Riley Greene hit two home runs and recorded his first career four-hit game to pace a rousing slugging display from the Detroit Tigers, who bashed the host Houston Astros 13-5 on Saturday.
Greene went 4-for-5 with a career-high six RBIs. His solo home run in the top of the first inning followed a solo homer from Matt Vierling and provided the Tigers a 2-0 lead against Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (3-6). It marked the first back-to-back homers of the season for the Tigers.
Greene homered again an inning later with a three-run blast to right field that chased Arrighetti. His 14th home run drove in Carson Kelly and Wenceel Perez and pushed the lead to 7-0. Greene produced his first career multi-homer game on April 23 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Greene stroked an RBI single in the third that plated Perez and upped the lead to 9-0. He added another single in the seventh, a bases-loaded walk in the eighth and amassed 10 total bases.
Kelly and Colt Keith also slugged home runs for the Tigers. Keith and Perez, both rookies, finished 4-for-6, with Perez recording his first four-hit game and Keith his second.
Detroit recorded a season-high 19 hits, providing starter Jack Flaherty (4-4) ample support.
Flaherty worked five shutout innings. He allowed three hits, issued one walk and posted six strikeouts. He allowed three baserunners into scoring position, working out of a jam in the fifth.
With Yainer Diaz (walk) and Mauricio Dubon (double) in scoring position to open the fifth, Flaherty sandwiched strikeouts of Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve around a flyout from Victor Caratini that was too shallow for Diaz to score from third base.
Flaherty threw 73 pitches, 46 for strikes.
Arrighetti, starting a day early after Justin Verlander was scratched with neck discomfort, allowed seven runs on five hits — including three homers — and two walks while recording only four outs. Shawn Dubin relieved Arrighetti and also struggled while working one inning, with three runs, six hits and two walks on his ledger.
Chas McCormick clubbed his first home run this season, a three-run shot to center that capped the Astros’ five-run seventh inning.
–Field Level Media
