GREAT NEWS:Early hits from rookies propel Detroit Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.The Tigers, with a…
The Tigers, with a record of 44-49, have won seven of their last 10 games but still trail the first-place Guardians by 14 games.
Keith, 22, has been on a hot streak, hitting .419 (13-for-31) with four home runs, three walks, and 10 strikeouts over his past eight games. Meanwhile, Pérez, 24, is hitting .267 (8-for-30) with two home runs, one walk, and four strikeouts in his past eight games.
In the first inning, a double from Pérez and a triple from Keith put the Tigers ahead 1-0 against right-hander Tanner Bibee. Matt Vierling’s sacrifice fly then extended the lead to 2-0.
The Tigers increased their lead to 4-2 in the third inning. Keith drew a five-pitch walk, and Vierling followed with a two-run homer to left-center, hitting the ball 426 feet with a 104.8 mph exit velocity, marking his career-high 12th homer in 82 games this season.
Bibee, the runner-up for the 2023 AL Rookie of the Year, allowed four runs on five hits and three walks, striking out eight over seven innings and throwing 109 pitches.
After Olson, the Tigers turned to left-handed reliever Tyler Holton, right-handed reliever Alex Faedo, and right-handed reliever Jason Foley for the final three innings.
The Guardians managed to score one run against Faedo on a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 5-4. However, Foley, pitching for the first time since Saturday, took over with one out and stranded a runner at third base. Foley induced two groundouts, with the first coming after an extended rundown between third and home, to end the game.
