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.
Lefty Framber Valdez, whose had some messy, labor-intensive starts of late, pitched a beauty. He allowed a run and four hits over six innings with eight strikeouts. He 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.
The lone run 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.
The Yankees got two singles in the third but Valdez punched out Jazz Chisholm, Jr., to end that threat.
From that point on, Valdez locked in. He set down the last 10 hitters he faced.
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.
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.
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.
The Yankees got back into the game in the seventh against reliever Drew Anderson. With two outs, he hit Sanchez in 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.
Things got dicey in the eighth. With two outs, Anthony Volpe and Chisholm, Jr., reached on infield singles.
Manager AJ 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 pitches and then pitched a clean ninth to earn his second save.
This story will be updated.
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
