Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene hit two-run home runs and the surging Detroit Tigers defeated the visiting Boston Red Sox, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon.
Brant Hurter (3-1) picked up the victory in long relief. Hurter gave up one run and six hits in five innings while recording five strikeouts. Jason Foley got the last three outs to collect his 20th save.
The Tigers have won eight of their last 10 games, including two of three from the Red Sox in the weekend series.
Jarren Duran drove in the lone run for Boston. Red Sox starter Cooper Criswell set down all 12 batters he faced, including five strikeouts.
Tigers starter Beau Brieske got four outs before manager A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen.
Triston Caas and Connor Wong drew one-out walks in the second. Brant Hurter replaced Brieske at that point. He induced a double play ball from Willy Abreu to end the inning.
Rafael Devers had a two-out single in the fourth but Casas then popped out.
Romy Gonzalez and Nick Sogard slapped two-out singles in the fifth after Hurter struck out the first two batters. Duran then smacked a 2-2 offering to left field for an RBI single, bringing in the first run of the contest.
Kerry Carpenter became the Tigers’ first baserunner when he walked against Rich Hill (0-1) in the fifth. One out later, Torkelson blasted a Hill curveball over the left field wall to give his team a 2-1 lead. Torkelson’s homer was his eighth of the year.
Parker Meadows led off the sixth against Zack Kelly with a single and Greene then blasted a cutter over the right field wall to make it 4-1. Greene’s long ball was his 20th this season.
Hurter came out after giving up a one-out infield single to Gonzalez in the seventh. Will Vest replaced Hurter and got the next two outs.
Foley struck out Casas on three pitches to open the ninth. Wong grounded out and Danny Jansen flied out to end the game.