Detroit Tigers’ Scott Harris ‘really excited’ about Chris Paddack
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris talks to reporters July 28, 2025, about the Chris Paddack trade with the Minnesota Twins.
The Detroit Tigers opened their three-game series in K.C. with a 5-3 win over the Royals on Friday.Riley Greene went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, picking up RBI Nos. 100 and 101.Tigers right-hander Chris Paddack allowed three runs, all in the first inning.
KANSAS CITY, MO — Two-time All-Star outfielder Riley Greene became the first Detroit Tigers player with more than 100 RBIs in a season since Nick Castellanos in 2017, achieving the milestone in an important moment against the Kansas City Royals.
It was a go-ahead double.
The swing from Greene in the fourth inning propelled the Tigers to a 5-3 win over the Royals on Friday, Aug. 29, in the first of three games at Kauffman Stadium. Additionally, the two-run double catapulted Greene from 99 to 101 RBIs.
The Tigers (79-57) snapped a four-game losing streak.
The Tigers trailed 3-0 after the first inning.
But they clawed their way back, despite stranding the bases loaded in the first inning. The Tigers loaded the bases again in the second inning against right-hander Seth Lugo, taking advantage on Kerry Carpenter’s two-run single with two strikes and two outs.
The single cut the Tigers’ deficit to 3-2.
In the fourth inning, Greene drove in two runs with a double off Lugo’s middle-middle fastball to take a 4-3 lead. With that hit, Greene put himself at 101 RBIs in 132 games.
The Tigers had at least one player with 100 RBIs in every season from 2006-17, including Miguel Cabrera with 139 RBIs in 2012 and Magglio Ordóñez with 139 RBIs in 2007.
Greene is on pace for 121 RBIs in 2025.
Right now, Greene ranks fifth in MLB with 101 RBIs, trailing Kyle Schwarber (119), Pete Alonso (110), Cal Raleigh (107) and Eugenio Suà rez (105). Of that group, Raleigh and Greene are the only American League players.
To preserve the one-run lead, the Tigers received scoreless efforts from four relievers: left-hander Tyler Holton (one inning despite two walks), right-hander Troy Melton (1â…” innings despite three hits), righty Kyle Finnegan (1â…” innings, using 72.7% splitters) and righty Will Vest (one inning).
Dillon Dingler, who worked behind the plate, provided a much-needed insurance run at the plate for a 5-3 advantage, hitting a solo home run off right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke as the leadoff hitter in the eighth inning.
Finnegan has not allowed a run in 13â…“ innings since joining the Tigers at the July 31 trade deadline.
Vest notched his 20th save.
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Chris Paddack limited to 58 pitches
Both starting pitchers struggled.
For the Tigers, right-hander Chris Paddack allowed three runs on five hits and zero walks with zero strikeouts across 3â…” innings, throwing 58 pitches. For the Royals, Lugo allowed four runs on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts across 3â…“ innings, throwing 85 pitches.
Paddack — who owns a 5.04 ERA in 27 starts, including a 5.40 ERA in six starts since joining the Tigers before the trade deadline — threw fewer than 65 pitches for the second start in a row.
He needed 28 pitches for three outs in the first inning.
The Royals scored all three runs off Paddack in the first frame, courtesy of a solo home run from leadoff hitter Mike Yastrzemski on a first-pitch fastball and a two-run home run from Maikel Garcia on an eighth-pitch hanging slider. The Royals torched Paddack for hard contact in the first inning.
After that, he settled in and retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced.
Defense steps up
The Tigers made three outstanding plays on defense.
In the third inning, Wenceel Pérez robbed Salvador Perez of extra bases against Paddack with a leaping catch in center field. Not only did Pérez catch the ball, but he held onto it as he crashed into the wall.
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The Royals had runners on the corners and two outs for Kyle Isbel in the sixth inning, facing Melton. On Isbel’s fly ball to right field, Carpenter completed a leaping catch in front of the fence — saving at least one run.
Carpenter held up his glove to celebrate.
Between those catches, Greene took a perfect route on a line drive from Garcia with runners on first and second base and two outs in the fifth inning, with Melton on the mound. Had Greene taken a bad route, the ball could’ve gotten over his head and landed at the base of the wall for at least one run, but that’s not what happened.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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