ARLINGTON -- Riley Greene got the Tigers going before the smoke had cleared on the pregame fireworks at Globe Life Field on Saturday, scorching a game-breaking two-run homer in the first inning to give the Tigers a lead they never let get away in a 3-0 win over the Rangers.
He ripped a fly ball a Statcast-projected 386 feet down the right-field line at 107.7 mph.
Detroit starter Jack Flaherty was as sharp as he’s been all season, allowing three earned runs or fewer for the 13th time in the past 17 starts. He hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his past seven outings. Flaherty’s velocity ticked up on all his pitches, especially his secondary stuff, as he struck out five hitters, walked none and scattered three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
Flaherty allowed a few hard-hit balls -- including Josh Smith’s 101.1 mph liner to right-center that center fielder James Outman managed to sprint down. Smith’s first-inning flyout would’ve been a homer in four MLB parks, per Statcast, with an expected batting average of .590, but Outman hurried to the deepest corner of the park to make a running catch.
Flaherty departed after Josh Jung’s two-out double in the sixth. He has averaged an elite-level 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings over his past seven outings.