Detroit — It’s easy to win when the runs come pouring in like they did for the Tigers on Tuesday evening at Comerica Park. And Detroit scored at a historic rate on Tuesday.
The offense exploded for 14 runs on 19 hits, and plated at least a run in every inning that Detroit batted, one through eight. And it’s the 22nd time in MLB history a team has done that, and the second time in Tigers history — the Kansas City Royals pulled off the feat earlier this season.
“They say stick around, you’ll see something you’ve never seen before,” manager AJ Hinch said postgame. “Man, that was quite a night. We were relentless. Troy Melton was awesome.”
Behind that offensive explosion and Melton cruising on the bump in yet another start, the Tigers bounced back from a disappointing Monday result to trounce Baltimore, 14-0.
“We paired our hits together, we hit the ball out of the ballpark, we ran the bases incredibly,” Hinch said. “Just a really fun, fun win to collectively take a deep breath.”
Melton pitched seven scoreless innings, surrendering only three hits and two walks while striking out five batters as the offense quickly turned Tuesday evening’s game into a laugher.
“He’s just got a lot the hitter has to deal with and he’s using it,” Hinch said of Melton, who has a 1.75 ERA this season.
BOX SCORE: Tigers 14, Orioles 0
The offensive onslaught began close to immediately against Orioles starter Dean Kremer, who gave up a leadoff single to Kevin McGonigle and then a one-out walk to Riley Greene before facing Colt Keith with two outs.
Keith broke the game open with a two-out triple just past the glove of centerfielder Colton Cowser as he dove into the gap, and Detroit’s offense kicked into high gear.
Kevin McGonigle, Gleyber Torres and Eduardo Valencia led the offensive charge for Detroit, going a combined 10-for-14 with 10 RBI and eight runs scored amongst themselves. Torres and Valencia each left the yard on Tuesday, too, with the latter hitting a pair of homer runs. Torres finished with a team-high five RBI before getting spelled by Hao-Yu Lee late.
“Offensively, obviously he ignited us a couple different ways,” Hinch said of Valencia. “It’s really rewarding when a young player believes before he really has to experience it all. Maybe these first, get it out of the way and it calms the nerves a little bit.
“But I think his — coming in to the meeting today to prepare for this game, he had his own set of thoughts. Like that alone for a young catcher I think is exciting because he knows the work that needs to be done.”
Valencia, called up on the strength of his bat in recent performances in the majors, homered in his first at bat in the bottom of the second inning, tacking on another run for Detroit for a 3-0 lead.
Javier Báez, back in the lineup after a long stint on the injured list, then singled to turn the lineup over to McGonigle, who singled for the second time in as many innings as both runners took an extra base, bringing Torres up with runners on second and third base.
“Well, I saw the first ball of the game go to him,” Hinch said of Báez catching a fly ball for the first out of the game. “It’ll always find you when you’re back. Whether you’re a veteran, young guy, whatever, ball finds you. He had a ton of adrenaline today and he put up good at-bats.
“We were able to do exactly what we would’ve wanted which was push the volume. He was on base three times. So he got some success, he got to run the bases. He was one of the original first to third with Kevin following him. One of the reasons I love him at the bottom is when it turns over, his base running is very underrated.”
Báez, after going 3-for-4, scoring a run and generally making good, aggressive base running decisions, said he felt good physically. Detroit pulled him from the game late, with Hinch indicating the Tigers had an eye towards Wednesday’s day game.
“I know the first hit by Kevin, it was going to drop so I just kept going and he advanced to second, too,” Báez said of his first to third move. “I feel good. My legs gotta catch up to my mind, but I feel good.”
It didn’t take long for Torres, with Báez at third and McGonigle at second, to flip a double down the right-field line, plating a pair of runs to stretch Detroit’s lead out even further, 5-0 after just two innings.
Valencia came up with an RBI single in the third inning, part of a four-hit night as the Tigers kept heaping on runs. He also had four RBI and three runs scored.
Then McGonigle led off the fourth inning, walking to get aboard for Torres with no outs.
Kremer ended up missing a two strike cutter high and center cut, and Torres punished the mistake by knocking a home run to the far end of the visitors bullpen in left-center field.
By that point, Detroit led 8-0, firmly in control of the game as Tyler Melton cruised through the Orioles lineup.
In seven innings of work, Melton faced a total of 24 batters to get 21 outs, benefitting from a few double plays. He never allowed more than one runner on base at a time and no Baltimore base runner advanced past first base.
“Maybe it’s better because I’m working on something all the time and I don’t get too caught up in the results of everything,” Melton said. “I’m just trying to fix mistakes, basically. So definitely hasn’t been easy, but hopefully it continues to appear like that.”
In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the game well decided and catcher Chadwick Tromp pitching in a lopsided game for the Orioles, Valencia pummelled a pure pull side home run just inside the left field foul pole.
“I think it’s my first extra-base hit against a position player. I’m not sure but I’m like 90 percent sure. It’s crazy. But, end of the day, that counts,” Valencia said, thinking back to his time in the minor leagues, too.
That home run, which drew an almost sarcastic cheer at Comerica Park, capped off the historic scored-in-every-inning outing, the exclamation point on a thorough, victorious romp on Tuesday night for Detroit.
Adam Graham is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: ‘He ignited us’: Valencia homers twice, Tigers thrash Orioles, 14-0
Reporting by Andrew Graham, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Andrew Graham, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
