Casali hits 2 HRs to help Rays top Tigers 5

But they never could have imagined what they saw Monday night in Tampa.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Curt Casali high-fives teammates in the dugout after his home run off Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez during the third inning of a baseball game Monday, July 27, 2015, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Rays (50-51) went 13 consecutive games without scoring more than four runs, but they ended that streak when Casali hit a two-run home run in the eighth, his fourth in his past six games.

Casali rounds the bases after hitting the first of two homers on the night.

“Sanchy didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled through and still kept us in the ball game and gave us a chance to win”, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

Rays reliever Brad Boxberger closed out the win with a scoreless ninth, striking out two for his 25th save of the season.

In the latest chapter of a crucial week before the July 31 trade deadline, Anibal Sanchez looked sluggish and the Tigers’ offense slept through the first game of a three-game series against the Rays in a 5-2 loss at Tropicana Field. Starting pitcher Nathan Karns gave up one run and three hits over six innings.

For Casali, who had three hits and drove in three runs, it was the third straight start in place of regular Rene Rivera, who is hitting only.176. The right-hander had won seven straight decisions.

Kiermaier left the game in the sixth inning with an abrasion of his left eye.

Rays: SS Asdrubal Cabrera (strained right hamstring) was activated after the game, and INF Jake Elmore was optioned to Triple-A Durham…

Casali has four home runs in the last five games in which he has batted. They Rays are also only 4 games out of the second wild card spot as they try to get back to the postseason. Jake Odorizzi pitches tonight for the Rays.

Losers in lopsided fashion on Sunday night in Boston, the Tigers hopped off their flight in western Florida around 5 a.m. Monday morning and hopped into bed sometime later.