Jack Flaherty gave a strong five innings of relief before being forced out of the game with a sore back. In spite of this, the Detroit Tigers defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday night thanks to home runs from Zach McKinstry and Riley Greene.
With a season-low 60 pitches, Flaherty had a great start, giving up only two hits and no walks in five innings. He faced the Boston Red Sox in his previous game and tossed 6 2/3 innings while allowing just one hit.
Before the game, Flaherty claimed to have some back tightness, which grew worse as it went on. Nonetheless, he conveyed assurance that he would be prepared for his subsequent planned start.
With a score against Tyler Holton in the ninth inning thanks to a single by Ezequiel Duran, the Rangers were able to break the shutout. In spite of this, Jason Foley entered the game and helped the Tigers win, recording his 12th save of the year.
The Tigers have been performing well lately, winning three consecutive games and reaching above .500 for the first time since May 18. They have also won the first two games of the three-game series against the Rangers, with all five of their runs coming from home runs.
Manager A.J. Hinch praised his team for their performance in a challenging environment against the defending world champions.
The Rangers, who had won five of their last six games before this series, struggled to score runs in the past two games.
Zach McKinstry contributed significantly to the Tigers’ victory, hitting his first home run of the season in the second inning and also getting a triple in the fourth inning. He has had success against Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning in the past, with seven hits in 13 career at-bats, four of which were extra-base hits.
