ANAHEIM, Calif. — — Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout homered in the same game for the eighth time this season, but rookies Kerry Carpenter and Ryan Kreidler hit back-to-back ninth-inning homers to send the Detroit Tigers to 5-4. victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
Kreidler hit his first career homer off Jose Quijada (0-4) four pitches after Carpenter tied a homer down the left-field line to Angel Stadium’s shorter porch.
Eric Haase went 5-for-5 with a home run and two doubles in the 12th five-hit game of the season in the majors, and former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson hit his first home run since 3/3. July when the Tigers snapped their game four. rollerblading.
“This is what you work your whole life for, for times like these,” said Kreidler, the UCLA product and Davis, Calif., native whose parents have been in the stands for every game since his debut last week in Detroit. “The fact that we’re rookies is great, but we’re all on the same team here and pulling in the same direction, so it feels good to pull it off. I trusted Carp to do something.”
Detroit avoided a series sweep with a 13-hit rush in just its second win in nine games, with three rookies notching the biggest hits. Kreidler, Carpenter and Torkelson played together at Triple-A Toledo last month.
“This is a young group of players who have played together and are trying to find their way,” manager AJ Hinch said. “They’re up in the big leagues, and these are all unknown situations for them, but they’re coming together, and today was a good (example) of why we like these guys.”
Jose Cisnero (1-0) pitched the eighth, and Gregory Soto allowed two baserunners before finishing his 25th save in a game that began in unusual 99-degree heat and ended with an all-too-normal Angels bullpen collapse. Los Angeles’ five relievers each allowed an extra-base hit to the first batter they faced.
Trout homered in his fourth straight game during the fifth inning, tying his career high for consecutive games with a home run and tying Ohtani for the team lead with his 32nd. Ohtani took the lead again in the seventh with his 33, a solo shot that tied Andrew Chafin.
The Angels’ two former AL MVPs have homered in the same game 22 times in their five seasons together, including twice in the last three games against Detroit.
Matt Thaiss also hit his first home run since 2020 for the Angels, who wrapped up their first winning stay at home since early May with a dismal performance out of the bullpen. Thaiss hasn’t been stagnant in the majors since his rookie season in 2019, but he’s hitting .333 during his current call-up.
“He’s really hitting well,” Angels interim manager Phil Nevin said of Thaiss. “The home run was obviously huge for us at the time. We like what we see. Let’s take a long look at it.”
FOR STARTERS
Patrick Sandoval limited the Tigers to six hits and one run in five innings. The left-hander couldn’t match his four-hit shutout with nine strikeouts in Detroit on Aug. 19.
Drew Hutchison allowed five hits and two walks in four innings for the Tigers.
TORKELSON’S SHOT
Torkelson’s home run was the latest promising sign from the top prospect in the 2020 draft after a rocky start to his career. He was sent back to the minors near the All-Star break while batting .197, but returned to Detroit last Friday and then drove in his first run since July 12 Tuesday night at Anaheim.
“Tork has done a good job of coming back in a very good mentality (and a) great place physically with his posture, his weight and his mind,” Hinch said. “You get rewarded for that (if) you keep hitting the ball hard.”
COACHES ROOM
Tigers: OF Riley Greene had his second straight day off with a sore wrist. The rookie’s 13-game hitting streak ended Monday in the game in which he was injured.
Angels: RHP Michael Lorenzen is scheduled to rejoin the rotation Friday in Houston. The veteran Reds reliever had an up-and-down start to what was expected to be a full season as a starter before going on the disabled list on July 7 and missing 56 games with a right shoulder strain.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Tigers: After a day off, rookie Joey Wentz (0-1, 8.10 ERA) is expected to return from the minors on Friday at Kansas City. He made his major league debut with two starts in May.
Angels: After a day off, Lorenzen (6-6, 4.94 ERA) returns against the playoff-bound Astros to open the Halos’ six-game road trip on Friday.
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