Tigers Get Walk-Off Sacrifice Fly To Beat Twins 4-3

J.D. Martinez hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning Sunday to give the Detroit Tigers a walk-off win against the Minnesota Twins 4-3.

“Not trying to kill anything, not trying to get a hit, not trying to get a knock or anything,” Martinez said. “I was just trying to look for the ball up and hit it on the barrel. That’s it. Don’t try to do too much.”

Victor Martinez, hitting in front of J.D. Martinez, thought he had won the game with a home run. The ball hit the top of the wall where Oswaldo Arcia dropped it for his second mistake of the game — both on flyballs by Victor Martinez, reported WXYZ.

Torii Hunter was on first and got to third while Martinez scramble to get to first as he was in a trot.

“I thought that one was gone,” he said. “I got all of that one, but it just died at the end. Luckily, it got the runner to third. Every little bit helps when you are tied in the ninth.”

Hunter scored on the fly ball to center fielder Sam Fuld, who’s throw to the plate was badly off line.

“You never know what is going to happen on a play like that, but once the ball came out of his hand, I knew we were OK,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “It was an easy decision for Torii — you have to go on a ball like that and make them make the play.”

Starter Rick Porcello had a 2-0 lead after five innings but gave up 3 runs in the sixth giving up the go-ahead run when Kendrys Morales scored on a single by Kurt Suzuki. Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos delivered a game-tying double in the bottom of the sixth. Porcello went 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3 runs, all earned.

It was the fourth consecutive quality start for Tigers’ starters that had been struggling to cover innings according to Tigers.com.

Joba Chamberlain pitched a scoreless eighth inning and closer Joe Nathan pitched the ninth to pick up the win, running his record to 3-2. Nathan has struggled in his first season with the Tigers. In his last six outings, he had given up 11 runs in four innings, and Ausmus was happy with what he saw on Sunday.

“I saw the winning pitcher,” he said. “I thought his fastball was more consistently down, although he did leave a couple up, and his slider had good break.”

[Image via motorcitybengals.com]