Detroit — Going into the series against the East Division-leading Yankees Monday, the Tigers had the best record in the American League in June (11-6). They’d hit the second most homers (35) in the majors. Their team ERA was 3.12, second lowest in baseball and they had a 24-game run of their starting pitches holding teams to four runs or less.
All of those numbers got better after the Tigers beat the Yankees 5-3 at Comerica Park, their fourth straight win.
“We’ve stayed together in the good moments and in the bad moments,” said lefty Framber Valdez, who took control of the Yankees’ offense in the middle of the game while the Tigers’ bats got going. “We try to win every single day. The results haven’t always been there, but that’s what we’re working for together, as one.”
Valdez, whom the Tigers signed to a three-year, $115 million contract in February, has had some messy, labor-intensive starts of late. But this one was a beauty.
“I feel a big responsibility,” said Valdez, speaking through interpreter Carlos Guillen. “They paid me what I felt I was worth. They’ve been giving me support. They’ve given me trust. And what I can do is do my best every time I pitch and when I’m not pitching, be there to cheer on and support my guys.”
Valdez allowed a run and four hits over six innings with eight strikeouts and had the Yankees hitters in between his sinker and spin, especially over the last four innings. He got seven swings-and-misses and seven called strikes with his sinker, five whiffs and seven called strikes with his curveball.
“It’s the whole arsenal,” said manager AJ Hinch. “And the breaking ball is a big part of it. But everybody knows the recipe. They know what he’s going to bring every day. And the more strikes he throws, the better counts he gets to, the more effective that breaking ball is.”
It was a little rough early. The lone run off him came in the second inning and it was self-inflicted. With two outs, Valez walked No. 8 hitter Jose Caballero on four pitches. He got ahead of No. 9 hitter Ali Sanchez 1-2 before nibbling his way to a full count.
Sanchez then lined an RBI double to right field.
“I was frustrated with myself because of that situation,” Valdez said. “I told myself, throw strikes. If I don’t have any walks, we don’t have any issues. Throw strikes. I was pissed at myself right there and I told myself to get back into the zone.”
The Yankees got two singles in the third but Valdez punched out Jazz Chisholm, Jr., with a nasty curveball to end that threat. And from that point on, Valdez locked in. He set down the last 10 hitters he faced.
“I’ve never had any distrust in my curveball,” Valdez said. “My curveball has put food on the table for my family. I trust it big-time. I’ve had games where it wasn’t in the best shape or location, but that’s baseball. You have bad games. Not today.”
BOX SCORE: Tigers 5, Yankees 3
For the Tigers’ offense, it was like chipping away at block of ice, the block of ice being Yankees highly-decorated right-hander Gerrit Cole.
“We talked about it before the game,” said Hinch, who managed both Cole and Valdez in Houston. “We were just going to have to grind. We know he can pitch to any gameplan. There is no definitive way to beat him … we really just tried hard to keep handing the baton to the next guy.”
Kevin McGonigle led off the game with a single but didn’t advance. Spencer Torkelson led off the second inning with a double, didn’t advance.
In the third, Zach McKinstry led off with a triple. That was the breakthrough.
After McGonigle sent McKinstry home with a ground out, the Tigers connected four more quality at-bats with two outs and tacked on two more runs. Kerry Carpenter (single), Riley Greene (walk), Torkelson (RBI single) and Colt Keith (RBI single on an 0-2 pitch).
By the end of the third, Cole had expended 66 pitches.
“We took advantage of our opportunities, knowing if we let him lock in and get comfortable without putting pressure on him or missing his mistakes, he’s really hard to beat,” Hinch said.
And the Tigers kept scoring.
Hao-Yu Lee, who led off the fourth with a single, scored from first on an opposite-field double by McGonigle. Third base coach Joey Cora alertly noted that left-fielder Caballero didn’t come up throwing and he windmilled Lee home.
Greene opened the fifth inning with a 422-foot homer to right-center. He detonated a changeup from Cole with an exit velocity of 107.5 mph and a 39-degree launch angle. It was a majestic blast and Greene’s ninth this season.
The Tigers chased Cole with one out and one on in the fifth. He was at 92 pitches and the Yankees were in a 5-1 hole.
“We had some great timely hitting tonight,” said catcher Dillon Dingler. “Tork did a great job. Kevin, Z-Mac with the triple. It was huge getting lead early. That kind of led us down the right path.”
The Yankees got back into the game in the seventh against reliever Drew Anderson. With two outs, he hit Sanchez on the wrist with a 98-mph fastball. Sanchez had to leave the game.
Amed Rosario followed with a two-run homer to right.
But Anderson got four outs and turned it over to lefty Drew Sommers in the eighth when things got a little dicey. With two outs, Anthony Volpe and Chisholm, Jr., reached on infield singles.
Hinch went to right-hander Will Vest, who was pitching for the third time in four days. But the move was made to make switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez bat left-handed where he’s slashing .162/.225/.351 with a .576 OPS.
Vest struck him out on three sizzling fastballs and then pitched a clean ninth to earn his second save.
“He was locked in,” Hinch said. “I saw the same three fastballs you saw in the eighth. We’re trying to win the game and he was locked in. I know I lose him for (Tuesday) because he pitched three times in four days. But the way he threw it in the eighth, I’m giving him the ball in the ninth.”
That will allow Hinch to use a fresh Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen to close out the game Tuesday.
“Kenley understands,” Hinch said. “He will be fully rested tomorrow and ready to go. When our bullpen is churning this way, it doesn’t matter who gets the outs or when.”
The climb is remains steep. The Tigers (34-44) are 10 games under .500 and 6.5 games back of the lead in the Central Division, five games back in the Wild Card race with eight teams ahead of them. But since the start of June, the Tigers are playing with the grit and verve that has been their calling card the last two seasons.
Vest’s energetic performance personified that Monday.
“Turn the scoreboard off,” Hinch said. “I don’t care what the numbers say right now. There’s a competitiveness that Will Vest brings that creates an edge. And I think our team feeds off that edge.”
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ Valdez tosses gem, Greene homers to defeat Yankees
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
