Phoenix - PHOENIX (AP) — Wenceel Pérez hit a three-run triple to break open a close game and Jack Flaherty picked up his first victory of the season as the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 on Saturday night.
Detroit scored six runs — all with two outs — in the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead. Flaherty (1-3), who had pitched well most of the season, seemed headed for another defeat before the Tigers mounted their comeback.
Pérez had two triples, Javier Báez had four hits and the Tigers got 11 of their 15 hits in the last three innings to take the first two games of the three-game series.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 18: Wenceel Pérez #46 of the Detroit Tigers hits a three-run triple during the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 18, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Until the sixth it was a pitchers’ duel between Flaherty and Zac Gallen. Each struck out six in the first three innings.
Arizona broke through in the sixth when Ketel Marte tripled to drive in the first run and extend his career-high hitting streak to 17 games, the longest current streak in the majors. Joc Pederson followed with a base hit to score Marte.
But Detroit, held scoreless after scoring 13 on Friday night, answered in the seventh against Gallen (5-3). Doubles by Gio Urshela and Báez — the latter with two outs — got the Tigers on the board. Former Diamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly followed with a single to tie the score and knock out his former batterymate.
Joe Mantiply relieved Gallen and Riley Greene doubled, sending Kelly to third. Mark Canha was intentionally walked to load the bases for Pérez, who tripled to left center to score all three. He later came home on Gio Urshela’s infield hit to cap the scoring for the inning.
Pérez added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the Tigers’ two-run eighth to finish with four RBIs.
Flaherty retired the first nine hitters he faced, striking out six, before Corbin Carroll tripled leading off the fourth. Flaherty stranded him at third with two strikeouts and an infield out.
Flaherty allowed five hits, walked two and struck out nine in six innings. He threw 98 pitches.
Gallen struck out 10 and walked nobody in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and was charged with three runs.
Báez, who had three hits Friday night in Detroit’s 13-0 win, had four more hits Saturday - two doubles and two singles. In his career at Chase Field, mostly with the Chicago Cubs, he has a .371 average.
A Mexican heritage night promotion drew a crowd of 35,326.
RECOGNITION
Kelly and LHP Andrew Chafin received their National League championship rings in a ceremony before the game. Both were members of the pennant-winning Diamondbacks last season.
PERFECT DAY
Saturday was the 20th anniversary of Randy Johnson’s perfect game against the Braves in Atlanta. Johnson, at 40 years and 251 days, is the oldest of the 24 pitchers to have thrown a perfect game. The Hall of Fame lefty struck out 13 in the Diamondbacks’ 2-0 victory.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: SS Geraldo Perdomo and CF Alek Thomas took live at-bats on Friday. Manager Torey Lovullo said Perdomo is a "couple weeks" away from a return.
NEXT
Detroit RHP Matt Manning (0-1, 4.37) faces Arizona LHP Jordan Montgomery (2-2, 4.76) in Sunday’s series finale.