Texas native Jake Rogers leads the Tigers over the Rangers with two home runs.
Updated at 10:58 p.m. on June 3, 2024.Published at 10:34 p.m. on June 3, 2024.
On Monday, June 3, 2024, in Arlington, Texas, during the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Jake Rogers of the Detroit Tigers celebrates in the dugout with teammates. (Gareth Patterson/AP Photo)
Written by Evan Woodbery (ewoodber@mlive.com).
The Detroit Tigers defeated the Texas Rangers 2-1 on Monday night at Globe Life Field thanks to two home runs by catcher Jake Rogers in his home state and some masterful pitching by him.
This week in Arlington, the Tigers (30-30) will play two more games against the Rangers (29-31).
Friends and family gathered Monday night to watch Rogers, a native of Canyon, Texas, which is close to Amarillo, and he gave them much to celebrate.
In the third inning, against Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi, he hit a home run. In the eighth, against reliever Jose Leclerc, he scored another home run.
Aside from Rogers’ bombs, the Tigers managed just two more hits, one time reaching scoring position, and no runs scored.
Luckily, it was a Tarik Skubal night, so they only needed two runs.
Marcus Semien hit a leadoff home run off of Skubal in the first inning, which was the only run he gave up in six innings of work.
In the sixth, the first two runners advanced to base, but Skubal ended the threat with a groundout and two strikeouts.
A.J. Hinch decided to stick with Beau Brieske until he ran out of gas since the Tigers didn’t have many options in the bullpen.
He didn’t ever.
Breiske gave up just one hit in three scoreless innings while using 53 pitches.
In just three innings, Skubal and Brieske struck out seven batters in a row, demonstrating Rogers’ skill at pitch-framing from behind the plate.
Justyn-Henry Malloy, a rookie with the Tigers who was called up from Triple-A Toledo ahead of the game to make his major league debut, went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. With one pitch in the second inning, he swung at it and crushed it 378 feet to right center, an incredible warning-track flyout off of Eovaldi.
The Tigers’ 60-game run has been their best since 2016, the last season they really made a run at the postseason. 2024: 30–30 2023: 26–34 2022: 24-36 2021: 25–35 2019: 23–37 2018: 28–32 2017: 29–31 2016: 30–30
BOX SCORE
Next up: Tuesday at 8:05 p.m., the Tigers and Rangers will square off once more.
Rangers righty Dane Dunning (4-3, 3.94 ERA) will oppose Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (2-4, 3.46 ERA).
Dunning was seen by the Tigers at Comerica Park on April 17. Despite only allowing one earned run in five innings, he walked four batters due to his erratic control.
The Washington Nationals selected Dunning, a University of Florida product, with the 29th overall choice in the 2016 draft. He was current Tiger Alex Faedo’s college teammate.
A few months later, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of an incredible haul for Adam Eaton.
During the COVID-19 season, he made his Sox debut. During the offseason, he was dealt to the Rangers in exchange for Lance Lynn.
Dunning has been a part of the Rangers rotation for four complete seasons now.
