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Tampa Bay Rays’ walkoff single beats Detroit Tigers for 2nd straight day, this time 5-4

The Detroit Tigers’ Gordon Beckham, right, scores in front of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino on an RBI double by Victor Reyes during the seventh inning Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP photo)

TAMPA, Fla. — Ji-Man Choi raised his arms into the air as he saw his game-winning hit clear the infield.

There was good reason to celebrate after the Tampa Bay Rays kept themselves in the American League

‘s second wild-card spot and avoided a series loss to the woeful Detroit Tigers.

Choi’s two-run single in the bottom of the ninth completed a rally from a late three-run deficit and gave the Rays a 5-4 victory on Sunday.

The Rays trailed 4-1 after seven before coming back with two in the eighth and then the winning hit in the ninth.

Travis d’Arnaud reached to open the ninth against Joe Jimenez (3-7) on shortstop Gordon Beckham’s throwing error and went to second when Willy Adames walked.

Detroit Tigers shortstop Gordon Beckham, top, forces out the Tampa Bay Rays' Ji-Man Choi at second base on a fielder's choice ball hit by Eric Sogard during the eighth inning Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP photo)

The Rays loaded the bases on Mike Brosseau’s one-out infield single before Choi singled to center.

Tampa Bay had been hitless in 17 at-bats with the bases loaded since July 26.

Tommy Pham hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Buck Farmer that pulled the Rays within 4-3.

The Rays lost 2-0 Friday night before winning 1-0 in 13 innings on Brosseau’s single Saturday.

“We competed with a team that’s in a playoff race,” said manager Ron Gardenhire of the Tigers, who have the majors’ worst record at 37-84. “It was in our hands, in our grip, we just lost it.”

Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd struck out nine over seven strong innings and teammate Harold Castro homered and had three RBIs.

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