DETROIT – Kerry Carpenter joked before Tuesday’s Tigers-Guardians doubleheader that he’d wear two layers of long sleeves to try to keep warm in freezing temperatures. He heated up just in time for the Tigers, who extended their winning streak to four games on Carpenter’s ninth-inning walk-off homer for a 4-3 win.
It was the Tigers’ third consecutive walk-off win.
Carpenter, whose fifth-inning double tied the game, battled Cleveland reliever James Karinchak for nine pitches, fouling off three consecutive high fastballs. Karinchak’s ninth-pitch heater was close enough to the top of the zone for Carpenter to connect, sending it deep to right for his third home run of the season.
Carpenter’s three-hit performance included Detroit’s two extra-base hits, scattered amidst a dozen singles, half of them ground balls. Riley Greene and Eric Haase had three ground-ball singles each, the latter as part of a 4-for-4 performance.
Carpenter continues to step up in a run-production spot for Detroit, batting cleanup regularly as Miguel Cabrera — who turned 40 on Tuesday — settles into a lower spot in the lineup. He entered Tuesday ranked fourth among Major League hitters in barrel percentage.
Alex Lange picked up the win for Detroit in a scoreless ninth after three scoreless innings from Mason Englert. The Tigers bullpen has tossed 11 scoreless innings over its last two games.