DETROIT — Riley Greene delivered a masterclass at the plate, Dillon Dingler snapped a prolonged power drought, and the Detroit Tigers continued their late-season resurgence with a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night at Comerica Park.
The win marks the Tigers’ third victory in four games, a much-needed uptick following a dismal 5-17 stretch that effectively pushed them to the periphery of the American League wild-card hunt. While the postseason math remains daunting, Detroit’s recent performance suggests a team finding its rhythm as the calendar turns toward September.
For the Rockies, the misery continues. The loss marks their eighth consecutive defeat on the road, a streak defined by an anemic offense that has managed a mere 17 runs across those eight contests.
Detroit’s victory was anchored by a dominant outing from Framber Valdez. The left-hander improved to 10-10 on the year, tossing six innings of six-hit ball. Although he allowed one unearned run, his command was sharp, walking only two batters. Valdez has been virtually untouchable of late, extending his streak to 13 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. Kenley Jansen took the mound to shut the door in the ninth, securing his 19th save of the season.
The game remained a tight, low-scoring affair until the sixth inning. Rockies starter Mason Adams kept the Tigers’ bats largely quiet through five frames, allowing only one run on two hits. However, the game turned on a pivotal sequence in the bottom of the sixth.
Rookie Max Clark ignited the rally by crushing his third career home run to tie the game. Shortly after, the momentum swung decisively in Detroit’s favor thanks to a successful Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge by Greene. After being initially called out on a 2-2 count by home plate umpire Ron Kulpa, Greene challenged the call and won. Given new life, he battled through three consecutive foul balls against reliever Mark Manfredi before lining a triple off the center-field wall.
The Tigers seized the opportunity, with Dingler capitalizing on a first-pitch fastball from Nick Frasso, launching it into the Detroit bullpen for a three-run homer. The shot—Dingler’s 27th of the year and his first since August 6—extended the lead to 4-1. The Tigers weren’t finished; Clark reached base, stole second, and eventually scored on a pair of wild pitches to push the lead to four.
Greene, who finished with three hits on the night, provided an insurance run with an RBI double in the eighth. Zac Veen knocked in a late run for Colorado in the ninth, but the deficit proved insurmountable.
The two teams are set to meet again on Saturday. The Tigers will look to build on their momentum by deploying a bullpen-heavy approach against Colorado’s Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.40 ERA).
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