Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, Miguel Cabrera hit his 504th career home run and the host Detroit Tigers held off the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Friday.
Rodriguez (1-2) allowed five hits and four walks while striking out three to record his first win since signing with Detroit as a free agent. Will Vest, who entered with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, struck out Ramon Urias and Rylan Bannon for his first career save.
Cabrera had an RBI double along with his solo homer, while Spencer Torkelson had two hits and drove in a run.
Orioles starter Jordan Lyles (2-3) gave up four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and fanned six. Baltimore’s Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander hit solo homers in the eighth inning.
Detroit took the lead in the third. Robbie Grossman drew a one-out walk, and Javier Baez hit into a fielder’s choice. Cabrera then ripped a double into the right-center-field gap to knock in Baez.
The Tigers chased Lyles with three runs in the sixth. Cabrera hit his second homer of the season, which barely cleared the left field fence. With two outs, Jonathan Schoop singled and Willi Castro doubled down the right field line, bringing in Schoop. Castro advanced to third on the throw home and scored on Torkelson’s infield single.
After setting down the first two batters in the seventh, Rodriguez walked Robinson Chirinos and Chris Owings. Andrew Chafin entered in relief, and Cedric Mullins reached on an infield single to load the bases. Chafin then struck out Jorge Mateo to snuff out the threat.
The Orioles jumped on Jacob Barnes in the eighth, homering on the first two pitches he threw. Mancini drilled his second homer of the season to left and Santander blasted his fourth to right. Baltimore loaded the bases later in the inning, but Alex Lange induced a Mullins popout on a 3-2 pitch to keep the score at 3-2.
Tigers closer Gregory Soto was pulled with one out in the ninth after he hit two batters with pitches and walked another. Vest then entered and recorded the dramatic save.
–Field Level Media
