Rookie Kevin McGonigle ripped a tiebreaking two-run single during a four-run eighth inning to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the host San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler also had run-scoring hits during a frame in which Detroit sent nine batters to the plate. Spencer Torkelson had an RBI single earlier in the game as the Tigers defeated the Padres for the second straight day.
Enmanuel De Jesus (1-0) gave up one hit in the seventh for his first big league win. Kyle Finnegan walked one in the eighth and Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth for his first save with the Tigers.
Jackson Merrill reached base three times on two singles and a walk and robbed McGonigle of his first career homer with a catch in center field in the second. Ramon Laureano had an RBI double for San Diego.
After retiring the first hitter in the eighth, San Diego’s Jeremiah Estrada (0-1) walked Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres and Cole Keith in succession. Greene followed with a slow-rolling infield hit to score Carpenter and tie the score at 2.
Estrada struck out Torkelson before left-hander Wandy Peralta entered and waged a battle with the left-handed-hitting McGonigle, who went 4-for-5 in his debut Thursday. The player in his second major league game hit the 10th pitch into right-center to score Torres and Keith and give the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
Dingler followed with a single to right-center to score Greene.
Framber Valdez worked six innings in his Detroit debut and allowed two runs (one earned) and seven hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked one.
San Diego’s Michael King gave up one unearned run and one hit in five-plus innings. He struck out six and walked four.
Estrada was charged with four runs while recording just two outs in the eighth.
Merrill walked with one out in the sixth and was at second with two outs when Laureano doubled to right to give the Padres a 2-1 edge.
San Diego moved ahead 1-0 in the fourth when Manny Machado hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Merrill’s infield single and scored on Miguel Andujar’s infield single.
King exited after walking Torres to start the sixth. Adrian Morejon entered and induced Jahmai Jones to bounce to third but Machado couldn’t get the ball out of his glove for an error.
Morejon got Greene to ground into a double play before Torkelson sent an RBI single to left to score Torres and knot the score.
–Field Level Media
