(AP) – Gleyber Torres had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep.
With Atlanta leading 2-1, Kerry Carpenter tripled off Joel Payamps (0-2) starting the eighth. Matt Vierling’s double tied the game and Payamps walked Hao-Yu Lee. Aaron Bummer relieved and walked Kevin McGonigle, and Torres’ fly ball drove in Vierling for a 3-2 lead.
Detroit, which got back to .500 at 16-16, added two runs in the ninth.
José Suarez walked pinch-hitter Wenceel Pérez, who scored when left fielder Mike Yastrzemski bobbled Vierling’s third hit for an error. After Suarez walked Hao-Yu Lee, Dillon Dingler’s double to drove in Vierling as Lee was thrown out at the plate on shortstop Mauricio Dubón’s relay to Drake Baldwin.
Eli White and Dubón singled in runs off left-hander Framber Valdez for a 2-0 lead. The Braves clinched the series on Wednesday night when Matt Olson’s two-run homer off Kenley Jansen in the ninth provided a 4-3 win.
Drew Anderson (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings. One day after Jansen’s third blown save in nine chances, right-hander Kyle Finnegan pitched the ninth for his first save.
Riley Greene, who reached on his second walk, scored on Vierling’s single off Bryce Elder in the sixth for Detroit’s first run. Elder allowed one run, six hits and three walks in six innings.
Torres singled to right field in the fifth but was thrown out at second base by Ronald Acuña Jr.
Up next
Tigers: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-2, 5.33 ERA) starts a series opener Friday against visiting Texas and LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-2, 4.35).
Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (2-1, 3.62) starts Friday at Colorado, which sends LHP Jose Quintana (1-2, 4.91) to the mound.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.