ANAHEIM -- The Tigers’ bats slept in until the very last minute.
Down to their last out, Hao-Yu Lee sent a double into right-center field to score the two runners on base to help Detroit avoid getting shut out while simultaneously taking a one-run lead.
Keider Montero shut the door in the bottom of the ninth to complete 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in the Tigers’ miraculous 2-1 win over the Angels.
“I asked the hitting coach, ‘What does the fastball look like?’” Lee said. “He said it's more like a two-seam, so I was looking for an outside pitch. When it starts outside, it will come in.”
Lee said he blacked out once he got to second base.
It all started with a leadoff hit-by-pitch with two strikes by Dillon Dingler in the ninth. Spencer Torkelson flied out, but Riley Greene drew a walk to make the Angels sweat.
With runners on first and second and one out, the Tigers attempted a double steal, even with the left-handed Kerry Carpenter at the plate. Carpenter swung and popped out to left field and sent the runners scrambling back to their bases.
“We really had a hard time kick-starting our offense tonight,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “The reason we ran the bases aggressively is [that] we just weren't putting back-to-back at-bats together.”
That set up Lee’s dramatic two-run double with the Tigers on the brink of getting shut out.
Right-hander Troy Melton made his first start at Angel Stadium; he grew up an Angels fan just 10 minutes away from the stadium. He tied a career high in walks and strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball with nine punchouts and four walks.
After a rocky first inning where he allowed a run on a hit and two walks, Melton settled in and cruised through the remaining 4 2/3 innings with only three hits and two walks allowed. Melton only allowed one baserunner to reach scoring position after the first inning.
On the night, Melton got 18 whiffs on 42 swings. The 43% whiff rate is almost double his season average coming into the night.
Amongst his fastballs, he had a 40% whiff rate on his four-seamer and his cutter and an 80% whiff rate with his sinker.
Melton said the elevated whiff rates on his fastballs were a product of higher velocities and lack of command.
“The time off, I felt a little bit better than normal,” Melton said. “Anyways, when you're moving really fast, it's kind of hard to make those adjustments as fast because there's so much going on. And then, yes, the adrenaline of being home definitely plays into factor as well.”
Although the Newport Beach, Calif., native was tagged for a double in the third inning by Mike Trout -- his favorite player growing up -- Melton struck out Trout in the fifth, giving him a moment he will never forget.
“Pretty cool,” Melton said while attempting to hide a smile. “I mean, I definitely was thinking about it. Every time I faced him, I wanted to strike him out. There's a little extra to it. He was my favorite player growing up.”
Melton said there were around 60 to 70 family members and friends in attendance for the game.
Once Melton came out, Montero did everything he could to keep the Tigers in the game, tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings with only one hit and no walks with five strikeouts and earning the win.
“When he catches his rhythm and gets going, he has the starter package to get through any lineup for a long time,” Hinch said. “So, given how he was pitching, he has his rhythm, he punches out everybody, I felt he'd earned it.”