The Detroit Tigers finally exhaled on Sunday. Their long losing streak ended in the second game of a doubleheader in Baltimore.
They will now try to make the long climb back into division contention when they host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series that begins Tuesday.
Closer Kenley Jansen gave up a walk-off homer for the third time this season in Game 1. The breakthrough came a few hours later with a 4-1 victory.
Detroit had lost eight straight and 16 of its last 18 contests.
“Getting the win before the off day, especially after getting punched in the face, that’s a really good feeling,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “We need to get home and capitalize on these good vibes and the music playing and the guys being excited. We’re used to that, we just haven’t had that in a while.”
The two key hits were Dillon Dingler’s first-inning homer, his team-leading 10th, and Kevin McGonigle’s fifth inning two-run single.
“It’s just feels good to get back in the win column,” first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. “We have to keep it rolling. We let (Game 1) sting for about 15 minutes and it was like, ‘All right, let’s go.’ Normally you have to wait a whole day to get it back. Now we got to go out and win in a couple of hours. I loved that we took that mindset into this game.”
Clutch hits, or hits of any kind, have been hard to come by lately. The Tigers have seven hits or less in each of their last 11 games, their longest such streak dating back to 1901.
Right-hander Keider Montero (2-3, 3.83 ERA) will start the series opener against the Angels. He gave up three runs on two hits while issuing a season-high four walks in five innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old faced the Angels once in his career back in 2024, when he allowed three runs and five hits in five innings.
The Angels will be seeking their season-best fourth straight win. They swept Texas in a three-game home series over the weekend.
Pinch runner Donovan Walton scored on an error in the ninth inning for a 2-1 walk-off victory on Sunday.
Los Angeles had lost nine of its last 10 games prior to Texas’ visit.
“Definitely nice, feels good,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “To our guys’ credit, they battled this series. They had a lot of energy and they played together. They did a lot of good things to help the team win and it was fun to be a part of.”
The Angels still have the worst record in the American League at 20-34.
“Well, as you know, we need more wins,” infielder Oswald Peraza said. “(We’re) working very hard every day for that result.”
Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-3, 4.55) is scheduled to take the mound for Los Angeles. He is winless in his last seven starts.
Kochanowicz, 25, lasted six innings in his most recent outing, giving up three runs and three hits to the Athletics on Wednesday. He walked four and struck out seven in a no-decision.
He faced the Tigers twice last season, giving up a combined 11 earned runs in eight innings while losing both outings. He also tossed six scoreless innings against them in 2024.
–Field Level Media
