Matt Vierling delivered a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the eighth as the host Detroit Tigers rallied for a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Vierling’s first homer of the season erased a 5-3 deficit. Spencer Torkelson hit a solo homer and Javier Baez added a two-run single for the Tigers. Troy Melton (2-1) gave up one run in 3 1/3 innings of relief to pick up the win. Kyle Finnegan recorded two strikeouts while getting the last three outs for his 23rd save.
Gustavo Campero and Zach Neto hit back-to-back homers off Detroit ace Tarik Skubal in the fifth. Jo Adell also homered for the Angels.
Campero entered the game in the fourth for Bryce Teodosio, who slammed into the center field wall making a catch an inning earlier.
Skubal allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Los Angeles scored a run in the second. Luis Rengifo had a two-out infield single and scored on Logan O’Hoppe’s double to left.
Detroit took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning after Kyle Hendricks struck out the side in the first. Torkelson jumped on a 1-1 changeup from Hendricks and drove it over the left-center field wall for his 25th home run of the season.
Riley Greene reached on a one-out single and moved to third on Zach McKinstry’s two-out double. Baez then hit a bloop that dropped into left field, allowing both runners to score.
Skubal got into trouble in the fifth when Christian Moore drew a one-out walk. Campero then stunned the home crowd by blasting a 3-1 Skubal fastball over the left-center field wall. Two pitches later, Neto hit another fastball well over the fence in left-center to give the Angels a 4-3 advantage.
Adell gave his team some breathing room in the eighth with his two-out homer to right center. He hit a first pitch sinker from Melton for his 24th homer.
Reid Detmers (3-3) coughed up the lead in three batters. He walked pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones and Gleyber Torres before Vierling hammered a fastball over the left field wall to put Detroit on top.
–Field Level Media
