Tigers hold on at plate, edge Mariners 2-1 in 14
4/18/2013SEATTLE — Detroit catcher Brayan Pena held onto Prince Fielder's relay throw and absorbed a collision with Justin Smoak at home plate for the final out, and the Tigers outlasted the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in 14 innings Wednesday night.
Smoak singled with one out off Joaquin Benoit, and with two outs Dustin Ackley doubled into the right-field corner. Third base coach Jeff Datz didn't hesitate in waiving Smoak around with the potential tying run. The relay from the outfield was up the third base line a bit, but Pena caught it in plenty of time and held onto the ball during the collision.
Detroit took the lead in the top of the 14th when Pena's bases-loaded groundout scored pinch-runner Don Kelly. The conclusion came long after starters Felix Hernandez and Max Scherzer pitched gems in a game that included a whopping 40 strikeouts.