Tigers sweep Red Sox on Malloy's ninth-inning heroics

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on May 14, 2025

Published in Baseball

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DETROIT — You don’t expect Tarik Skubal to give back a three-run lead in the seventh inning of any start, let alone one where he had 11 strikeouts coming into the inning.

But here we are.

The Boston Red Sox KO’d Skubal in the seventh but couldn't quite avoid getting swept out of Comerica Park.

Andy Ibanez, summoned to pinch-hit against lefty Aroldis Chapman, led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk. He stole second and scampered to third on a throwing error by catcher Carlos Narvaez.

Chapman struck out Trey Sweeney, and Javier Baez, the hero Tuesday night, popped out to first base.

But Justyn-Henry Malloy came through. He stroked a walk-off single to center, giving the Tigers a 6-5 win.

Until the seventh, the only real irritant for Skubal was the guy the fans came to boo. Alex Bregman had three hits, including a solo home run leading off the fourth.

But in the seventh, staked to a 5-2 lead, Skubal gave up a one-out single to No.7 hitter Nick Sogard. He walked No. 8 hitter Narvaez, his first walk in 27 1/3 innings and an RBI single by No. 9 hitter Ceddanne Rafaela.

He was at 95 pitches with lefty-swinging Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers coming up.

Manager AJ Hinch brought in lefty Tyler Holton, who started the game and faced those same two hitters Tuesday night. Duran and Devers ripped RBI singles to tie the game, both runs on Skubal’s ledger.

Holton left the game after walking Bregman. It was the first game of his career that he failed to record an out.

Skubal hadn’t allowed five runs since Aug. 2 against the Royals, a span of 18 starts.

Riley Greene’s two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 2-2 tie and a subsequent sacrifice fly by Sweeney provided Skubal with the three-run cushion.

Greene doubled in the first inning and aggressively scored on a two-out single to left by Sweeney. The throw from left fielder Duran beat Greene to the plate, but he somehow was able to elude the tag of Narvaez.

He made a swim move, pulling back his left arm and touching the plate with his right fingertips. Impressive.

Greene, who has 10 homers, also singled in the fourth.

Kerry Carpenter made a bid to untie the game in the seventh off reliever Liam Hendriks. He hit a high-arcing fly ball to right. Right fielder Wilyer Abreu leaped above the yellow line and got his glove on the ball.

It caromed right to center fielder Rafaela who made the catch. A most unusual and spectacular 9-8 putout.

Will Vest was nails in the top of the ninth. He'd thrown 36 pitches and two innings on Tuesday and gave up hits to Narvaez and Rafaela to open the top of the ninth. But he reached back and threw a 98-mph heater past Devers and got Bregman to hit into a force, stranding the go-ahead run at third base.