Tigers 4, Cardinals 3 (10 innings)
ST. LOUIS -- After bludgeoning the St. Louis Cardinals Friday night, the Detroit Tigers won Saturday with a well-placed looper.
Shortstop Jose Iglesias' tie-breaking two-out RBI single in the top of the 10th inning lifted Detroit to a 4-3 decision at sold-out Busch Stadium.
The hit scored right fielder J.D. Martinez, who drew a leadoff walk from reliever Matt Belisle (1-1) and moved to second on a single by left fielder Yoenis Cespedes.
It made a winner of reliever Blaine Hardy (1-0), who pitched a scoreless ninth. Closer Joakim Soria garnered his 12th save, getting help from center fielder Rajai Davis, who nailed left fielder Matt Holliday at second base for the first out as Holliday tried to stretch a single into a double.
The Tigers (23-14) won their third straight game, while St. Louis (24-12) lost a series for just the second time this year.
Detroit opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when first baseman Miguel Cabrera cracked the 400th homer of his career, a 428-foot blast through the rain and over the center field wall.
After an 80-minute rain delay in the bottom of the inning, St. Louis tied the game as third baseman Matt Carpenter lined a solo homer to right, his seventh of the season. Center fielder Peter Bourjos made it 2-1 in the second with a solo shot to left, his first of the year.
The Tigers grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third on an RBI double by second baseman Ian Kinsler and a run-scoring single by Cespedes. But the Cardinals equalized in the sixth when shortstop Jhonny Peralta belted a homer over the Detroit bullpen in left-center.
St. Louis missed on chances to take the lead in the seventh and eighth due to faulty baserunning.
Pinch-hitter Jason Heyward doubled with one out, but stayed at the bag to tag up as right fielder Randal Grichuk's drive thumped off the left-center field wall and only advanced to third. Carpenter fanned and left fielder Matt Holliday popped up to end the threat.
An inning later, with pinch-runner Pete Kozma at second and none out, first baseman Mark Reynolds fouled out to Cabrera near the stands. Kozma tried to take third but was thrown out by several feet.
Neither starter was involved in the decision. Tigers lefthander David Price worked 6 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Cardinals lefty Tyler Lyons departed after 3 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and three runs while walking two and fanning five.
NOTES: St. Louis activated OF Randal Grichuk (lower back strain) from the 15-day disabled list and started him in right field, leading him off. Grichuk went 6-for-10 in three extended spring training games this week. ... Detroit had four players collect three or more hits in each of the last two games, the first time that's happened since Oakland pulled it off on June 12-13, 2004. ... The Cardinals optioned OF Xavier Scruggs to Triple-A Memphis to make room for Grichuk. Scruggs got a pinch at-bat in his two days with St. Louis, flying out to end the sixth inning Friday night.