The Detroit Tigers’ Robbie Grossman, left, beats the tag of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Francisco Mejia while sliding safely home in the third inning Thursday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP photo)

The Rays lead second place Boston and Toronto by 8 1/2 games. The fourth-place New York Yankees are nine back.

“Our job isn’t to control the teams behind us, our job is to come here everyday and just try to win our game,” DÌaz said through an interpreter. “That’s stuff we can control.”

Tampa Bay slugger Nelson Cruz left the game in the sixth with a bruised right forearm. He hit by a pitch on the arm during the first inning.

Enns (2-0) gave up one run and three hits as six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a six-hitter.

The Detroit Tigers' Akil Baddoo, right, celebrates his home run with teammate Robbie Grossman during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP photo)

Niko Goodrum and Jeimer Candelario homered for the Tigers, who took two of three from Tampa Bay last weekend. Tyler Alexander (2-3) allowed four runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings.

“I thought Alexander did a good job,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “We didn’t quite have enough offense to support him.”

Diaz homered on Alexander’s first pitch in a two-run first.

Goodrum got the Tigers within 2-1 on a fifth-inning homer. Kevin Kiermaier scored from second on Manuel Margot’s infield single in the Rays half to make it 3-1.

Anderson departed after walking Joey Wendle with two outs in the sixth and was replaced by Drew Carlton, who gave up Zunino’s 31st homer that extended the Rays lead to 5-1.

Candelario hit a solo shot with two outs in the ninth.