Brandon Dixon hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to give the visiting Detroit Tigers a 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night in the rubber game of their three-game series.

The Orioles have had problems holding late leads, and that issue came up again. Baltimore led 2-1 after seven innings, but the Tigers tied it on a John Hicks homer to lead off the eighth against Mychal Givens.

Dixon then got the game-winning blast off Branden Kline (1-2) with one out in the ninth and gave the struggling Tigers their second consecutive victory.

Shane Greene closed it in the ninth for his 18th save -- Detroit has 21 wins overall. Nick Ramirez (1-0) earned his first major league win thanks to three shutout innings with five strikeouts.

Baltimore's late collapse wasted a strong effort from starter John Means. The left-hander gave up one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out seven without a walk but came away with a no-decision.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said earlier in the series that he would move Givens, to that point the closer, into a different role until the right-hander found his way. In this game, Hyde brought Givens in for the seventh, and he cruised through that inning before giving up the homer to Hicks in the eighth.

Detroit starter Ryan Carpenter allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked two -- and also came away with a no-decision.

The Orioles took the lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a two-out rally. Trey Mancini was hit by a low pitch from Carpenter and then scored when Renato Nunez doubled.

Detroit tied it in the fourth when Niko Goodrum led off with an infield single and scored one out later on a Nicholas Castellanos double.

The Orioles took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning when Keon Broxton hit his second home run of the season.

Hicks then got his solo shot off Givens in the eighth, his third homer of the season, and Dixon won it with his fifth one inning later. Broxton jumped high for the ball in center but barely missed.

--Field Level Media