The Detroit Tigers pass the Tampa Bay Rays and increase the magic number to 2

Detroit — We might as well call it Tiger Ball.

All the elements of that stunning run to a playoff spot were on display again Thursday as the Tigers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to complete a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 4-3 win, their fifth straight, shrank their magic number and secured a wildcard spot to two. And by the time the outcome of the Twins-Marlins game is announced on Thursday night, they could be popping the corks on Friday night.

BOX SCORE: Tigers 4, Rays 3

MLB STAND

It was the team’s 36th comeback win and once again coach AJ Hinch pulled out all the stops at his disposal on his bench.

After being stymied by old friend Tyler Alexander for five innings and trailing 3-0, the Tigers got back into the game in the sixth against Rays’ right-hander Hunter Bigge.

With two outs, Matt Vierling walked and scored on a triple by rookie Colt Keith, Hinch sent lefty Kerry Carpenter to pinch-hit Spencer Torkelson and he ripped a single to make it 3-2.

In the eighth, after Riley Greene hit a single and aggressively moved to second on a wild pitch, Keith delivered again, hitting a two-out RBI single to tie the game.

Vierling raced from first to third on the hit and scored on a sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy.

After reliever Beau Brieske pitched two scoreless innings, Jason Foley earned his 27th save.

The Tigers had to fight uphill in this game. They were at the top in each of their four previous victories.

The Rays struck on the first Thursday. Brandon Lowe hit a two-out, two-run single up the middle against Tigers starter Reese Olson.

Olson pitched four innings, leaving right-hander Casey Mize. In his first-ever relief appearance, he allowed one run on a triple to Taylor Walls and a wild pitch.

He also allowed a double early in the sixth inning and then struck out the next three batters.

He wouldn’t call it a revenge tour game, but make no mistake, the left-handed Alexander wanted to beat his former friends. And he did that for five innings.

Alexander, whom the Tigers let walk last season after serving 10 seasons in the organization, frustrated and stunned hitters with a well-placed spread of fastballs, cutters and sweepers over five scoreless innings to take a 3-0 lead.

He gave up four hits and struck out six. He got into trouble twice and escaped both times, striking out one of the Tigers’ best left-handed hitters.

He hit Andy Ibanez with a runner on second and two outs in the third. He caught it again, this time with a fly out to right, with two on and two out in the fifth.

He threw his four-seater at 91 mph, which is almost 1.5 mph firmer than his season average, so you know he was out of his depth. He had 12 whiffs on 28 swings and 11 calls strikes.

The Tigers weren’t sad to see him leave the game.

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@cmccosky