Spencer Torkelson smacked a two-run homer, Kevin McGonigle supplied a pair of run-scoring hits and the host Detroit Tigers downed the Texas Rangers, 7-1, on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series.
Matt Vierling had a two-run double and Hao-Yu Lee added an RBI single. Tyler Holton was used as an opener and pitched two-thirds of an inning.
Brenan Hanifee got the next five outs and winning pitcher Brant Hurter (4-0) tossed 3 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing two hits. Ricky Vanasco gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings. Kyle Finnegan and Burch Smith each added an inning of scoreless relief.
Rangers starter Jack Leiter (1-3) struck out 10, tying his career high, in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with five runs and five hits with one walk.
Leiter struck out six of the first eight batters he faced. He didn’t allow a baserunner until the fifth, when Riley Greene drew a leadoff walk on four pitches. Leiter got ahead 0-2 in the count to Torkelson, then hung a slider that Torkelson crushed to left-center for his sixth homer of the season.
Detroit extended its lead to 3-0 in the sixth. Jake Rogers led off with a sinking liner to center. Evan Carter tried to make a diving catch and the ball bounced past him, allowing Rogers to go all the way to third for a triple. McGonigle then lined a single to right to knock him in.
The Rangers broke through in the seventh. Ezequiel Duran had a one-out double to left and Josh Smith walked. A wild pitch moved up both runners and Duran scored on Kyle Higashioka’s groundout. Vanasco struck out Brandon Nimmo to keep the score at 3-1.
Detroit made it 7-1 in the bottom of the seventh. Kerry Carpenter had a one-out single, advanced on a groundout and scored on Lee’s single. Tyler Alexander replaced Leiter and gave up a single to Rogers and another to McGonigle, scoring Lee. Rogers and McGonigle scored on Vierling’s double.
