Jack Flaherty pitched well for five innings but had to leave the game due to back tightness. Despite this, Zach McKinstry and Riley Greene hit home runs, helping the Detroit Tigers secure a 3-1 victory against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Flaherty had a strong start, allowing only two hits and no walks in five innings, throwing a season-low 60 pitches. In his previous game, he pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up just one hit against the Boston Red Sox.
Flaherty mentioned feeling some tightness in his back before the game, which got worse as the game progressed. However, he expressed confidence that he would be ready for his next scheduled start.
The Rangers managed to break the shutout in the ninth inning with Ezequiel Duran’s single, scoring a run against Tyler Holton. Despite this, Jason Foley came in and secured the win for the Tigers, earning his 12th save of the season.
The Tigers have been performing well lately, winning three consecutive games and reaching above .500 for the first time since May 18. They have also won the first two games of the three-game series against the Rangers, with all five of their runs coming from home runs.
Manager A.J. Hinch praised his team for their performance in a challenging environment against the defending world champions.
The Rangers, who had won five of their last six games before this series, struggled to score runs in the past two games.
Zach McKinstry contributed significantly to the Tigers’ victory, hitting his first home run of the season in the second inning and also getting a triple in the fourth inning. He has had success against Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning in the past, with seven hits in 13 career at-bats, four of which were extra-base hits.