Tyler Alexander, Tigers' bullpen lead 4-3 win over Angels
DETROIT - Tyler Alexander pitched six strong innings and the Detroit Tigers' bullpen finished off a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers had lost two straight and 10 of 12.
Alexander (3-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings, notching his first win in eight starts this season. Detroit's bullpen then pitched three hitless innings, with Gregory Soto throwing the ninth for his 23rd save.
Los Angeles' Reid Detmers (4-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 20: Kody Clemens #21 of the Detroit Tigers slides to third base against Luis Rengifo #2 of the Los Angeles Angels during the bottom of the fifth inning at Comerica Park on August 20, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic
Unlike Friday's game, which the Angels won 1-0 in two hours and 15 minutes, hits and runs were common for both teams in the early innings.
Shohei Ohtani led off the game with a double and scored on Luis Rengifo's base hit, and the Angels took a 2-0 lead in the second on Andrew Velazquez's homer.
The Tigers scored twice on five hits and a bases-loaded walk in the second inning, and could have had more if right fielder Taylor Ward hadn't thrown Jonathan Schoop out at the plate. Schoop injured his right ankle on the slide and was replaced by Kody Clemens.
Adell put Los Angeles up 3-2 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third, but Jeimer Candelario had one of his own in the bottom of the inning.
Victor Reyes gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead with an RBI single off reliever Jaime Barra in the fifth.
LOST COUNT
The Tigers had a runner on second with two out in the third inning when Tucker Barnhart hit a groundball to Velazquez at short. Instead of making the easy throw to first, Velazquez threw to a startled Rengifo at third. Luckily for Velazquez, Mike Trout prevented any further damage with a leaping catch of a line drive.
SILENT SOUND
Technical problems knocked out the Comerica Park sound system for a couple of innings, leaving the game without walk-up music, batter announcements or big-screen entertainment between innings. Normal sounds resumed in the fifth inning.
UP NEXT
The teams are scheduled to finish their weekend series Sunday, although rain is in the forecast all day. Ohtani (10-7, 2.69 ERA) will face Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 4.38), who was reinstated from the restricted list Friday after being away from the team since early June to deal with family problems.