Eduardo Valencia didn’t need much time to make his return matter.
Back in the majors after being called up from Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers rookie catcher jumped on his first swing and drove a Dean Kremer sinker 416 feet into left field for a home run. It was his third homer in the first 13 MLB at-bats of his career, and it helped set the tone for a night Detroit turned into a rout, rolling past the Orioles 14-0 at Comerica Park on Tuesday, July 28.
Valencia wasn’t done there. He later added a two-run homer off Orioles catcher Chadwick Tromp and finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs. By the time the Tigers were finished, they had piled up 19 hits, including seven extra-base hits, and scored in every inning from start to finish.
Detroit’s offense came out swinging early and never let Baltimore breathe. Kevin McGonigle singled and Riley Greene walked to put two runners aboard in the first, setting up Colt Keith’s two-run triple to left-center.
In the second, Gleyber Torres followed Valencia’s homer with a two-run double down the right-field line. Torres struck again in the fourth, launching a two-run homer to left after pulling a cutter right down the middle.
The Tigers’ scoring spree reached nine runs through five innings, and the production kept coming. Valencia, Keith, Torres, McGonigle, pinch-hitter Ben Malgeri and center fielder Javier Báez all finished with multi-hit games.
Troy Melton made sure the big night at the plate never got complicated. The right-hander fired seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five to improve to 6-1 while lowering his ERA to 1.75. Baltimore managed just five baserunners against him - three singles and two walks - and never put more than two runners on in any inning he worked.
Melton threw 92 pitches, 58 for strikes, and mixed six different offerings: 33 four-seam fastballs, 21 cutters, 13 splitters, 10 sliders, nine curveballs and six sinkers. He produced 11 whiffs on 42 Baltimore swings, with four coming on the cutter and three on the slider. That slider also accounted for three of his five strikeouts.
Ty Madden handled the final two innings and completed the shutout.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Detroit, which entered the night six games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and 4½ games back of the Cleveland Guardians for the final wild-card spot.
Valencia had rejoined the Tigers on Monday as the replacement for Kerry Carpenter, who was placed on the 10-day IL. He is now Detroit’s backup catcher after the release of Jake Rogers on Tuesday.
Before the game, manager A.J. Hinch said, “We love what Valencia did when he was up here,” and Valencia backed it up immediately.
The Tigers and Orioles wrap up the series Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. Tarik Skubal (7-5, 2.70 ERA) is set to face Orioles left-hander Trevor Rodgers (6-7, 4.17 ERA). Detroit has Thursday off before opening a nine-game West Coast trip across three cities, beginning Friday night against the Athletics in Sacramento.
In Other News...
Tigers Suddenly Hold The Deadline Decision Fans Have Waited On
Tarik Skubal was still taking the ball for Detroit this week, which tells you everything about where the Tigers stand as the trade deadline closes in. The club is staring at the kind of fork every contender hopes to reach and every front office dreads, with a chance to add help for a postseason push or to turn valuable arms into future pieces.
Skubal is the headliner, but he is not the only name in the conversation. Casey Mize, Kenley Jansen and Jack Flaherty all sit in the mix as possible trade chips if Detroit decides to sell, and the fact that Skubal just pitched for the Tigers suggests the decision is not yet locked in. For a team trying to balance present tense and long-term value, the next move will say a lot about how aggressively it sees this season. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Rumors Just Put A Mets Rotation Arm In Play
The trade deadline is starting to take shape around Tampa Bay, and the Rays are again being tied to impact talent as they try to reinforce a roster that already owns the best record in the American League. Robert Murray of FanSided reported that the Rays are looking at several possible upgrades, including Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto and New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, a sign they may be aiming high as July approaches.
Tampa Bays strong farm system gives it the kind of prospect capital that can keep it in the mix for major moves, and that alone makes the Rays worth watching over the next few days. For a Tigers team that has seen Tarik Skubals name surface in the rumor mill, the broader message is clear enough: Tampa Bay is not waiting around, and it is willing to explore the market for players who could matter in October. [Read more 🡒]