Tigers rally in 8th inning to down Reds

Cincinnati, OH – The Tigers used a four-run eighth inning to record a 7-6 comeback win over the Reds in Sunday's series finale.

Trailing 6-3, Detroit loaded the bases to begin the eighth, then pushed a run across when Aroldis Chapman (4-2) hit Matt Young with a pitch. Young eventually scored the go-ahead run on Chapman's wild pitch after Austin Jackson plated a pair with a ground-rule double.

Cincinnati had built its lead with the long ball, getting a two-run blast from Todd Frazier in the sixth and solo shots from Zack Cozart and Devin Mesoraco.

Brayan Villarreal (3-1) worked two innings and got the win despite allowing Frazier's homer. Starter Drew Smyly gave up three runs on four hits before leaving after the third inning with a blister on his left middle finger.

"He came up and said 'I can't go anymore,'" commented Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "I looked and I said 'Oh my God.' I've never seen anything like it. I couldn't believe it. It's the biggest blister I've ever seen."

Austin Jackson had a solo homer for the Tigers, who have won three of four, including the last two of this three-game interleague series.

Frazier also had a two-run, second-inning single for the Reds, losers of five of their last seven games.

Reds starter Homer Bailey left the game with a runner on first and two out in the seventh inning. His team held a 6-2 lead, but from there the bullpen methodically unraveled.

Jose Arredondo walked Miguel Cabrera before Prince Fielder laced an RBI single to right field off of Sean Marshall. Logan Ondrusek recorded the final out, but he began the eighth with a walk, then allowed Gerald Laird's single before giving way to Chapman, who gave up Brennan Boesch's base hit to load the bases.

"We were trying to go a fraction with Chapman. We didn't really want to go two innings with him," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "It was a series of bad events tonight."

Joaquin Benoit preserved the newfound lead, striking out Frazier with a runner on second to end the bottom of the eighth and Jose Valverde recorded his 12th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Cozart's and Mesoraco's homers came in the third and fourth inning, respectively.

Jackson's homer came in the fifth, an inning after Ramon Santiago plated Fielder with an infield single.

Game Notes

Smyly, a rookie, was making his 12th start of the season. He had his contract purchased from Triple-A Toledo on April 12...At least one home run has been hit in Great American Ball Park in 56 straight games, marking the longest active streak in the majors...Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 0-for-4, ending his career-high 15-game hit streak.