ATLANTA – Framber Valdez finished better than he started.
It made a big difference.
The Detroit Tigers avoided a sweep with a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, April 30, in the finale of the three-game series at Truist Park.
For the comeback, the Tigers scored two runs in the eighth inning to take the lead, then two runs in the ninth to provide a cushion. A sacrifice fly from Gleyber Torres provided the game-winning run in the eighth.
Valdez sent down the final 10 batters he faced.
The 32-year-old allowed two runs on six hits and no walks with one hit-by-pitch and eight strikeouts across six innings, throwing 99 pitches. Although he gave up one run apiece in the second and third innings, he cruised through his final three innings.
Matt Vierling led the Tigers’ offense, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Other key contributors were Torres with three hits and Kevin McGonigle (who saw a game-high 31 pitches in five plate appearances) with three walks.
The Tigers (16-16) return home after losing four of six games on their road trip, including two of three to the Braves (22-10). Next up, the Tigers clash with the Texas Rangers in a three-game series at Comerica Park, beginning Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet).
In Thursday’s game, the Braves kept the Tigers from scoring until the sixth inning, as right-handed Bryan Elder allowed one run on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts across six innings in his 90-pitch performance.
Meanwhile, the Braves took advantage of an unsteady Valdez with one run in the second inning and one run in the third for a 2-0 lead.
It started with a hit-by-pitch in the second.
The reason for that hit?
Poor pitch location.
In the third, Ozzie Albies hit Valdez’s seventh-pitch changeup well below the strike zone for a leadoff double, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out RBI single from Dubón, who hit a middle-middle sinker.
The reason for that hit?
Once again, poor pitch location.
After that, Valdez dialed in his command and shut down the Braves – and eventually, the Tigers supported him with three runs late in the game, but not before a missed opportunity in the seventh inning.
The Tigers trimmed their deficit to 2-1 in the sixth inning, as Vierling dropped a RBI single into right field with two outs after Riley Greene walked and Spencer Torkelson singled, applying pressure to Elder in his final inning.
A big scoring chance came in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out against right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley, thanks to McGonigle (walk), Torres (single) and Colt Keith (single).
All three runners were stranded.
Greene struck out swinging (on three pitches) and Torkelson lined out (on a fifth-pitch slider out of the strike zone).
The missed opportunity didn’t tank the Tigers.
That’s because they bounced back – and took a 3-2 lead – in the eighth inning, facing right-handed reliever Joel Payamps and left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer.
It began with a leadoff triple from Kerry Carpenter, who then scored on a double from Vierling.
Those extra-base hits off Payamps tied the game, 2-2.
The Tigers secured a 3-2 lead on Torres’ sacrifice fly off Bummer to score Vierling after Hao-Yu Lee and McGonigle drew walks to extend the inning.
In the ninth, the Tigers added two runs for a 5-2 advantage against left-handed reliever José Suarez on Vierling’s RBI single and Dillon Dingler’s RBI double.
The Tigers turned to right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan – rather than closer Kenley Jansen, who blew a win on Wednesday night – for the ninth inning after right-handed reliever Drew Anderson dominated in the seventh and eighth innings.
It was Finnegan’s first save opportunity this season, and he converted it by working around a one-out single.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers rally in final two innings to avoid sweep by Braves
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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