DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers did what they couldn't on Tuesday night, overcoming a ninth-inning deficit and beating the San Diego Padres, 4-3, Wednesday on a walk-off double from Victor Reyes.
Jeimer Candelario went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs and Tarik Skubal went six innings with three hits, two runs, no earned runs, two walks and a strikeout for the Tigers (40-59), who've now let untimely miscues in two straight games steal the life from a home series that started with a rousing Tigers victory.
Candelario roped a leadoff double to left center — his eighth hit of the series — in the ninth inning. Akil Baddoo came into pinch run and advanced to third on a soft ground ball from Schoop that went for a base hit, opening the door for Reyes' clutch hit to win the game.
After Candelario cashed in his second RBI single of the game to tie things up in the sixth, a throwing error from Eric Haase on a dropped third strike would put the leadoff runner and eventual winning run on in the seventh.
Darvish went seven innings and gave up six hits, two runs (both earned) and a walk to go with 11 strikeouts, total, which he's achieved just twice for the Padres (56-44) this season.
Despite a strong outing from Darvish, the Tigers managed to break through early and grab a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Javier Báez attempted a steal on an 0-2 pitch to Harold Castro that was hit right at first baseman Luke Voit, who took the fielder's choice at first. After keeping the Tigers' inning alive, Báez then stole third with Miguel Cabrera at the plate and scored on an RBI single by Candelario for the early lead.
The Padres got to Skubal a bit in the fourth, although his teammates didn't help him out all that much. Jake Cronenworth got his first hit of the series with one out. He was a collective 0 for 7 in Detroit prior to the single.
After Cronenworth's single, Castro dropped a pop-up by Manny Machado in foul territory, putting runners at first and second. A wild pitch advanced the runners, meaning that a one-out sacrifice fly would allow Cronenworth to tie the game and Machado to come home on an RBI single from Ha-Seong Kim that put the Padres up, 2-1.
Darvish remained in control of the Tigers' bats until the sixth, when Detroit drew even, 2-2.
Castro and Cabrera picked up one-out singles, setting the stage for Candelario's second RBI single of the game. The Tigers caught a break when Haase then hit a ground ball to Voit, whose throw to second to start a double play missed the target; but the Padres got a break right back when Cabrera made a wide turn at third, and he was thrown out.
Joe Jimenez came in to start the seventh for Skubal, who went six innings on 98 pitches with three hits, two runs, no earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts.
With two more unearned runs added to his stat line Wednesday, Skubal tied Eduardo Rodriguez for the team lead in most unearned runs given up this season (seven).
Jimenez struck out his first batter but a dropped third strike led to a throwing error from Haase that put the leadoff runner on. After a single from Trent Grisham, Jurickson Profar ripped an 0-2 slider into left that would bring Kim home and again give the Padres a lead; that marked the end of Jimenez's day.
The Tigers got a one-out walk from Castro in the eighth but went quietly when Cabrera hit into a double play.
