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Detroit Tigers surge to winning record with home runs in 6-2 win over Los Angeles Angels
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- Detroit Tigers surge to winning record with home runs in 6-2 win over Los Angeles Angels
The Detroit Tigers hit three home runs in a span of five plate appearances against Los Angeles Angels right-hander Johnny Cueto , with the three homers combining for 1,272 feet.
All of them were long homers to center field.
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Jake Rogers hit a first-pitch fastball 422 feet; Riley Greene hit a middle-middle sinker 425 feet; Kerry Carpenter hit a middle-down changeup 425 feet. The three homers, headlined by Rogers' go-ahead swing in the fifth inning, led to a 6-2 win over the Angels in Tuesday's opener of a three-game series at Comerica Park.
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter celebrates with first baseman Spencer Torkelson after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning at Comerica Park on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 in Detroit.
The Tigers (67-66) have won five games in a row, exceeding a .500 record for the first time since June 4.
Three long homers benefited the Tigers, but not before the Tigers took advantage of mistakes from the Angels in the fourth inning, scoring their first two runs of the game.
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The Angels made defensive mistakes on Parker Meadows ' triple, Matt Vierling 's RBI double and Kerry Carpenter's RBI single, but only one error was charged on the three misplays. Regardless, the Tigers grabbed a 2-1 lead.
After the Angels answered back, the Tigers crushed three home runs off Cueto across the fifth and sixth innings.
Rogers put the Tigers ahead, 3-2, with a two-out solo home run to center field in the fifth. In the sixth, Greene hit a solo homer and Carpenter hit a two-run homer, making it 6-2.
Greene has 19 home runs in 108 games.
The homer from Carpenter chased Cueto, a 17-MLB veteran who allowed six runs on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts across five-plus innings, throwing 83 pitches. It was the second start in the big leagues this season, following 13 starts in the minor leagues.
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First time starting
Left-hander Brant Hurter — who started 18 of 19 games in Triple-A Toledo — appeared in four games as a long reliever to begin his MLB career, but he started Tuesday for the first time.
Hurter, who turns 26 in early September, gave up two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts, throwing 80 pitches. He found success against a lineup with a lot of right-handed hitters, even without a premier pitch to get righties out.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Brant Hurter throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Comerica Park on Tuesday, Aug, 27, 2024 in Detroit.
RACKING UP WINS: Detroit Tigers haven't been .500 this late into season since 2016
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The Angels scored one run apiece in the first and fifth innings, thanks to Nolan Schanuel 's RBI single in the first and Taylor Ward 's sacrifice fly in the fifth.
Hurter retired 10 batters in a row from one out in the first inning through two outs in the fourth inning. He also stranded two runners in scoring position in the first inning, which he advanced with a balk, when he struck out Anthony Rendon looking with a sweeper that painted the corner of the strike zone.
Hurter has a 3.57 ERA with three walks and 21 strikeouts across 22.2 innings in five games (one start) in his MLB career.
After Hurter, the Tigers picked up scoreless efforts from right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee , right-handed reliever Shelby Miller and right-handed reliever Jason Foley . In the ninth, Foley recorded the final out after Miller allowed two batters to reach safely with two outs.
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Hanifee retired all eight batters he faced, covering 2⅔ innings.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers surge to winning record with 6-2 victory over Angels
