Tigers rally to defeat Braves, end nine-game skid
DETROIT — Spencer Torkelson sparked a three-run, ninth-inning rally against Raisel Iglesias with a two-run homer and hit a game-ending single in the 10th, lifting Detroit over the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Monday night to stop the Tigers’ ninegame losing streak.
“This is huge, because the last 10 days haven’t been much fun,” Torkelson said. “We’ve felt in all 10 of these games that we were never out of it. Tonight, the pitching staff did a great job and there were a couple of defensive plays that kept us in it. We just kept chipping away.”
Andy Ibanez began the comeback from a 4-0 deficit with a seventh-inning homer and threw out Sam Hilliard at the plate from left field in the 10th as Detroit improved to 7-3 in extra-inning games this season. Atlanta’s Marcel Ozuna was hit on the right wrist by a pitch from Garrett Hill in the fourth and left the game one inning later with what the Braves said was a bruise. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Ozuna was undergoing tests at a hospital.
Atlanta led 5-2 when Jonathan Schoop singled off Iglesias (2-3) leading off the ninth, and Torkelson drove a sinker 440 feet to left-center for his sixth homer.
“He caught me by surprise with his changeup on the first pitch, so I kind of dumbed down my approach,” Torkelson said. “I guess that’s what happens when you don’t try to do too much.”
Kerry Carpenter singled, Javier Baez struck out and Nick Maton bounced into a forceout at second, speeding down the first-base line to avoid a game-ending double play.
“To win a game like that, you need everyone to do something positive,” Hinch said. “Nick made a big play by getting down the line to keep the play alive.”
Matt Vierling, activated from the injured list after recovering from a sore back, singled and Zach Short tied the score when he singled to left on a changeup with a 1-2 count. Iglesias struck out Ibanez, sending the game to extra innings.
“I feel like the command and the pitchers were there,” Iglesias said.
“They came out aggressive, looking to make contact, because I’m a pitcher who throws a lot of strikes. I think that’s all there is to it.”
Ibañez came up with the big throw when Eddie Rosario hit a 238-foot flyout off Alex Lange (42). Hilliard tried to get his right arm around catcher Jake Rogers’ left leg on a headfirst slide but was called out by plate umpire Jordan Baker, a decision that ended the inning and was upheld in a video review.
With Ibanez on second as the automatic runner, Rogers popped up a bunt against former Tiger Joe Jimenez (0-2) that Austin Riley tried to scoop but hit the tip of the third baseman’s glove and bounced under for what was scored a sacrifice and an error.
With the infield and outfield in, Schoop lined to Jimenez, and Torkelson hit a 351-foot fly that fell behind the outfield for a winning single.
MARINERS 8, MARLINS 1 Rookie Bryce Miller and two relievers combined on a one-hitter, Ty France, Eugenio Suarez and Tom Murphy homered, and host Seattle defeated Miami. RED 5, ROYALS 4 (10) TJ Friedl scored the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning on Jonathan India’s grounder, and Cincinnati handed host Kansas City its seventh straight defeat.
ROCKIES 4, RED SOX 3 (10) Nick Pivetta walked Randal Grichuk to force in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, first baseman Triston Casas booted a potential inning-ending grounder and Colorado beat host Boston.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
GIANTS 4, CARDINALS 3 Mitch Haniger drove in two runs and Brandon Crawford hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning to lead San Francisco over host St. Louis. Wilmer Flores had three hits for the Giants, who have won 5 of 7.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ANGELS 9, RANGERS 6 (12) Shohei Ohtani homered on the first pitch of the 12th inning, going deep for the second time in the game as visiting Los Angeles beat Texas.