ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jack Flaherty pitched five scoreless innings before leaving with back tightness, Zach McKinstry and Riley Greene hit home runs and the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Flaherty (3-4) allowed just two hits and no walks over five innings, throwing a season-low 60 pitches, 44 of which were strikes. In his last start, the 28-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit over 6 2/3 innings in a 5-0 win over Boston.
Flaherty said he had been feeling some tightness before the game, but it got worse.
“It just got better as the game went on,” said Flaherty, whose hip was bandaged, confident he won’t miss his next scheduled start.
Texas’ shutout against Tyler Holton was broken with two outs in the ninth on a single by Ezekiel Duran that fell between shortstop McKinstry and center field green. Jason Foley came to the mound and got Wyatt Langford to ground out for his 12th save in 14 chances.
The Tigers (31-30) have won three straight games and are over .500 for the first time since May 18, winning the first two games of the three-game series by scoring all five of their runs on home runs.
“It was good to see the boys playing in a really tough environment,” manager AJ Hinch said. “The crowd went wild. We went head to head against the defending world champions.”
The Rangers (29-32) had won five of six games entering the series but were held to just two goals in as many games.
“Our offense was quiet,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who returned from a one-game absence that the team cited as personal reasons. “We were lucky to get that one, to be honest with you.”
McKinstry’s first home run of the season gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the second inning, then he tripled in the fourth inning and finished 7-for-13 (including 4 extra bases) against Dane Dunning (4-4).
Green also hit a home run with two outs against Dunning in the fifth inning.
Both home runs hit by left-handed batters were just inside the right field foul pole.
Dunning, making his third start since returning from the disabled list, allowed four hits and one walk in five innings.
McKinstry’s two extra-base hits tied his career bests. He entered the game batting .185.
Rangers starting pitchers have held the opposing team to three earned runs or fewer in 17 straight games. Texas is 7-10 in those games.
Texas’ Corey Seager was hitless in three at-bats, ending his 16-game hitting streak, but he walked in the sixth inning to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 27 games.
Trainer Room
Rangers: Right-hander Max Scherzer (offseason back and thumb surgery) threw 40 pitches in live batting practice and said he hopes to begin a rehab assignment soon if his recovery date goes well. … Bochy said outfielder Evan Carter (lumbar sprain) will probably be another month before beginning rehab. … Right-hander Jon Gray (right groin sprain) is scheduled to throw bullpen pitches on Wednesday. Gray could return this weekend.
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The starting pitchers for Wednesday’s series finale struggled last Friday. Tigers right-hander Kenta Maeda (2-2, 6.25 ERA) gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 7-3 loss at Boston. Rangers right-hander Jose Ureña (1-5, 3.74 ERA), who joined the starting rotation on May 7, pitched just 2 1/3 innings in an 8-2 loss at Miami.
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