Detroit put the game away in the fifth inning, and that was enough to survive a late push from Cleveland. The Tigers won 6-4, riding a three-run fifth that turned a tied game into a lead they never gave up.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| DET | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | X | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Kevin McGonigle drove in three runs, the biggest coming on a two-run double in the fifth that put Detroit ahead for good. He finished 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run scored, and later added a run-scoring single in the seventh. Jo Adell was named game MVP for Cleveland's side despite the loss, going 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and two walks.
The go-ahead swing came in the fifth inning, when McGonigle doubled to right and both Javier Báez and Maceo Clark scored to make it 1-3. Gleyber Torres followed with a single to center that brought McGonigle around, extending the lead to 1-4. Detroit had already grabbed an early edge in the second when Spencer Torkelson doubled to center and Riley Greene scored, though Cleveland answered in the third on Chase DeLauter's 424-foot homer to right center that tied it at 1-1. The Tigers padded their lead further in the seventh, scoring twice — once on a caught-stealing error charged to José Ramírez that let Báez score, and again on a McGonigle single that brought home Zach McKinstry.
Tanner Bibee took the loss for Cleveland, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) over 6.1 innings with five hits, two walks and four strikeouts. The Guardians chipped away late — Steven Kwan scored on a José Ramírez groundout in the seventh, Adell went deep in the eighth, and Kwan scored again on an Adell sacrifice fly in the ninth — but the rally fell short. Jacob Waguespack picked up the win for Detroit with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Kenley Jansen closed it out for his 14th save despite allowing a run in the ninth.
Detroit starter Drew Anderson worked four innings, allowing 1 run before handing things to a bullpen that covered five innings and allowed 3 runs. The win pushed Detroit's streak to three straight, improving the Tigers to 59-60. Cleveland, held to 4 runs on 9 hits despite an error-aided extra frame for Detroit, fell to 58-62 with its third consecutive loss.