Gleyber Torres had three hits and capped a two-run rally with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to help the visiting Detroit Tigers score a 5-2 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
The victory ended Detroit’s 10-game losing streak against the Braves.
The Tigers began their comeback against right-hander Joel Payamps (0-2). Kerry Carpenter led off the eighth with a triple and scored on Matt Vierling’s double. After Hao-Yu Lee walked and Dillon Dingler struck out, Aaron Bummer entered from the bullpen and walked Kevin McGonigle to load the bases. Torres followed with a fly to center field that easily scored Vierling to give Detroit a 3-2 lead.
Drew Anderson (1-0) worked two scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing one hit. Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth to earn his first save, striking out Ronald Acuna Jr. to end the game.
Detroit added two insurance runs in the ninth when Wenceel Perez walked and aggressively scored from first when left fielder Mike Yastrzemski misplayed Vierling’s single. Vierling, who had three hits, scored on Dingler’s double.
Detroit left-hander Framber Valdez worked six innings and allowed two runs on six hits with a season-high eight strikeouts. Valdez retired the final 10 batters he faced.
Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder pitched six innings and allowed one run on six hits and three walks, striking out five.
McGonigle drew a walk in the third inning — his first of three — and extended his streak of reaching base to 26 straight starts, making him the Tigers’ first rookie to do so since Rick Peters in 1980. But McGonigle failed to get a hit, ending his 13-game streak.
The Braves got a run in the second inning on Eli White’s RBI single that scored Mauricio Dubon. Atlanta added another run in the third inning. Ozzie Albies doubled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Dubon’s RBI single to center field.
The Tigers cut the lead to 2-1 with a run in the sixth. Riley Greene walked, advanced on Spencer Torkelson’s single and scored on Vierling’s RBI single.
–Field Level Media
