DETROIT — Javier Báez made huge ninth-inning plays in the field and at the plate to set up Kevin McGonigle’s game-ending single as the Detroit Tigers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Saturday.
The Dodgers nearly took the lead in the top of the inning, but with two outs, Báez sprinted over from left field to run down Teoscar Hernández’s drive to the deepest part of the ballpark.
He then led off the bottom of the ninth with a double and took third on Max Clark’s sacrifice bunt. Jack Dreyer intentionally walked Gleyber Torres, but then walked Hao-Yu Lee unintentionally to load the bases.
McGonigle then hit a deep fly to left-center field that hit the warning track and bounced into the Dodgers bullpen. Because the winning run was on third, the play was ruled a single rather than a ground-rule double.
Each starter pitched well, but neither was involved in the decision. Blake Snell allowed one run on three hits in five innings, striking out 10, while Tigers starter Keider Montero gave up one run in 5 1/3 innings.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the third. Báez walked, took second when third baseman Max Muncy misplayed Max Clark’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Gleyber Torres double. McGonigle walked to load the bases with one out, but Snell struck out Dillon Dingler and Eduardo Valencia to end the inning.
Alek Thomas led off the sixth with a double and took third on Shohei Ohtani’s groundout. Freddie Freeman followed with an RBI single, and Mookie Betts’ single ended Montero’s day. Tyler Holton walked Muncy to load the bases, but Tommy Edman hit into a 6-4-3 double play.
The teams finish their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Tigers LHP Framber Valdez will pitch for Detroit, while the Dodgers have not announced if Ohtani will pitch an inning in what would be his first mound appearance since July 3.
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