Daz Cameron finishes weekend to remember in Tigers’ 5-3 win over Angels

Detroit News
By Dan Arritt |  Special to The Detroit News

Anaheim, Calif. — Daz Cameron may not have made a name for himself in the major leagues this weekend, but it’s a name the Los Angeles Angels won’t soon forget.

Cameron had a two-run single in the 10th inning on Sunday afternoon to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 5-3 win against the Angels, helping them avoid a four-game sweep at Angel Stadium.

With his father, former 17-year major league veteran Mike Cameron, watching from the stands all weekend, Cameron finished 5-for-13 in three games during the series with a home run and four RBIs

“That was definitely something that I will never forget,” Daz Cameron said. “I was glad to see my family here.”

Tigers rookie right-hander Casey Mize wasn’t able to match his most recent outings, but he kept Detroit close enough to win.

Like a handful of Detroit pitchers before him this series, Mize was mostly stung by Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh, each of whom homered for the third consecutive game. He allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one before departing with the score tied 3-3.

“Definitely some good things, but I’m definitely not happy with it,” Mize said of his start. “Gave up too many hits and, obviously, a big home run from Ohtani.”

Kyle Funkhouser gave up back-to-back singles to start the sixth, but got a double play to help keep the game tied. Gregory Soto followed with a scoreless seventh, and Jose Cisnero (1-4) blanked the Angels in the eighth and ninth innings.

Michael Fulmer stranded the leadoff runner at second in the 10th to earn his sixth save.

Jeimer Candelario started the 10th inning on second base with Angels closer Raisel Iglesias on the mound for the second straight inning.

Miguel Cabrera hit a chopper that went off the glove of Iglesias, putting runners on first and third before Akil Baddoo walked to load the bases with no outs.

Cameron, playing in his 25th major-league game, poked a single through the middle with the infield in to score two runs and give the Tigers a 5-3 lead.

“Contact is your friend,” Hinch said. “It doesn’t always have to be perfect contact or exit velocity and all the important things. Sometimes it’s the right place at the right speed with the infield drawn in. It was very key.”

The Tigers took their first lead of the series in the third inning.

Jonathan Schoop, who came in hitting .369 in June with eight home runs and 16 RBIs, doubled to deep left-center field with two outs.

Angels second baseman David Fletcher, who had made a stellar defensive play with the bases loaded to start an inning-ending double play in the second, couldn’t field a ground ball to his left from Candelario and Schoop scored from second for a 1-0 lead.

Mize came out throwing strikes, putting 12 of 15 first-inning pitches over the plate for strikes.

He got through the second after giving up back-to-back singles with one out, and got through an even bigger jam in the third unscathed.

With runners on first and third and no outs, Mize struck out Ohtani on three pitches and then got Taylor Ward to hit into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Walsh got a hold of a pitch from Mize in the fourth, however, and tied the score 1-1.

Tigers catcher Jake Rogers doubled to lead off the fifth, knocking Angels starter Dylan Bundy from the game. Schoop walked and Candelario followed with a nine-pitch walk to load the bases with one out.

Cabrera then came through with his biggest hit of the series, a two-run single to give Detroit a 3-1 lead.

Ohtani came back to haunt the Tigers in the bottom half of the inning, hitting a line-drive two-run homer just over the fence in center to tie the score 3-3.

Box score: Tigers 5, Angels 3

Ohtani has four home runs in the series overall, and was the winning pitcher in Thursday’s series opener.

“I wish I had that back,” Mize said of the low slider. “Especially after we just take the lead, I give it right back. I feel I’ve got to do a better job of maintaining that lead.”

As in earlier games in the series, the Tigers had chances to add to their lead early on.

The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the second inning, bringing up rookie shortstop Isaac Paredes, who was making his first plate appearance since getting recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

Paredes hit a hard one-hopper to the right side that appeared headed to the outfield, but Fletcher stuck out his glove and snatched the ball before spinning and firing it to second to begin an inning-ending double play.

After taking the 1-0 lead in the third, Baddoo led off the fourth with a walk, but the Angels turned their fifth double play of the series with runners on first and second to end the inning.

Candelario doubled to lead off the seventh after just missing a home run, but Cabrera was unable to move him over and grounded to short. Baddoo then popped out to short and Cameron went down on strikes to end the inning.

The Tigers head home for a day off followed by a six-game homestand and Mike Cameron is welcome to come along, Tigers manager AJ Hinch said.

“Mike can come if he wants. We have tickets for him, but we want to make sure Daz gets on that plane,” Hinch joked. “That’s the guy we want in the lineup here over the next couple of days.”

More: Tigers’ AJ Hinch envisions potential risks as MLB crackdown on sticky baseballs looms

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