Eduardo Rodriguez dominates again, Detroit Tigers shut down Cleveland Guardians, 5-0
CLEVELAND — Detroit Tigers left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez turned in a dominant performance for the six straight start.
The Tigers backed their best pitcher with five runs through three innings and rolled the Cleveland Guardians, 5-0, in Wednesday's finale to win the three-game series. Rodriguez, who can opt-out of his contract after the season, pitched seven scoreless innings and has a 1.57 ERA in eight starts.
In his past six starts, Rodriguez has a 0.43 ERA (two runs, 41.2 innings) with six walks and 41 strikeouts.
The Tigers (17-19) went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday's 2-0 loss. The offense bounced back with a 4-for-10 showing with runners in scoring position Wednesday.
EL MAGO ON FIRE: Tigers' Javier Báez determined to continue success: 'We can surprise everyone'
LET'S PLAY A GAME: Tigers players buying into A.J. Hinch's chess match. It's driving winning ways
Scoring runs started in the first inning.
Zach McKinstry and Javier Báez delivered back-to-back singles to put runners, and McKinstry scored on Riley Greene's groundout for a 1-0 lead. Andy Ibáñez increased the lead to 2-0 with a two-out double.
Ibáñez fell behind 0-2 in the count but avoided swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone to work a full count. After regaining leverage, he tagged a fastball inside the strike zone from right-hander Peyton Battenfield.
Battenfield allowed five runs (four earned run) on seven hits with four strikeouts in six innings. He didn't concede a walk, but the Tigers' selective aggressive approach paid off early in the game.
CHILL AND MAKE PITCHES: Alex Lange is closing games his way and the Tigers are buying it
MIND GAME: Tigers rookie Mason Englert credits life-changing routine for success in biggest moment yet
In the third inning, the Tigers scored three more runs — thanks to three consecutive two-out hits — to take a 5-0 lead. Javier Báez drilled a one-out double, and Spencer Torkelson drove him in a two-out single off Battenfield's fastball.
Ibáñez chipped in a single to keep the pressure on.
Akil Baddoo rewarded Torkelson and Ibáñez for their quality plate appearances when he hit a fastball down the first-base line and into the right-field corner. Both runners scored on the play.
McKinstry, Báez and Ibáñez logged two hits apiece.
Ibáñez is hitting .314 in 12 games.
Making it look easy
Rodriguez, in another scoreless effort, gave up four hits and two walks across seven innings.
The four hits didn't faze him.
The first three hits against Rodriguez were infield singles, including two plays McKinstry could have made at second base, while the fourth hit occurred on a bloop single into the outfield in the sixth inning.
WELCOME BACK: Tigers' Alex Faedo aims to 'challenge hitters' with strikes in return to rotation
ACE-LIKE: Eduardo Rodriguez has a 0.52 ERA in past five starts for the Tigers. He's still not satisfied
The two walks, however, nearly came back to haunt him. After back-to-back outs in the fourth inning, Rodriguez walked back-to-back batters — Josh Bell and David Fry — before Tyler Freeman's infield single.
But Rodriguez struck out Mike Zunino with a 94 mph fastball on the inside part of the plate to escape the jam.
Rodriguez, who tossed 67 of 99 pitches for strikes, threw 50 fastballs, 23 cutters, 21 changeups and five sinkers. He generated 14 whiffs on six fastballs, three cutters and five changeups. He also recorded 19 called strikes.
With six starts, Rodriguez tied Michael Fulmer and Al Benton for the second-longest streak of allowing one run or fewer and pitching at least five innings. Justin Verlander owns the franchise with seven starts.
After E-Rod
Right-hander Jason Foley retired the three batters he faced in the eighth inning: Steven Kwan (lineout), Amed Rosario (strikeout) and José Ramírez (groundout). He only needed 14 pitches — 12 sinkers — to shut down Cleveland's three best hitters.
Left-hander Chasen Shreve entered for the ninth inning.
Shreve tossed a scoreless inning, too. He walked Bell but retired Fry, Freeman and Will Brennan to complete the Tigers' 15th win in their past 25 games. The Tigers have won six of their past eight series.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Eduardo Rodriguez dominates again, Detroit Tigers shut down Guardians
