DETROIT (AP) — Rookie Troy Melton pitched seven scoreless innings in his second career start, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Monday night.
Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who has 36 homers this season and is to a contender, left the game in the ninth inning after being hit on the right hand by a pitch.
Melton, who made his major league debut in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, gave up five singles and didn’t allow a runner to reach scoring position. He struck out five and walked none.
Andy Ibáñez, recalled from Triple-A Toledo before the game, doubled and scored twice. The Tigers have won two straight since losing 12 of 13.
Former Tiger Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7) gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead on Spencer Torkelson’s first-inning RBI single, then doubled its advantage when Ibáñez doubled and scored in the second.
Ibáñez made it 3-0 by leading off the fourth with his third homer, and Matt Vierling added an RBI double later in the inning.
Dillon Dingler’s homer — his third hit of the game — made it 5-0 in the sixth. Arizona’s Alek Thomas homered off Tommy Kahnle in the eighth.
Key moment
The Diamondbacks put their leadoff hitters on in the first and fourth innings, but Melton retired the next three batters each time.
Key stat
Melton started the year with Double-A Erie, going 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA in 10 starts, then went 0-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight games (six starts) for Triple-A Toledo.
Up next
The teams play the second of a three-game series on Tuesday night, with Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-6, 4.76) scheduled to start.
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