Riley Greene’s impressive performance, including two home runs, and Kenta Maeda’s solid five scoreless innings led the Detroit Tigers to a 4-2 triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
This victory sets the stage for the Tigers to potentially sweep the Rays in the series finale on Wednesday. Maeda, who was eager to improve upon his shaky start to the year, showcased his resilience by limiting his own mistakes despite the team’s three errors. His efficiency was evident as he avoided walks, allowed only three singles (with just one reaching the outfield), and struck out five batters in his 88-pitch outing.
The Tigers took the early lead in the third inning when Greene hit a solo homer, marking his first of the game. However, the Rays regained the lead in the sixth inning courtesy of Isaac Paredes’ sixth home run of the season, which came against reliever Alex Faedo.
Undeterred, the Tigers rallied back in the eighth inning. Carson Kelly’s single set the stage for Greene, who delivered a two-run homer, propelling the Tigers back into the lead. Mark Canha further extended their advantage with a solo blast against Rays reliever Colin Poche, providing an insurance run.
Greene’s standout performance continued as he now boasts five home runs and 21 base on balls in just 102 plate appearances this year, showcasing his exceptional skills at the plate.
The Tigers and Rays will conclude their three-game series on Wednesday at 6:50 p.m. Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty will face Rays lefty Tyler Alexander, who coincidentally was drafted by the Tigers in 2015 but was later claimed by the Rays. Alexander has pitched twice as a starter and twice as a bulk reliever this season, and he is expected to start on Wednesday.
