s since June to leave Tsonga relying on his performance

DETROIT - With the bases loaded and nobody out, Tampa Bays Brad Boxberger came out of the bullpen hoping for a strikeout and a double play. The order didnt much matter. "I was looking for the strikeout initially," Boxberger said. "But it worked out to get the double play and limit the damage." Evan Longoria homered, Ben Zobrist doubled twice and the Rays finally broke through offensively against Detroit, but it was Boxbergers relief work that preserved a 6-3 victory over the Tigers on Friday night. Tampa Bay was up 5-2 when he came on in the sixth inning. Torii Hunter hit into a double play, bringing home another run. Then Boxberger struck out Don Kelly to end the inning. Boxberger struck out two more in a perfect seventh before exiting the game. The 26-year-old right-hander now has 51 strikeouts in 33 1-3 innings this year. The Rays had gone 19 straight games against the Tigers without scoring more than four runs, a streak that went back more than three years. Tampa Bay had seven extra-base hits Friday, including a two-run triple by Sean Rodriguez in the sixth. Alex Cobb (4-6) allowed three runs and five hits in five-plus innings for the Rays, and their bullpen allowed only one baserunner. Boxberger was perfect for two innings, Joel Peralta worked the eighth, and Jake McGee finished for his fourth save. Detroits Drew Smyly (4-8) allowed five runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. There were three hit batsmen, and umpires warned both benches in the sixth. After the warnings, Rays manager Joe Maddon argued and was ejected. Desmond Jennings doubled twice and scored three runs for the Rays. Tampa Bay rebounded after an 8-1 loss Thursday to start this four-game series, and the last-place Rays have now won six of seven. Detroits AL Central lead over Kansas City fell to four games. Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez left in the eighth because of back irritation. "He aggravated his side, so we got him out of there," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "The chances of him playing (Saturday) are almost nil, and well go day-to-day after that." Jennings and Zobrist hit back-to-back doubles in the third to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead, and Longoria led off the fourth with his 11th homer of the year. An RBI groundout by Hunter in the bottom of the fourth made it 2-1. Zobrist hit an RBI double in the fifth, and Rodriguezs triple the following inning brought two more runs in. Cobb hit Ian Kinsler to lead off the bottom of the sixth — with Miguel Cabrera on deck. Longoria and Martinez had been hit earlier in the game, so plate umpire Quinn Wolcott warned both benches. "I never thought there was any malice on either side," Ausmus said. "I didnt think Cobb meant to hit Victor, I didnt think Smyly meant to hit Longoria, and I didnt think Cobb meant to hit Kinsler. No one tried to hit anyone." Maddon said he felt the Tigers intentionally hit Longoria, but he said the Rays werent throwing at Kinsler immediately afterward. "We hit Victor, yes. Totally accident, he pulls a fastball. Then they intentionally hit Longo," Maddon said. "Were not going to reciprocate right there. Were not, its over. Were good. But then this whole other thing ensues." Maddon took a few steps out of the dugout, and second base umpire Greg Gibson seemed to motion to him to stay back. Maddon continued arguing from a distance, and after being tossed, Maddon approached Gibson and kept arguing before finally leaving. It was Maddons third ejection of the year and 35th of his career. Cobb didnt get another out. Cabrera walked and Martinez hit an RBI single. After J.D. Martinez walked to load the bases, Boxberger came on and got Hunter to bounce into a double play that brought another run home. "The double play was a big bonus, because hes in there to miss bats in that moment," Maddon said. "You want the guy to either put the ball on the ground or be able to punch somebody out. Now if you get a guy who can do both, how good is that guy?" Kelly struck out to end the threat. Jennings doubled and scored in the seventh to make it 6-3. NOTES: Peralta made his 267th appearance for the Rays, the most for the franchise by a pitcher. Esteban Yan had 266. ... Austin Jackson struck out four times for Detroit and Eugenio Suarez fanned three times. ... The Rays put LHP Cesar Ramos on the paternity list and recalled LHP Jeff Beliveau from Triple-A Durham. ... Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez (5-2) faces Tampa Bay RHP Chris Archer (4-5) on Saturday. Joey Bosa Jersey . He made the comment at a media availability Saturday prior to Game 2 of the Boston-Montreal playoff series when a Quebec reporter said there is sentiment in Quebec that the NHL looks more favourably on Seattle than Quebec City when it comes to future expansion. Antonio Gates Chargers Jersey . -- Tony Finau won the Stonebrae Classic on Sunday for his first Web. http://www.prochargersteamstore.com/Yout...s-Elite-Jersey/. The American secured his first back-to-back ATP match wins since June to leave Tsonga relying on his performance at next weeks Paris Masters to clinch one of the final three places for the season-ending event in London. Tsonga would have moved up one spot to No. 6 with a win over Querrey at the City of Arts and Sciences, but his serve deserted him in the second set as the 116th-ranked American broke twice to reach the quarter-finals. Melvin Gordon III Chargers Jersey . The above paragraph could be rewritten, verbatim, with Marcus Stromans name in place of Romeros. After both men had disastrous outings in Tuesdays 18-4 mauling at the hands of the Tigers, its clear that neither is the best option to begin the season in Toronto. Keenan Allen Youth Jersey . - Because they didnt go into Beast Mode, the Seattle Seahawks found themselves in Spin Mode.DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Chase Elliott missed his senior prom Friday, but wasnt too disappointed. "I had a good date tonight, the Lady in Black, cant forget about that," he said, smiling. The 18-year-old son of NASCAR great Bill Elliott raced to his second straight Nationwide Series victory, moving from fifth to first on the final two laps Friday night. Elliott broke through for his first series win last week at Texas when he passed Sprint Cup veteran Kevin Harvick. At Darlington, Elliot moved past Sadler when the veteran got loose coming off Turn 2 on a restart two laps from the end. Elliott drives for JR Motorsports, owned in part by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt saw Bill Elliott at the Victory Lane celebration and asked how long it would be until Chase graduates -- and gets to come to the race shop fulltime. "He aint even focusing on racing, hes in school," Earnhardt said. "Wait until he gets graduated, hes going to be really trouble for those other boys." Hes plenty trouble for Nationwide competitors right now. At 18 years, 4 months, 14 days, he became the youngest in the series to win twice and the youngest winner at Darlington. "I dont know that we expected to come and win races at least this fast," Elliott said. Elliott will graduate next month on May 17, when the Nationwide Series is in Iowa. He plans to test in Iowa on Friday, return to Georgia on Saturday for his graduation ceremonies before flying back to the track for night-time qualifying. "I want to make mom happy. I know shes going to be excited about that one," he said. Sadler held on for second while Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch were third and fourth. Busch led by 1.5 seconds and was seemingly cruising to victory until Tanner Berryhills spin forced a final restart and sent the field diving into the pits for a final shootout. Sadler moved from eighth to first afterr the stop by taking just two tires while Elliott was among the competitors who changed four tires.dddddddddddd Elliott charged hard on the restart and was right in back of Sadler on the final lap. When Sadler got loose -- Sadler said the two didnt touch, although they surely came close -- Elliott was able to move past him and take the checkered flag. Elliott leads the point standings, topping JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith by seven points. "Man, that was crazy," Elliott said. Then again, its been a crazy time for latest Elliott to conquer the track "Too Tough To Tame." His father won here five times and earned the nickname "Million Dollar Bill" when his Southern 500 win earned him the Winston Million bonus in 1985. Chase Elliott hadnt ever turned a lap at Darlington until Thursday and quickly gained a "Darlington stripe" -- a rookie initiation -- as he hit the track. But Elliott found his poise on the tricky track and raced among the more experienced drivers throughout the night. Elliott led 52 of the 147 laps, second only to Buschs 84 laps led. "Wait until he gets out of school," Earnhardt said. Earnhardt believes Elliott has a composure and poise uncommon in young racers. "Id like to think were going to hold on to him," Earnhardt said. "But hes ahead of scale." For much of the race, it appeared Busch would grab his third Darlington victory in as many Nationwide races. Busch led by nearly a second and half heading into the late stages until Berryhills incident sparked the last of seven caution periods. But Busch couldnt make his way out of pile at the restart and settled for his sixth top-10 Nationwide finish in 10 career marks at Darlington. Sadler, too, had hoped his crews good work in the pits would steal a late victory. Instead, he picked up his third top-three finish in the past four Darlington events. ' ' '