Riley Greene, Javier Báez Spark Detroit Tigers To 5-4 Win Over Slumping St. Louis Cardinals
Riley Greene hit a two-run double in the seventh inning and Javier Báez added a two-run homer, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the reeling St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.
St. Louis fell to 0 for 11 in series openers this season. The Cardinals became the first team to drop that many series openers since the 1981 Kansas City Royals, who were 0 for 13.
St. Louis lost its seventh straight game and is 3-14 in its last 17 . The Cardinals are 5-12 at home this season and have lost 11 of 14 games at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals, 1-10 in their last 11 games, have the worst record in the National League at 10-23.
The Tigers scored three runs in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Reliever Jordan Hicks (0-3) gave up the hit on an 0-2 pitch to Greene, who entered the game in the fifth inning. He drove in pinch-hitter Zach McKinstry, who had walked, and St. Louis native Matt Vierling, who was hit by a 100 mph fastball. Spencer Torkelson hit a run-scoring double off reliever Giovanney Gallegos.
Matthew Boyd (2-2) pitched six innings with six strikeouts and no walks. He gave up three runs on five hits. Alex Lang earned his sixth save after giving up a leadoff double to Paul Goldschmidt. He struck out the final three batters.
Báez, who went 3 for 4 with a walk, put the Tigers up 2-0 when he hit a 1-2 curveball into the left field seats in the first inning after Andy Ibañez had doubled off starter Jordan Montgomery. It was the 20th homer allowed in a two-strike count this season by a St. Louis pitcher.
Catcher Andrew Knizner, who entered the game hitting .138, had his first extra base hit this season with a two-out home run into the left field bullpen in the third inning after Boyd had retired the first eight hitters.
St. Louis scored twice in the third for a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals, who left the bases loaded in the seventh, added a run in the eighth. But Mason Englert got pinch-hitter Nolan Gorman to strike out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
