Spencer Torkelson hit his team-leading eighth homer and the host Detroit Tigers edged the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3, in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
Winning pitcher Casey Mize (4-1) gave up one run and eight hits with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Will Vest got the last four outs for his third save.
Javier Baez added three hits and an RBI for Detroit.
Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Urias homered for the Orioles.
Brandon Young (0-1) was charged with three runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings in his second career start. He walked five and struck out six.
The Tigers broke through with two runs in the second with the aid of Young’s wildness.
Jace Jung walked and Dillon Dingler hit into a fielder’s choice. Trey Sweeney walked before Baez smacked a double to left-center to drive in Dingler. Kerry Carpenter walked to load the bases and Gleyber Torres hit a sacrifice fly to score Sweeney.
A walk to Zach McKinstry loaded the bases again but Young prevented further damage by striking out Riley Greene.
O’Hearn put the Orioles on the board in the fourth when he ripped a Mize fastball to the opposite field and over the left-field wall.
The Tigers extended their lead in the fifth. McKinstry led off with a single and moved up on a groundout. With two out, Young came out in favor of Bryan Baker.
Jung drove in McKinstry with a single up the middle. The Tigers had the bases loaded but Baez struck out to leave the score 3-1.
With one out in the seventh, left fielder Greene made a leaping catch to rob Ramon Laureano of a homer. Tyler Holton then replaced Brenan Hanifee on the mound and Baltimore scored a run. Cedric Mullins walked and Gunnar Henderson had a bloop single before Jordan Westburg’s RBI infield hit.
Torkelson gave Detroit a 4-2 lead with one out in the bottom of the frame with his opposite-field blast off Cionel Perez.
Urias homered off Holton with one out in the eighth.
