Troy Melton tossed seven shutout innings to collect his first career victory as the host Detroit Tigers downed the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Monday night.
Melton (1-1) scattered five singles and didn’t issue a walk while striking out five in his second career start after being promoted from Triple-A Toledo.
Dillon Dingler led the offense for the Tigers with three hits, including a solo homer, and two runs scored. Andy Ibanez, recalled from Toledo earlier in the day, supplied a double, a solo dinger and also scored twice. Matt Vierling added an RBI double as the Tigers won their second straight following a six-game losing streak.
Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7) gave up five runs and eight hits while striking out five in six innings. Alek Thomas hit a solo homer for Arizona, which has lost six of its last seven contests.
Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez, one of the prominent names on the trade market, was removed after being hit in the hand by a Will Vest pitch in the ninth. Suarez is among the top five in the league in homers with 36.
The Tigers scored a gift run in the first. Gleyber Torres drew a one-out walk and Jahmai Jones hit into a fielder’s choice. Spencer Torkelson then hit a short fly ball. A trio of Diamondbacks converged but left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. couldn’t hang onto it. Jones came around to score on the play.
Ibanez led off the second inning with a double and moved to third on a single by Dingler. One out later, Javier Baez had a bloop single to center as Ibanez scored.
Detroit extended its lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Ibanez led off and smashed a Rodriguez fastball over the left field wall. Dingler followed with a single and moved up on a grounder. With two out, Vierling doubled to center to bring home Dingler.
Rodriguez recorded four straight strikeouts before Dingler pulled a hanging Rodriguez slider to make it 5-0.
The Diamondbacks got on the board when Thomas blasted a Tommy Kahnle changeup over the right-center field wall with one out in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
