DETROIT — Tigers’ manager AJ Hinch talked before the game about how important it was for his hitters not to be overly respectful for Angels’ starter Shohei Ohtani.
“We have to fight the feeling of being dominated before we even get up there,” he said. “Focus in on what you can do against him. He will make a mistake. He’s not perfect. But you have to be pretty locked in when you face a pitcher of that caliber.”
How's this for being locked in?
Rookie Riley Greene hit Ohtani’s first pitch of the game, a 94-mph fastball, 448 feet nearly to the bricks beyond the wall in right-center field. It was the farthest home run ever hit off Ohtani in the big leagues and it helped kickstart the Tigers’ series-clinching 4-0 win over the Angels on a rainy afternoon at Comerica Park.
They didn’t get Ohtani at his best. He seemed to be fighting himself, or possibly home-plate umpire Charlie Ramos, throughout an erratic, 85-pitch four innings. He walked a season-high four, having several borderline calls go against him.
It was also the first time in 12 starts he’d allowed more than two runs.
The Angels later announced Ohtani had been taken out of the game because of a stomach virus.
The Tigers left the bases loaded in the second inning but finally made the walks hurt in the fourth. Ohtani walked Akil Baddoo and Greene with two outs. Victor Reyes scored both lining a triple off the base of the wall in right field.
Greene reached base four times, with the home run, two walks and a double.
He and Reyes were defensive heroes, as well, helping lefty Eduardo Rodriguez spin five shutout innings in his first start since May 18.
With two on and two outs in the third inning, Greene made an incredible recovery on a shallow fly ball hit by Luis Rengifo. He broke back on it initially, then had to sprint hard to make up ground. He ended up catching it with a full layout.
According to Statcast, Greene covered 75 feet on the play at a sprint speed of 29.5 feet per second. That’s his second fastest sprint speed on a ball he caught this season.
Reyes in the fourth inning took a home run away from Taylor Ward with a leaping catch above the wall. He snow-coned the catch, but still held on even as he crashed into the wall.
But Rodriguez didn’t need much more help than that. Out of action for three months, first injured and then on the restricted list, he blanked the Angels on four hits over five innings. The only evidence of rust were three walks — none of which got into scoring position.
He was spotting his four-seam fastball, cutter and sinker marvelously. He got five strikeouts, three in a row caught looking over the first and second innings. He got 16 called strikes, six with his four-seamer and four each with the cutter and sinker.
Rookie Kody Clemens, getting the start at third base, drove home the Tigers’ fourth run with a two-out double against reliever Jimmy Herget, scoring Willi Castro from first.
As has been their custom, the Tigers' bullpen brought this one home. Will Vest, Jason Foley, Andrew Chafin and Gregory Soto pitched scoreless innings.
This was the first series win for the Tigers since they took two of three from the Padres on July 25-27. It was their second series win since sweeping the Guardians July 4-8.
They limited Ohtani the hitter to just two hits in the three games, with no RBI and just one run scored.
"He’s an amazing player and an amazing ambassador for the game," Hinch said. "From my view, he’s done everything any kid could dream of doing at this level. We’re watching the Little League World Series and you see kids pitching and playing a position both.
"Shohei is playing little league up here. He does everything. He really is one of one.”
