Carson Kelly played a pivotal role in the Detroit Tigers’ 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday afternoon. He drove in the tying run in the seventh inning and the winning run in the 10th, completing a deliberate comeback by the Tigers. Detroit, currently 2-0, aims to sweep the opening series against the White Sox (0-2) in Sunday’s finale.
Kelly’s crucial single in the 10th inning, off Sox reliever Deivi Garcia, brought home Mark Canha, who had started the inning at second base. Tigers reliever Shelby Miller secured the win by pitching two scoreless innings in the bottom of the 10th.
The game started with a strong offensive showing from Detroit, with starting pitcher Kenta Maeda receiving early support as the Tigers scored three runs in the first inning off White Sox starter Michael Soroka. Center fielder Parker Meadows kicked off the game with a blazing triple, followed by Spencer Torkelson’s RBI single to bring him home. Canha added a two-run single after walks and hits by Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter.
However, Maeda’s debut for the Tigers encountered resistance from Luis Robert’s bat, as Maeda yielded three homers, including two mammoth shots by Robert. Despite the early lead, Maeda struggled, exiting the game in the fourth inning after conceding six runs on seven hits.
Canha and Greene contributed to the Tigers’ offense with Canha going 3-for-4, including a solo homer, and Greene hitting a solo shot in the seventh inning off reliever Dominic Leone to narrow the deficit to one run. Kelly’s RBI single later in the inning leveled the score.
In a tense bottom of the seventh inning, Tigers reliever Alex Lange navigated through a bases-loaded situation, with some stellar defense, including a crucial double play initiated by third baseman Zach McKinstry.
Regarding celebrations, the Tigers introduced a new dugout home run ritual, using a pizza-themed prop instead of last year’s hockey helmet and stick.
The series concludes on Sunday with Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty facing White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde, both making their first starts of the season. Flaherty signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Tigers in the offseason, while Fedde signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox after a successful season in Korea in 2023.