DETROIT — It was like watching a team get bled out.
The Tigers led 10-2 going into the sixth inning Thursday afternoon, poised to salvage one of three against the Angels. Instead, the Angels rallied for 11 runs in the final four innings, taking a most improbable and, for the Tigers, hard to swallow, 13-10 win at Comerica Park.
The winning blow was struck by Angels catcher Max Stassi off reliever Michael Fulmer in the top of the eighth, but by that point it felt almost inevitable, the game had been slipping away for three innings.
Things began to veer off course in the fifth when manager AJ Hinch earned his first ejection with the Tigers. He was tossed after arguing with crew chief Hunter Wendelstedt.
Former Tiger Justin Upton had been arguing with home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott, wanting a catcher’s interference call on a pitch that he appeared be trying to get out of the way of. Upton and an Angels manager Joe Maddon argued for a several minutes and then asked for a video review.
Rules allow a manager 30 seconds to ask for a review or not. In this case, the Angels’ dugout had at least three minutes to look at the video before asking for official review. Wendelstedt allowed the review, which reversed the original call and awarded Upton first base.
Hinch was livid. It was the first time he’s argued vehemently on the field, let alone be ejected.
Then came an eye-piercing six-run top of the sixth inning. The Angels strung together six hits, only one hit hard, and scored six runs off relievers Derek Holland and Joe Jimenez.
Jimenez allowed an infield single and then walked in two runs in the three batters he faced. Before acting manager George Lombard could remove him from the game, Wolcott ejected him.
The big hit of the inning was a two-run triple by Brandon Marsh. It was a line drive to center off Kyle Funkhouser, but Daz Cameron, just activated off the injured list before the game, got an extremely late break on it and couldn't recover.
It was Marsh's second triple of the game.
The Angels made it 10-9 in the seventh. After Funkhouser walked Shohei Ohtani and gave up a two-out single to Phil Gosselin, Jared Walsh ripped a double off Michael Fulmer.
Fulmer struck out Jo Adell to start the seventh, but he walked Marsh after a 10-pitch battle. He didn't seem to have much in the tank after that. Stassi lined his home run into the corner in left.
Fulmer gave up a double to Jose Iglesias and then allowed him to steal third without a throw. Iglesias scored on a sacrifice fly by Ohtani.
Phil Gosselin finished it off with a solo homer off Ian Krol in the ninth.
This one might leave a mark on the Tigers. Getting swept at home by the Angels in the midst of all the excitement of Miguel Cabrera's 500-home run chase, blowing an eight-run lead — hard to flush that with a series in Toronto looming.
Cabrera, though No. 500 is still pending, ignited a fast seven-run start for the Tigers.
He had an RBI single up the middle in the first and then cleared the bases with a three-run double down the right field, highlighting a five-run second inning. His career hit total is now 2,954.
Jeimer Candelario had a big day, too. He singled and scored in the first two innings, then lined his 10th home run into the bullpen in left-center in the fourth.
Zack Short hit his sixth home run in the second inning and Willi Castro, who homered on Wednesday, lined one into the bullpen in left in the fourth. He has nine home runs.
But all the fun stopped around the sixth inning.
