CLEVELAND — A.J. Hinch wanted a reset after the Detroit Tigers lost two of three to the Washington Nationals. His team needed a spark, some healthy starting pitching and high-leverage innings from the bullpen.
The Tigers got all three for their manager Friday, July 4, at Progressive Field, and beat their nemesis, the Cleveland Guardians, across Lake Erie, 2-1.
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It began with Reese Olson, making his return after more than a month on the 15-day injured list. He struggled early against the Guardians, found his way, ate just enough innings, handed it over to the bullpen, and the relief corps did the rest, holding on to a one-run lead for 4⅔ innings.
Meanwhile, the defense returned. Matt Vierling ran down a flyball on the left-field track in the second inning. His leaping grab robbed Daniel Schneemann of at least a double. Two batters later, Wenceel Pérez threw a 97 mph rope from right field to home plate, giving catcher Dillon Dingler the chance to tag Bo Naylor, trying to score from second.
Naylor was called out. Cleveland challenged and lost.
Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) is tagged out at home by Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) during the second inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Friday, July 4, 2025.
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Defense kept the score 1-0.
The next inning, Pérez tied the game with a shot over the center-field wall. An inning later, Zach McKinstry homered to right-center (with a 99.6 mph exit velocity), his sixth of the season.
The third baseman is having a terrific year. He’s versatile, as the Tigers love — he played shortstop Friday. He’s got power. See: above. And he’s hitting .289 with an .817 OPS. Numbers that could help him slide into the All-Star game.
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Reese’s peace
Olson returned after being away for more than a month as he rehabbed from right finger inflamation. The Guardians stacked their lineup with lefties — eight of them — to welcome the right-hander back to the big leagues.
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He struggled to find the strike zone early, and when he did, couldn’t hit the corners. José Ramírez, noted destroyer of Tigers, yanked a two-out home run to right-center in the first inning.
Carlos Santana and Nolan Jones followed with singles before Olson got Lane Thomas to ground out to third. That out shut down what might have been a big inning, and Olson seemed to settle in from there.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Reese Olson (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Friday, July 4, 2025.
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And by the third inning, when Olson faced Ramírez again and fell behind 3-0, he threw four of the best pitches of his outing: fastball, changeup, changeup and slider, mixing velocity with command.
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After striking out Ramírez, he walked Santana before striking out Jones. In the fourth he went 1-2-3 and for a moment it looked like he might get through five innings. But a throwing error from Colt Keith allowed Steven Kwan to beat out his grounder to third.
That was enough for Hinch, who pulled Olson for left-hander Tyler Holton.
Tyler Holton hums it
As for the bullpen? Tigers relievers struggled in June, and then again to begin July in Washington. Not all of it is their fault, as injuries to the starting rotation put a heavy burden on them.
Holton had his best outing in a while. He threw 2⅔ innings, gave up one hit and struck out four. His fastball reached 94 mph, a couple miles an hour faster than what he’d been throwing recently.
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His appearance held the lead and gave the Tigers a chance through the part of the game they’ve struggled as of late: the middle innings.
Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest, as they have so often, then closed it out in the eighth and ninth innings.
Contact Shawn Windsor: swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers go deep twice in 2-1 win over Cleveland Guardians