Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles
Alonso and Holliday homer and Orioles hand Tigers seventh straight loss with a 7-4 victory
BALTIMORE -- — Pete Alonso homered and drove in four runs, Jackson Holliday added a go-ahead two-run shot and the Baltimore Orioles handed the Detroit Tigers their seventh straight loss with a 7-4 victory on Friday night.
Alonso homered for a second straight game, a three-run shot off Jack Flaherty (0-6) in the third to put the Orioles up 3-2. The slugger added a sacrifice fly in the seventh following his 10th home run.
Holliday hit a two-run homer in a three-run fourth that gave Baltimore a 6-4 lead. The second baseman, who was on the injured list for the Orioles' first 48 games, singled for his first hit before Alonso homered.
Baltimore snapped a three-game losing streak.
Rookie Kevin McGonigle hit his third homer — on opener Keegan Akin's first pitch — to give Detroit the lead.
Chris Bassitt (4-3) entered in the second and needed seven pitches to retire the side, but Gage Workman and Hao-Yu Lee led off the third with doubles to make it 2-0.
Zach McKinstry's RBI fielder's choice and Hao-Yu Lee's two-out single put the Tigers ahead 4-3 in the fourth.
Leodys Taveras, who doubled in the second, reached on a bunt single to start the bottom of the fourth. Colton Cowser singled to put runners on the corners and Taveras scored on a balk to tie it 4-4.
Flaherty did not have a balk through any of his previous 200 appearances and 1,037 1/3 innings. He allowed six runs — three earned — in 3 1/3 innings, striking out seven.
Bassitt left in the sixth after a one-out double by Wenceel Pérez, allowing three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Rico Garcia got the final two outs in the fifth, and Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells both pitched a scoreless inning before rookie Anthony Nunez fanned two in the ninth for his third save in five opportunities.
Henderson had three of Baltimore's 14 hits at the start of a season-high, 10-game homestand.
Detroit lost for the 15th time in 17 games and has the majors' worst road record at 7-20.
Tigers LHP Framber Valdez (2-3, 4.58) starts Saturday opposite Orioles RHP Brandon Young (3-1, 4.25).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
BAL leads 1-0
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Mike Estabrook
- First Base Umpire - Jonathan Parra
- Second Base Umpire - Lance Barrett
- Third Base Umpire - Alfonso Marquez
2026 American League Central Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 31 | 22 | .585 | - | W7 |
| Chicago | 26 | 24 | .520 | 3.5 | W1 |
| Minnesota | 24 | 27 | .471 | 6 | W2 |
| Kansas City | 20 | 31 | .392 | 10 | L4 |
| Detroit | 20 | 32 | .385 | 10.5 | L7 |

