DETROIT -- Chris Archer allowed two earned runs on six hits across six innings of work, racking up six strikeouts along the way, but it wasn't enough to get the Rays back to .500 for the first time since the second game of the season.
Leonys Martin's fifth-inning RBI double was enough to carry the Tigers to a 2-1 win on Tuesday at Comerica Park, as Matthew Boyd (1-2) allowed just one earned run on seven hits across six innings of work.
It was just the second time this season -- twice in the last three starts -- that Archer allowed fewer than four runs.
Detroit got on the board in the third inning with a Nicholas Castellanos RBI double, but he was thrown out by first baseman C.J. Cron trying to stretch it into a triple after Johnny Field's throw to the plate was too late to catch James McCann.

After Matt Duffy tied the game with an RBI in the top of the fifth inning, the Tigers reclaimed the lead with Martin's double in the bottom of the frame before Archer was able to slam the door with back-to-back strikeouts.
"I was just trying to do everything I could do to keep the score where it was," Archer said. "I just gave them everything I had and we were fortunate to get out of that inning only giving up one run."
The Rays managed six baserunners between the third and fourth innings but failed to push across any runs, as Boyd was able to escape danger and strand runners in scoring position. Boyd turned in a season-high seven strikeouts, including two in his final inning.
Field said it was tough to let those opportunities slip away without getting a big knock to push across a few extra runs, especially considering Archer's strong performance.

"[Archer] went out there and competed and made pitches, made quick work of a lot of the guys," Field said. "He really gave us a chance to win, and it's kind of a shame we couldn't get a couple runs for him, but he threw the ball really well tonight."
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Down 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Rays had Wilson Ramos on second base and Carlos Gomez on first when Rob Refsnyder hit a sharp one-out single to center field. Third-base coach Matt Quatraro elected to send Ramos home, where Ramos was thrown out by Martin, and by a good 20 feet. The Rays were left with runners at first and second with two outs, rather than having the bases loaded with just one out.

After the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash said the decision was "a tick overaggressive," but thought Quatraro was just trying to put a little extra pressure on the defense, noting that he feels Quatraro has done a good job this season.
"I think he also realized we had a left-hander coming up to go against Boyd, who's challenging to lefties, so put some added pressure on the defense and see what happens," Cash said. "It didn't work in our favor."
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HE SAID IT
"It's definitely a milestone, a goal. It does stink that we lost, but I take pride in taking the ball every five days and being healthy enough to do that and right at five years, it feels good, but it just stinks that we lost."
-- Archer, on eclipsing the 1,000 career innings-pitched mark
UP NEXT
Blake Snell takes the mound Wednesday in search of his fifth consecutive win. He has racked up 34 strikeouts and allowed just five runs over 26 2/3 innings in his last four starts. He'll square off against Detroit's Michael Fulmer, who is coming off six scoreless innings against Pittsburgh. Game time is set for 1:10 p.m. ET.