Gio Urshela’s two-out single knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth and the host Detroit Tigers defeated the Texas Rangers, 4-2, on Tuesday afternoon.
Detroit starter Casey Mize, making his first home start since April 9, 2022, held Texas to two runs and five hits in six innings with six strikeouts.
Andrew Chafin (1-0) struck out three of the four batters he faced and got the win. Jason Foley escaped a ninth-inning jam for his fifth save.
Kerry Carpenter had two extra-base hits and drove in a run.
Texas starter Jon Gray gave up two runs (one earned) and three hits in six innings with seven strikeouts. Ezequiel Duran scored and knocked in a run.
The Tigers seemed poised to take the lead in the second when Carpenter led off with a triple. Gray responded by striking out Gio Urshela and Wenceel Perez.
After Javier Baez drew a walk, Parker Meadows popped out to end the inning.
The Tigers broke through the following inning. Riley Greene drew a one-out walk. After Spencer Torkelson flied out, Zach McKinstry hit a routine single to right field. The ball skipped off Evan Carter’s glove and rolled toward the fence as Greene raced home.
Texas took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Josh Smith singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Duran then bounced a single up the middle to knock in Smith.
Andrew Knizner had a one-out single to move Duran to second. After a fielder’s choice, Semien smacked a two-out single to bring home Duran. Mize avoided more damage as Corey Seager flied out to deep right.
Detroit tied the score in the sixth. McKinstry drew a one-out walk and scored on Carpenter’s opposite-field double over the head of left fielder Wyatt Langford.
Torkelson walked against Jose Urena (0-2) with one out in the eighth. McKinstry hit into a fielder’s choice and Jacob Latz then replaced Urena. Matt Vierling pinch-hit for Carpenter and singled to move McKinstry to third.
Urshela hit the first pitch he saw from Latz for his run-scoring single. Vierling scored on a Latz wild pitch to make it 4-2.
–Field Level Media