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Wenceel Pérez slugs Detroit Tigers to 11-6 win over St. Louis Cardinals with two home runs
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- Wenceel Pérez slugs Detroit Tigers to 11-6 win over St. Louis Cardinals with two home runs
Detroit Tigers rookie outfielder Wenceel Pérez continues to rake at the plate.
And he's doing it from both sides.
Pérez blasted two home runs Tuesday night, the first from the right side of the plate in the second inning and the second from the left side of the plate in the fifth inning. He became the first Tiger to hit a homer from both sides in the same game since Victor Martinez in 2018.
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"I didn't know that," Pérez said. "But that's great."
The Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals , 11-6, in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader at Comerica Park. All nine players in the starting lineup reached base safely. Everyone except Matt Vierling , who drew a walk, contributed to the team's 14 hits on the way to a season-high 11 runs.
Pérez snapped a five-run tie with a two-run home run off right-handed reliever Ryan Fernandez in the fifth inning. The 24-year-old went 3-for-4 with two home runs, one single, three RBIs and one walk in five trips to the plate.
"He's really talented, and we've known that," manager A.J. Hinch said, "but he's got to do it when he's given the opportunity. He's putting up really good at-bats. I'm very proud of him because he's not trying to do too much, and yet he's doing more and more every day."
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Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Cardinals during the second inning of Game 2 of the doubleheader on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Comerica Park.
He also helped the Tigers to a winning record in April.
The Tigers (17-13) posted a 14-13 record in April, following a 3-0 record in March, with the Game 2 victory fueled by Pérez's power. He became the first Tigers rookie to homer from both sides since Raul Casanova in 1996.
Pérez is hitting .302 with three home runs, five walks and 11 strikeouts in 15 games since his MLB debut on April 8. He has a 1.003 OPS.
"I did it in rookie ball," Pérez said. "My right side is (my natural side). I learned to hit left-handed when I was 6 or 7. I was young when I started. My coach told me that I was too short, so I had to hit from both sides of the plate."
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In the fifth inning, Mark Canha singled and Spencer Torkelson found a hole in the outfield for a bloop double. Jake Rogers grounded out, but Canha scored on the play to tie the game, 5-5. With two outs, the Cardinals switched right-handed relievers — replacing Kyle Leahy with Fernandez — for the matchup with Pérez.
Pérez, swinging from the left side of the plate, crushed Fernandez's middle-down slider for a two-run home run to right field. He hit the ball 385 feet with a 101.9 mph exit velocity to give the Tigers a 7-5 lead.
The first homer from Pérez came in the second inning against left-hander Steven Matz , who surrendered four runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout in 3⅓ innings. Pérez, swinging from the right side of the plate, smoked a middle-middle sinker to right-center field for a solo home run.
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That homer put the Tigers ahead, 3-0.
Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez, right, celebrates with designated hitter Spencer Torkelson after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of Game 2 of the doubleheader on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Comerica Park.
In his pro career, Pérez is a better left-handed hitter against right-handed pitchers. He hit .301 with a .874 OPS from the left side last season in the minor leagues, compared to .197 with a .514 OPS from the right side.
"I know there's some skewed numbers," Hinch said, "but if you look at the quality of the at-bat, and you combine the numbers with what you see, he deserves opportunity in both ways. We'll mix and match the way we do, but I like the quality of at-bat. He's in the at-bat, he's competitive, and he generally swings at good pitches. There's some energy around Wenceel, and we want more of it."
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Matt Manning 's start
Right-hander Matt Manning — promoted from Triple-A Toledo as the 27th man for the doubleheader — allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across 4⅔ innings, throwing 89 pitches.
He dominated in the first four innings but ran into trouble in the fifth.
"I felt good," Manning said. "I thought I had a good fastball, so I worked with it."
Tigers pitcher Matt Manning reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Cardinals third baseman Brendan Donovan during the fifth inning of Game 2 of the doubleheader on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at Comerica Park.
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Brendan Donovan hit Manning's fastball for a two-run home run in the fifth inning, cutting the Tigers' lead to 4-2. After two outs, Manning walked Nolan Arenado before Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-strike sweeper for a single to keep the inning alive.
The Tigers replaced Manning with left-handed reliever Tyler Holton for a matchup with left-handed hitter Alec Burleson . Holton, who typically dominates lefty hitters, gave up a three-run home run. Two of those runs were charged to Manning's tab.
But the Cardinals took a 5-4 advantage on Burleson's home run.
"You just get into a jam a little bit and you really want things to go well," Manning said. "I want to prove well, throw zeros and make my fighting argument to get back up here. It's just the balance of staying under control, making pitches and pressing a little bit."
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Manning generated 15 whiffs on 48 swings — a 31.3% whiff rate — with eight fastballs, six sweepers and one curveball. The fastball averaged 94.8 mph; the sweeper proved to be a legit weapon.
The Tigers returned Manning to Triple-A Toledo after the doubleheader.
Riley Greene rakes
The Tigers tacked on much-needed insurance runs in the seventh inning, beginning with Riley Greene's solo home run against right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos . He pulled a full-count fastball at the top of the strike zone for a shot to right field.
Greene, who is hitting .257 with seven homers in 30 games this season, launched a homer in both games of the doubleheader. He is on pace for more than 35 homers if he plays in all 162 games.
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The homer from Greene pushed the Tigers' lead to 8-6, but the Tigers scored three more runs in the four-run seventh inning, increasing their lead to 11-6. Jake Rogers had an RBI double, Parker Meadows walked with the bases loaded, and pinch-hitter Kerry Carpenter delivered a sacrifice fly.
The Tigers also scored four runs off Matz in the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead. Greene put the Tigers ahead, 1-0, with an RBI double down the third-base line in the first inning.
Andy Ibáñez , activated from the injured list for the doubleheader and in the lineup for Game 2, finished 2-for-5 with two strikeouts in his return from a left hamstring strain. He scored two runs, both in the first four innings of the game.
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Greene went 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wenceel Pérez slugs Detroit Tigers to 11-6 win to split doubleheader
