Riley Greene blasted a pair of home runs and drove in three runs as the host Detroit Tigers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Detroit starter Keider Montero (6-6) allowed five hits in five scoreless innings, one start after tossing a complete-game shutout against Colorado. Jason Foley recorded his 23rd save.
Colt Keith added an RBI single for the Tigers (77-73), who have won six of their last eight.
Adley Rutschman hit a two-run homer for the Orioles (84-66). Starter Cade Povich (2-9) gave up two runs and two hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out eight.
Anthony Santander smacked a two-out double in the first but Heston Kjerstad grounded out to second to end the inning. Povich struck out the side in the bottom of the frame.
Colton Cowser doubled with two outs in the top of the second. Montero responded by striking out Emmanuel Rivera.
Detroit had runners in scoring position in the bottom of the inning when Keith walked and Spencer Torkelson blooped a double. They were left stranded when Trey Sweeney popped out and Dillon Dingler grounded out.
Baltimore’s Livan Soto led off the third with a single and Gunnar Henderson walked. They both advanced on a long flyout. But Santander popped out and Kjerstad grounded out, leaving the runners stranded.
Detroit took the lead in the bottom of the inning. Andy Ibanez drew a walk and Greene clubbed a fastball over the right field wall.
Povich recorded two more strikeouts in the fifth.
The Tigers made it 3-0 in the sixth with a two-out run against Jacob Webb. Matt Vierling drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Keith’s opposite-field single.
Rivera had a one-out double in the top of the seventh. Will Vest replaced Tyler Holton and induced a pair of groundouts.
Rutschman cut Detroit’s lead to one run with his two-out, two-run homer in the eighth off Vest. Cedric Mullins was on second after drawing a leadoff walk.
Greene gave the Tigers some breathing room with his team-high 23rd homer off Gregory Soto in the bottom of the inning.
–Field Level Media