Gleyber Torres had three hits and capped a two-run rally with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to help the visiting Detroit Tigers score a 5-2 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
The victory ended Detroit’s 10-game losing streak against the Braves.
The Tigers began their comeback against reliever Joel Payamps. Kerry Carpenter led off the eighth with a triple and scored on Matt Vierling’s double. After Hao-Yu Lee walked, Aaron Bummer entered from the bullpen with one out and walked Kevin McGonigle to load the bases. Torres followed with a fly to center field that easily scored Vierling.
The winning pitcher was Drew Anderson (1-0), who worked two scoreless innings. Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth to earn his first save, striking out Ronald Acuna Jr. to end the game.
Payamps (0-2) was the losing pitcher.
Detroit added two insurance runs in the ninth when Wenceel Perez walked and aggressively scored from first when left fielder Mike Yastrzemski misplayed Vierling’s single. Vierling, who had three hits, scored on Dillon Dingler’s double.
Detroit starter Framber Valdez worked six innings and allowed two runs on six hits with a season-high eight strikeouts. Valdez retired the final 10 batters he faced.
Atlanta starter Bryce Elder pitched six innings and allowed one run on six hits and three walks, striking out five.
McGonigle drew a walk in the third inning — his first of three — and extended his streak of reaching base to 26 straight starts, the Tigers’ first rookie to do so since Rick Peters in 1980. But McGonigle failed to get a hit, ending his 13-game streak.
The Braves got a run in the second inning on Eli White’s RBI single that scored Mauricio Dubon. Atlanta added another run in the third inning. Ozzie Albies doubled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Dubon’s RBI single to center field.
The Tigers cut the lead to 2-1 with a run in the sixth. Riley Greene walked, advanced on Spencer Torkelson’s single and scored on Vierling’s RBI single.
