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Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire had a dream scenario Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Buried in a series of eight defeats – all at home – the Tigers got a solid effort in six innings from ace Matthew Boyd, and then a solid eighth round of Joe Jimenez, paving the way for their best player, Shane Greene.

But then, things went wrong. Greene's slider at Garrett Cooper, the Marlins player, caught too much plate, resulting in a grand slam with two left-wing outs. The Marlins won 5-2, extending the Tigers skid to nine consecutive losses.

It was Greene's first recorded save this season (0-2), coming in Thursday with a 1.35 ERA and 15 saves.

"You know what, they hit a grand slam," Gardenhire said. "He hangs one, they hit a grand slam. We arrived at the end, we just did not finish. "

While the Tigers keep a 2-0 lead, placing Boyd online for his fifth win of the season, the Marlins (16-31) took advantage of a careless defense in the ninth to complete their series on the Tigers (18-29).

Shane Greene of the Detroit Tigers reacts after giving the Grand Slam to the Miami Marlins Garrett Cooper in the ninth inning Thursday, May 23, 2019, at Comerica Park. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

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Harold Ramirez opened the round with a mistake from Dawel Lugo in third place. Three hitters – and one point – later, Ronny Rodriguez missed a chance to turn two and end the game. The first and third place riders became a loaded base position after an intentional march to Curtis Granderson, a claw hitter (and ex-tiger). Cooper and two not later, the ball is out.

Greene, who allowed the blast on a slider at 79 mph, accepted the blame for the loss.

"I have to throw better," Greene said. "It's my job to close the door and I can not do it. Our plan was to go there, slider, slider, fast ball. The first was good, the second was a circuit. "

The Tiger receiver, Grayson Greiner, felt comfortable calling another slider, although Cooper seemed to anticipate it.

"They give a good shot on a pitch," said Greiner. "This is Greenie's field. We talked about what we wanted to do. He had a little plate and the guy put a good swing on it.

"We would come back at this point in the same situation. Greenie won us a lot of games. If he continues to do what he has done, everything will be fine. Difficult loss. "

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Detroit center Tigers center Niko Goodrum beat Miami Marlins receiver Jorge Alfaro in round six on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at Comerica Park. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

Open cold

The match between two of the worst baseball teams was scoreless before the sixth, before the Tigers made a move. Niko Goodrum chooses to center and Nicholas Castellanos follows with a double. After an intentional march to Miguel Cabrera, Ronny Rodriguez threw a flying bag to the left.

The Tigers added another point in the eighth on a Cabrera RBI single. But in the end, it was still another loss.

"We have a good group of guys in this clubhouse; everyone really cares about each other, "says Castellanos. "The last thing we are going to do is point fingers and blame someone else."

The Tigers were unable to take advantage of Boyd's departure. He pitched six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and a walk, while eliminating seven. He threw 102 shots, including 69 for the batter, and lowered his playing time to 3.11.

"Boyd is doing his thing, man," said Castellanos. "He continues to progress and every time he takes the ball, he does his job and gives us a chance to win."

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Boyd sailed early, removing the top seven players from Marlin before Jorge Alfaro's third single. In the next round, Boyd overcame a base-loaded traffic jam caused by an error by shortstop Gordon Beckham, hitting Neil Walker and Jorge Alfaro, who swayed, to end the frame.

Boyd allowed a double and hit a batter in the fifth end, but worked on a sixth in 1-2-3. A walk to Alfaro to start the seventh ended the day of Boyd. Blaine Hardy took over and earned a double and a line puck.

"It happens," Boyd said of the discouraging loss of the Tigers. "Every game is singular. You win one at a time and lose one game at a time. That's what happened today. I came out on the wrong side. "

Cabrera's RBI record in eighth place beat Chipper Jones for 60th overall.