Báez’s Ninth-Inning Heroics Seal Tigers’ 2-1 Win Over Dodgers in Detroit
Bharatmorning.com – The bottom of the ninth inning at Comerica Park on Saturday belonged to one man: Javier Báez. First, he chased down a line drive in left field to rob Los Angeles of what would have been a go-ahead run. Moments later, he stepped into the batter’s box and delivered a two-base hit that set the stage for Kevin McGonigle’s walk-off single. The Detroit Tigers escaped with a 2-1 victory over the visiting Dodgers, keeping their three-game series alive heading into Sunday.
A Pitching Duel That Kept It Close
Neither starter was ultimately involved in the decision, but both delivered quality work through the middle innings. Blake Snell, the Dodgers’ left-hander, retired three Tigers batters in each of his first five frames while fanning ten total hitters. He allowed just one earned run on three total hits before being pulled with the score tied. On the other side of the mound, Tigers left-hander Keider Montero went five and a third innings, surrendering one run on a modest number of baserunners before giving way to the bullpen.
The Tigers struck first in the third inning. Báez drew a walk, then advanced to second base when third baseman Max Muncy mishandled Max Clark’s sacrifice bunt. Gleyber Torres followed with a two-base hit that sent Báez home, giving Detroit a 1-0 cushion. McGonigle drew a walk with one out to load the bases, but Snell answered with back-to-back strikeouts of Dillon Dingler and Eduardo Valencia to close the frame.
Dodgers Tie It in the Sixth
Los Angeles answered in the sixth. Alek Thomas opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on a groundout by Shohei Ohtani. Freddie Freeman delivered an RBI single to make it 1-1, and Mookie Betts added a base hit that ended Montero’s outing. Tyler Holton drew a walk to load the bases, but Tommy Edman hit into a 6-4-3 double play that stranded the runners and preserved the tie.
The Ninth: Glove First, Then Bat
The Dodgers had a golden opportunity in the top of the ninth. With two outs and the score level, Teoscar Hernández connected with a hard drive toward the deepest part of the ballpark in left field. Báez, playing left, sprinted across the outfield and tracked the ball to rob Hernández of what would have been the go-ahead run. The play kept Detroit alive and shifted momentum decisively.
Báez then turned the tables at the plate. Leading off the bottom half, he pulled a double. Max Clark followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Báez to third base. Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer issued an intentional walk to Gleyber Torres, loading the bases. He then issued an unintentional walk to Hao-Yu Lee, giving Detroit runners at all three bases with no outs.
McGonigle stepped in with the game on the line. He launched a deep fly to left-center field that struck the warning track and caromed into the Dodgers bullpen. Because the winning run was already on third base, the play was scored as a single rather than a ground-rule double. The run from third scored, and the Tigers took the 2-1 lead for good.
Looking Ahead: Sunday’s Stakes
The series continues Sunday afternoon in Detroit. Tigers left-hander Framber Valdez is scheduled to take the mound for Detroit. On the Dodgers’ side, the organization has not yet confirmed whether Shohei Ohtani will make a pitching appearance. If he does, it would mark his first trip to the mound since July 3, adding an extra layer of intrigue to what is already a tightly contested series.
For Báez, Saturday represented a rare combination of defensive heroics and offensive production in the same half-inning. His outfield chase denied Los Angeles its lead, and his subsequent double put the winning run in scoring position. McGonigle’s warning-track single, however modest in its official classification, delivered the decisive blow in a game that hinged on a single out in the ninth.
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