Detroit Tigers catcher Eric Haase ran around the bases in the fifth inning. He pointed to the sky before touching second base and, on his way to third base, was finally able to use the bow and arrow celebration.
It had been a long time.
Haase hadn’t homered since Opening Day.
His second home run of the season helped the Tigers win 3-0 on Saturday in the second of three games against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park, though the bullpen shone brighter afterward. starting pitcher Michael Pineda came out in the second inning.
SHAWN WINDSOR:Don’t let the Tigers’ horrible start ruin your growing hope for the Lions
DAMAGE TO PINEDA:Tigres pitcher leaves game with right hand contusion
IN THE FARM:Tigers send Casey Mize (elbow) back to Lakeland: ‘We’re going to slow him down’
Detroit improved to 11-23 with consecutive wins.
In the second inning, Willi Castro scored off Jonathan Schoop with a sacrifice fly to put the Tigers ahead 1-0. Schoop led off with a double, then advanced to third on a fielding error by Orioles left fielder Ryan McKenna.
Castro had his first hit of the game in the seventh, hitting a solo home run to left field on a slider on the first pitch to chase down Baltimore left-hander Bruce Zimmermann after 80 pitches.
The home run made it 3-0, Tigres.
Miguel Cabrera and Eric Haase posted two-hit performances as the Tigers’ offense recorded three runs on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Schoop, Castro and Javier Báez each produced one hit.
Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a walk.
He has 3,018 career hits.
‘Big Mike’ hit
The Tigers weren’t expecting a bullpen game, but manager AJ Hinch had no choice after the first out in the second inning. Pineda left with a bruise on his right hand.
The ball, hit by Ramón Urías with an exit velocity of 105.9 mph, deflected off Pineda’s right middle finger. The right-hander walked off the mound and into the clubhouse after a conversation with Hinch and track coach Doug Teter.
Pineda threw 14 of 20 pitches for strikes, retiring all four batters he faced. The 33-year-old has a 3.22 ERA with four walks and 12 strikeouts in 22⅓ innings through five starts this season.
In Saturday’s outing, Pineda used 14 fastballs, three sliders and three changeups. He recorded two swings and misses and three called strikes, all on his 91 mph fastball.
The Tigers made three strong defensive plays in the first inning to help Pineda take care of Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander. Those plays, in order, were made by Schoop, right fielder Robbie Grossman and third baseman Jeimer Candelario.
Peralta picks it up
The unexpected departure landed Hinch in his bullpen.
He called right-handed reliever Wily Peralta into action.
Peralta recorded the last two outs in the second and went 2⅔ scoreless innings. He has a 0.59 ERA with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts in 15⅓ innings through nine games.
He worked on two walks and a second-inning throwing error by Baez, who pulled first baseman Spencer Torkelson off first base. Peralta responded to the mess by striking out McKenna with a slider to end the inning.
Peralta walked the leadoff hitter in the third and fourth innings. Both running backs were eliminated by double plays. He completed the fourth to conclude his outing with 37 pitches, 23 strikes.
The Tigers converted three double plays in Saturday’s victory.
After Peralta, right-hander Jason Foley took the mound.
He pitched two scoreless innings and threw 20 of 26 pitches for strikes. Foley, in his second MLB season, recorded his first strikeout this year with a four-seam fastball lofted at 96.2 mph against Rougned Odor.
Right-hander Joe Jimenez pitched a scoreless seventh inning and left-hander Andrew Chafin closed out the eighth.
Chafin navigated Candelario’s fielding error in the opening of the inning at third base. He hit Anthony Bemboom with a fastball and Chris Owings with a slider before Mullins hit a force out.
Left-hander Gregory Soto, the Tigers’ closer who struggled Friday night, turned in a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save in 2022.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more about the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our tiger newsletter.
Reference-www.freep.com