Tigers Clinch Series Finale Against Angels with 9-5 Victory

Kerry Carpenter's impressive display at the plate propelled the Detroit Tigers to a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. His contributions included a home run and three runs batted in, showcasing his offensive prowess.

The game began with Carpenter doubling and scoring in the first inning, followed by a sacrifice fly in the second. He capped off his performance with a three-run homer in the fourth, solidifying the Tigers' lead.

Casey Mize earned the win, improving his record to 11-4. He pitched five innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five and walking two. In contrast, Jack Kochanowicz suffered the loss, giving up seven runs on ten hits over three-plus innings.

The Tigers quickly established dominance, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning through four consecutive two-out hits, including RBI singles from Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry. Carpenter's sacrifice fly extended the lead to 3-0 in the second inning.

In the fourth inning, the Tigers added four more runs. Javier Baez reached base due to an error, advanced to third on a hit by Cole Keith, and scored on Gleyber Torres' single. Carpenter then launched his 21st home run of the season, pushing Detroit's advantage to 7-0.

The Angels responded in the fifth inning with Nolan Schanuel hitting a two-run homer, narrowing the gap. Logan O'Hoppe contributed an RBI single in the sixth, making it 7-3. However, Greene answered back with a two-run homer of his own in the sixth inning, further extending the Tigers' lead.

Luis Rengifo also made his mark with a two-run shot in the eighth inning for the Angels, but it wasn't enough to overcome Detroit's lead. In an unusual moment, Angels center fielder Bryce Teodosio, who had missed Saturday's game due to a head injury from a collision with the fence, collided with teammates Taylor Ward and Jo Adell while attempting to catch fly balls in the eighth inning. Fortunately, all players emerged unscathed.

Carpenter's performance has been noteworthy this season; he boasts a .600 slugging percentage against right-handed pitchers since the start of 2024, ranking third in Major League Baseball among players with at least 500 plate appearances against righties. Only Shohei Ohtani (.688) and Aaron Judge (.682) have higher percentages.

Looking ahead, the Angels will face their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a three-game series starting Monday, with right-hander Jose Soriano slated to pitch the opener. Meanwhile, the Tigers are set to travel to Chicago for a three-game series against the White Sox, with Chris Paddack (4-10, 4.91) taking the mound on Monday evening. After spending much of their recent schedule at home, Detroit will now play 13 of their next 19 games on the road.