American League Game Summary - Houston at Detroit
Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - James McCann hit his second career home run during the 11th inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros in the opener of a four-game set.
McCann led off the decisive frame by smacking an 0-2 slider from Tony Sipp (2-1) just over a leaping Colby Rasmus and the left-field wall for the win.
"I got a pitch up in the zone and got a pretty good swing on it," said McCann. "It's an amazing feeling, a feeling that I'll never forget."
Yoenis Cespedes reached base in all five plate appearances, finishing 3-for-3 with two runs and two walks for the Tigers, who have their last two games. Miguel Cabrera drove in his 1,400th run and Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer.
Alex Wilson (1-0) earned the win after tossing two scoreless innings of relief. Tigers starter David Price allowed three runs -- two earned -- on five hits with a season-high 12 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
Preston Tucker sent the game into extra innings with his first career homer in the ninth, while Evan Gattis hit an RBI triple for the Astros, who entered the game with wins in seven of their last eight games.
"I think that gives us some momentum going into tomorrow that we scored five runs after the seventh inning," said Tucker.
The Astros didn't get to Price until trailing 5-0 in the seventh inning. George Springer opened the frame with a base hit and hustled home on Gattis' stand-up triple to deep right. After a Rasmus strikeout, Jonathan Villar hit an RBI single, moved up to second on shortstop Andrew Romine's throwing error and scored on Hank Conger's base hit for a 5-3 game.
Luis Valbuena singled off Blaine Hardy with one out in the eighth and came home on a Springer double -- combined with a Rajai Davis fielding error -- for a one-run game. Springer advanced to third on the error, but Chris Carter lined out to end the frame.
Houston tied the game in the ninth when Tucker smacked a 2-2 fastball over the wall in left center for a pinch-hit home run off Joakim Soria, who had been 13-for-13 in save opportunities this season.
Rasmus hit a two-out, ground-rule double in the top of the 11th, but Marwin Gonzalez struck out to end the frame.
Price was cruising early, as he fanned five through three perfect innings.
Cespedes worked a two-out walk in the fourth, however, and Castellanos brought him home in the next at-bat by crushing a 1-1 sinker to left center for a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers added to their lead in the fifth. With the bases loaded and no outs, Ian Kinsler grounded into a fielder's choice to score McCann from third and Cabrera followed with an RBI single to left for a 4-0 score.
Price continued to roll by striking out the side in the sixth, and Davis drove in Cespedes with an RBI double in the bottom half.
Astros starter Scott Feldman worked six innings, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on 10 hits.