Surging Tigers beat Orioles to inch closer in AL wild-card race
BALTIMORE (AP) — Beau Brieske pitched out of a jam in the ninth inning, Riley Greene drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th and the Detroit Tigers inched closer in the AL wild-card chase by beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Saturday.
Detroit moved within a half-game of the Twins for the final American League playoff spot. Minnesota’s game at Boston was rained out and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Sunday.
The surging Tigers have won 10 of 13 to put themselves in surprise postseason contention after being under .500 a month ago.
“We’ve been battling for a long time now,” said shortstop Trey Sweeney, who made an acrobatic, game-saving catch in shallow left field in the ninth, tumbling over Greene and getting the wind knocked out of him. “I think everybody’s just confident in our lineup, in our staff and defense. Everybody’s confident in each other, and that’s what makes a good team.”
This one almost slipped away when closer Jason Foley allowed consecutive singles, a walk and a double to Gunnar Henderson that tied the score at 4 in the ninth. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch pulled Foley for Brieske (3-4), who induced a groundout, got big help from Sweeney and then ended the threat with a flyout to center.
Brieske called it “almost an out-of-body experience.”
“There wasn’t really a fear of blowing it because I couldn’t go in there with that mindset,” he said. “There was just a tunnel directly to the plate. I didn’t care. Honestly, I just didn’t care about the negative outcome.”
That clutch performance, followed by singles from Greene and Jace Jung and a sacrifice fly from Zach McKinstry off reliever Yennier Cano (4-3), quieted the Camden Yards crowd of nearly 40,000 that was ready to celebrate minutes earlier. Brieske got out of another jam in the 10th to seal it.
“It felt like the stakes were high and two teams really fighting to get into the postseason,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “A lot of benches emptied and a lot of bullpen guys used. It was a heck of a game. Unfortunately, we just didn’t finish it.”
Baltimore could have clinched a second consecutive trip to the postseason with a win and a Seattle loss later Saturday. Instead, that will have to wait until at least Sunday, and time is running out to catch the New York Yankees atop the AL East.
Detroit (81-74) is one victory from clinching a winning record this season, but the Tigers can legitimately think about the playoffs because of games like this.
“We had every range of emotion you can imagine given how the swings in that game from the very beginning were back and forth,” Hinch said. “If you believe in character wins, this is going to be at the top.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Rookie INF Colt Keith, who had a sacrifice fly in the eighth, did not start because of a banged-up right shoulder but could play the entire game in the field Sunday, Hinch said.
Orioles: CF Cedric Mullins was in the lineup after being out Friday because of neck tightness from a collision with Austin Slater in the outfield on Thursday. ... Hyde said 1B Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) and 3Bs Jordan Westburg (hand) and Ramon Urias (ankle) are “getting close” to returning.
UP NEXT
RHP Albert Suárez (8-6, 3.60 ERA) is set to pitch for the Orioles in the series finale. The Tigers had not announced a starter, though RHP Casey Mize (2-6, 4.36) would be on full rest.
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