Tigers slam Phillies with late surge for sixth win in a row

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The Detroit Tigers  put a game’s worth of offense into one inning – and then followed with a power surge in the next.

Thanks in large part to a five-run sixth inning, the Tigers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-2 in the first game of a three-game series at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, July 10. This marks Detroit's sixth win in a row and ninth win in its past 10 games.

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Detroit did most of its damage with Phillies starter Aaron Nola out of the game, with lefty reliever Tim Mayza allowing a go-ahead RBI single to designated hitter Eduardo Valencia, a run-scoring safety squeeze from second baseman Zach McKinstry (with McKinstry reaching on a throwing error from Mayza), a two-run triple from center fielder James Outman and a run-scoring balk with catcher Jake Rogers up to the plate, all in the sixth inning.

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Of the eight Tigers who came up to bat in the sixth, five scored, despite only two hits in the frame.

Third baseman Colt Keith followed with a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning, and first baseman Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run home run two batters later to put the Tigers' runs into double digits for the sixth time this season.

The late-arriving slugfest supported starter Jack Flaherty, who gave up two runs over six innings in his second quality start of the season. With the win, the Tigers improve to 44-50 with two games left before the All-Star break.

At the plate: Power all over the lineup

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle sent a 3-1 fastball into the visiting bullpen in left-center field, scoring Rogers from first base and giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. It was the eighth home run of the season for the rookie from the Philadelphia suburbs, and the second he has sent to the opposite field. 

Valencia, who hit a home run in his first MLB plate appearance on Thursday, July 9, made his first MLB start on Friday but struggled at the plate initially, striking out in each of his first two at-bats. But with one out and two runners on in the bottom of the sixth, Valencia came through with his go-ahead RBI, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead.

The floodgates opened from there.

McKinstry followed Valencia's single with a safety squeeze, scoring pinch hitter Matt Vierling from third base and reaching when Mayza's throw brought first baseman Bryce Harper off the bag. Outman followed with a two-run triple, his second of the season, and a Mayza balk with Rogers up to bat scored Outman from third base.

Rogers continued his hot streak, walking and scoring in the third inning and singling in the fifth to extend his on-base streak to eight consecutive plate appearances. That streak ended in the sixth inning with a fly out to center field, though, as it turns out, the Tigers didn't need Rogers' power like they did the previous two games.

That power came in the seventh inning from more conventional sources.

Keith's seventh-inning home run was his eighth of the season, while Torkelson's two-run shot was his 16th. The Tigers got production up and down the lineup, with right fielder Kerry Carpenter the only starter not to record a run, as Detroit finished one run away from tying its season high in scoring.

On the mound: Jack Flaherty in and out of a jam

Flaherty cruised through his first two innings but quickly gave up a run in the third, allowing a solo home run to former Tiger Derek Hill to lead off the frame. Hill was the Tigers’ first-round pick in 2014 – under current Phillies exec Dave Dombrowski – and played his first three seasons in Detroit from 2020-22, bouncing around the majors with six other teams before landing with Philadelphia in 2026.

The Phillies tied the game in the top of the fourth after Flaherty loaded the bases with one out, two of those baserunners coming via walks (Harper and second baseman Bryson Stott) and the other on a hit-by-pitch (third baseman Alec Bohm). Flaherty struck out right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. to bring him within one out of escaping the jam, but it was Hill once again who spoiled the effort, singling home Harper with two outs to bring the score to 2-2.

Flaherty settled down in the fifth and sixth innings, thanks in part to two excellent defensive plays from All-Star left fielder Riley Greene. Shortstop Trea Turner laced a line drive into left field to lead off the fifth, but Greene made an impressive diving catch to keep the ball off the grass.

Greene did it once again on a Bohm line drive in the sixth inning, running down a deep fly ball in left-center field that would have landed for extra bases without his effort. Both catches got key outs for Flaherty and helped keep his pitch count down, allowing the righty to extend himself deep into the game.

Flaherty, with 86 pitches through six innings, seemed to have enough to pitch the seventh, but was taken out following the five-run bottom of the sixth that staked him to a 7-2 lead. He finished with two runs on two hits over six innings, striking out six and walking three.

Next up: All eyes on Mize

The Tigers (44-50) take on the Phillies (52-43) in the second game of their three-game set on Saturday, July 11 (6:10 p.m., Detroit SportsNet). Tigers righty Casey Mize (4-5, 2.64 ERA) will face off against NL Cy Young candidate Cristopher Sánchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA).

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers slam Phillies with late surge for sixth win in a row

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