Detroit — Before his first at-bat of the game, Tigers’ leadoff hitter Riley Greene usually has a brief consult with manager AJ Hinch.
“I will say, ‘Should I take or swing?’ And he’ll say, ‘Go ahead and swing it,'” Greene said. “Today I didn’t talk to him. I just decided I was going to do what he would’ve told me to do. I’m going to get a good pitch and swing at it.”
Good plan.
Greene hit Shohei Ohtani’s first pitch of the game, a 94-mph fastball, 448 feet nearly to the bricks beyond the wall in right-center field. It was the farthest ball he’d ever hit and the farthest ball anyone has hit off Ohtani in the big leagues and it helped kickstart the Tigers’ series-clinching 4-0 win over the Angels on a rainy afternoon at Comerica Park.
“It wasn’t right down the middle,” Greene said. “It was in and down, probably not a good pitch to swing at. But I was on time, I was ready and I got it.”
The Tigers didn’t get the best version of Ohtani. He lasted four innings and needed 85 pitches to get that far. The Angels announced during the game that Ohtani left the game with a stomach virus.
As manager Phil Nevin told reporters afterward, “I know we call him Superman all the time, but this is just another example that he’s human.”
He walked a season-high four, having several borderline calls go against him. It was also the first time in 12 starts he’d allowed more than two runs.
“He’s one of the best to do it,” Greene said. “He can pitch and he can swing it. He’s very impressive. All respect to that guy. That’s hard to do.”
The Tigers left the bases loaded in the second inning but finally made the walks hurt in the fourth. Ohtani walked Akil Baddoo and Greene with two outs. Victor Reyes, who made the final out in the second, scored both lining a triple off the base of the wall in right field.
Greene reached base four times, with the home run, two walks and a double.
“Our at-bats today were arguably as good as they’ve been in a lot of series,” Hinch said. “It was nice to see us not chase. Nice to see us take some walks. Victor had two opportunities. He had a really good at-bat with the bases loaded and then he didn’t let him off the hook the next time.”
Greene and Reyes were defensive heroes, as well, helping lefty Eduardo Rodriguez spin five shutout innings in his first start since May 18.
With two on and two outs in the third inning, Greene made an incredible recovery on a shallow fly ball hit by Luis Rengifo. He broke back on it initially, then had to sprint hard to make up ground. He ended up catching it with a full layout.
Rodriguez, who shows very little emotion on the mound, threw his hands up in the air after the catch.
“That saved me two runs right there,” he said with a smile. “Why do you think I put my hands up. That was really special. Pretty fun to watch. (Mike) Trout was already at third base when he caught the ball, so two runs would’ve scored.
“I’m really glad he caught that ball.”
According to Statcast, Greene covered 75 feet on the play at a sprint speed of 29.5 feet per second. That’s his second-fastest sprint speed on a ball he caught this season.
Reyes in the fourth inning took a home run away from Taylor Ward with a leaping catch above the wall. He snow-coned the catch, but still held on even as he crashed into the wall.
“Our outfield defense has gotten better,” Hinch said. “Our work is paying off. Jonesy (coach Gary Jones) and George (Lombard) are a good combo out there and they harp on those guys all the time. The jumps were better today. Riley sold out at the right time on that dive and Victor didn’t panic when he got close to the wall.
“Those things are practiced, they’re preached and they’re being absorbed by these young guys. It’s good to see it come out at a critical time. The game changes immensely if we don’t make those plays.”
Rodriguez didn’t need much more help than that. Out of action for three months, first injured and then on the restricted list, he blanked the Angels on four hits over five innings. The only evidence of rust were three walks — none of which got into scoring position.
“That was the best I thought it could go,” he said. “I went out there for five innings and helped us win the game. That’s the best part. That’s what I was trying to do.”
He was spotting his four-seam fastball, cutter and sinker marvelously. He got five strikeouts, three in a row caught looking over the first and second innings. He got 16 called strikes, six with his four-seamer and four each with the cutter and sinker.
“He was phenomenal,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “He was tunneling his pitches really well today and was able to keep them off-balance. He didn’t get pigeon-holed into throwing pitches they knew were coming.”
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As has been their custom, the Tigers’ bullpen brought this one home. Will Vest, Jason Foley, Andrew Chafin and Gregory Soto pitched scoreless innings.
This was the first series win for the Tigers since they took two of three from the Padres on July 25-27. It was their second series win since sweeping the Guardians July 4-8.
They limited Ohtani the hitter to just two hits in the three games, with no RBI and just one run scored.
“He’s an amazing player and an amazing ambassador for the game,” Hinch said. “From my view, he’s done everything any kid could dream of doing at this level. We’re watching the Little League World Series and you see kids pitching and playing a position both.
“Shohei is playing little league up here. He does everything. He really is one of one.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky