Ramon Santiago hit a solo home run off Aaron Crow in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Tigers a 2-1 win over Kansas City.
Santiago, who came on late as a pinch-runner, drove an 1-2 pitch over the right field wall for his fourth homer of the year. The drive picked up Tigers starter Doug Fister, who took a perfect game bid into the seventh but had no run support to show for it.
Fister retired the first 18 batters he faced, but gave up a lead-off double to Alex Gordon to start the seventh, who then scored two batters later on Billy Butler’s sacrifice fly. Fister gave up four hits and one run in 7 2/3 innings, picking up a no-decision.
The Tigers finally got Fister off the hook for the loss in the eighth on Magglio Ordonez’s two-out RBI single that tied the game.
Detroit had the bases loaded in the ninth inning with two outs after Louis Coleman walked three straight batters, but Crow came in and struck out Wilson Betemit on three pitches.