored three runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth to complete a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-1 victory Sunday at Tropicana Field
The victory extended the Tigers' winning streak to six games.
Bruce Rondon worked out of a bases loaded jam with one out in the bottom of the seventh with the Tigers trailing, 1-0.
Ian Kinsler led off the eighth with a double to left. Jose Iglesias, who had two of the Tigers' four hits to that point, flied out to right and the Rays intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera.
Victor Martinez grounded into a force out. The Rays tried to turn the double play, but Martinez was safe at first, allowing Kinsler to score.
After a single by Nick Castellanos, Justin Upton hit a two-run double to left to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Kinsler hit his 200th career home run in the ninth, a two-run shot to give the Tigers a four-run cushion. It was his 16th home run of the season and second in two days.
Right-handed pitcher Mike Pelfrey pitched arguably his best game of the season for the Tigers.
Pelfrey, who entered the game with a 2-7 record and a 5.02 ERA, was efficient early. He used eight pitches to get out of the first inning and a total of 18 over two innings.
Pelfrey allowed one run on six hits through 6 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.
Pelfrey was replaced by Rondon after loading the bases with one out in the seventh. Pelfrey gave up a ground-rule double, then walked Nick Franklin and Curt Casali.
Rondon got Logan Forsythe to strike swinging at a slider. Brad Miller flied out to left.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Franklin hit a single with one out and scored on a double to right by Casali.
Right-hander Chris Archer limited the Tigers to three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He walked three and struck out 10.
Archer's day began by getting out of a bases loaded jam with no outs in the first inning, after he gave up a walk to Kinsler, infield single by Iglesias and walk to Cabrera.
Archer battled out of that situation unscathed, striking out Victor Martinez and Castellanos swinging and Upton looking.
Archer, who came into the game with a 4-11 record and a 4.76 ERA, had six strikeouts and three walks through two innings.
