The Detroit Tigers leaned on timely offense and dominant pitching Friday night, snapping a five-game losing streak with a crisp 2–0 victory over the Miami Marlins as veteran closer Kenley Jansen climbed into rare air in baseball history.
Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth inning to secure his 478th career save, tying Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third place on Major League Baseball’s all-time saves list. The 38-year-old right-hander struck out one batter while earning his second save of the season, punctuating a strong night on the mound for Detroit.
The Tigers got all the offense they needed from Spencer Torkelson and Javier Báez. Detroit struck first in the second inning when Torkelson lined a single to left field to bring home the game’s opening run after the Tigers strung together three consecutive hits to start the frame. Detroit later loaded the bases with two outs, but Miami right fielder Owen Caissie made a sliding catch to prevent further damage.
Báez provided insurance in the fifth inning with a towering line drive to left field that clipped the top of the wall before bouncing over for his second home run of the season, extending Detroit’s lead to 2–0.
That cushion was more than enough for Tigers starter Keider Montero, who delivered one of his sharpest outings of the young season. Montero struck out seven over six shutout innings while allowing just two hits and one walk, earning his first win of the year and keeping Miami’s lineup off balance throughout his outing.
The performance came at a key time for Detroit, which had dropped nine of its previous 11 games after opening the season with two wins in San Diego. Montero’s efficiency helped stabilize a club looking to regain momentum early in the campaign.
Miami entered Friday night’s contest swinging hot bats, having collected 12 hits in each of its previous two games. But the Marlins struggled to generate offense against Detroit’s pitching staff and did not get their first leadoff runner aboard until the eighth inning. That brief opportunity quickly disappeared when Graham Pauley lined into a double play, preserving the Tigers’ shutout bid.
Marlins starter Chris Paddack turned in a solid effort despite taking the loss, allowing seven hits and two earned runs over six innings while keeping the game within reach for much of the night.
Riley Greene continued to provide consistency at the plate for Detroit, going 1-for-4 and extending his streak of reaching base safely to all 14 games this season. He became the first Tiger to reach safely in the first 14 games of a season since Austin Jackson accomplished the feat in 2013.
With the series continuing Saturday night, Miami will send right-hander Janson Junk (0–1, 3.09 ERA) to the mound for his third start of the season and his first road appearance of the year. Detroit will counter with right-hander Casey Mize (0–1, 5.23 ERA) as the Tigers look to build on Friday’s momentum.
