DETROIT (AP) — Spencer Torkelson hit his eighth homer, Javier Báez had three hits from the ninth spot in the batting order and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.
Detroit improved to 11-3 at home while Baltimore lost for the fourth time in five games, going 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Casey Mize (4-1) allowed one run and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked none. Will Vest got four outs for his third save.
Brandon Young (0-1), a 26-year-old right-hander making his second major league start, gave up three runs, four hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Báez’s RBI double and Gleyber Torres’ sacrifice fly built a 2-0 lead in the first.
Ryan O’Hearn hit a solo homer in the fourth but Jace Jung boosted the lead to 3-1 with an RBI single in the fifth.
Left fielder Riley Greene reached over the top of the fence to steal a homer from Ramón Laureano in the seventh, and Jordan Westburg’s RBI single later in the inning cut Baltimore’s deficit.
Torkelson homered in the seventh off Cionel Pérez and Baltimore’s Ramón Urías in the eighth against Tyler Holton.
Detroit successfully challenged two calls by first-base umpire Brian O’Nora, overturning what out call on Dillon Dingler on a second-inning pickoff and on Báez on his fourth-inning grounder to shortstop Gunnar Henderson.
Key moment
Baltimore had runners on the corners with no one out in the sixth when Heston Kjerstad hit a soft grounder to first. Torkelson threw to the plate and Dingler got the tag on Jordan Westburg just in time. Brenan Hanifee replaced Mize and retired the next two hitters.
Up next
Tigers RHP Keider Montero (0-1, 7.71) and Orioles RHP Charlie Morton (0-5, 10.89) start the second game.
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