Eduardo Rodriguez dominates Cleveland as Detroit Tigers' win streak hits 5

Eduardo Rodriguez pitched one of the best games of his career.

The Detroit Tigers — following a 4-3 victory in Game 1 on Kerry Carpenter's walk-off home run — beat the Cleveland Guardians again, 1-0, in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader. This time around, Riley Greene played hero with a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning.

Rodriguez, though, set the tone by completing eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.

The 30-year-old matched his career high for innings pitched, which he has accomplished four times, and racked up double-digit strikeouts for the first time since Aug. 4, 2021, at Comerica Park. Back then, Rodriguez faced the Tigers as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

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The Tigers (7-9), winners of five consecutive games, can sweep the three-game series in Wednesday's finale with right-hander Spencer Turnbull making his fourth start. His matchup is right-hander Cal Quantrill.

In Game 2 of the doubleheader, right-handed reliever Jason Foley took over for Rodriguez and pitched a perfect ninth inning for the first save of his career. The 27-year-old finished the game by retiring Jose Ramirez on a swinging strikeout on a 91.4 mph changeup.

Greene, 22, changed the scoreboard for the first time in the sixth inning against Guardians righty Peyton Battenfield, who completed six innings and now has thrown 10 innings in his MLB career.

Battenfield, 25, placed an 89.6 mph fastball on the outside part of the strike zone. Greene, who thrives on pitches around the outer third of the plate, didn't miss the low-velocity heater.

He hit the ball 354 feet — with a 104.1 mph exit velocity — down the left-field line. The ball carried, and then carried some more, and eventually traveled into the left-field seats for Greene's second homer of the season.

It put the Tigers ahead, 1-0.

E-Rod plugged in

In his fourth start, Rodriguez made eight shutout innings seem like an easy day of work at the ballpark. It was his best all-around start since signing a five-year, $77 million contract with the Tigers in November 2021.

Rodriguez primarily relied on his four-seam fastball, sinker and cutter, along with mixing in some changeups and sliders, while the Guardians failed to generate hard contact. Cleveland averaged a 77.9 mph exit velocity against him.

He struck out 10 batters without conceding a walk.

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Rodriguez allowed four hits.

Josh Bell hit a single on a third-pitch fastball in the second inning, followed by Gabriel Arias' single on a second-pitch changeup in the third inning, Myles Straw's single on a fifth-pitch cutter in the seventh inning and Oscar Gonzalez's single on a second-pitch changeup in the eighth inning.

In the third, Arias was thrown out by catcher Jake Rogers trying to steal second base. In the fifth, Matt Vierling robbed Josh Naylor of a home run with a leaping catch while colliding with the right-field wall.

After Gonzalez's leadoff single in the eighth, Andres Gimenez dropped a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner into scoring position. Rodriguez responded by striking out Arias on six pitches.

Then, Jonathan Schoop helped him out.

Steven Kwan hit a sixth-pitch cutter back up the middle, and Schoop — the second baseman — ranged to his left and completed a sliding play to keep the ball from sneaking into the outfield. First baseman Spencer Torkelson scooped the ball, just before Kwan reached first base, to conclude the inning.

Rodriguez threw 72 of 99 pitches for strikes.

Cut down by Battenfield

Facing the Tigers, Battenfield allowed one run on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts, throwing 58 of 87 pitches for strikes. Battenfield wasn't perfect, but his cutter flummoxed opposing hitters for 11 of his 12 whiffs.

He had 12 called strikes.

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After Greene's home run, the Tigers couldn't score another run. Right-hander Xzavion Curry entered out of the bullpen and worked around two hits in the seventh and eighth innings.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers squeeze by Cleveland, 1-0, for 5th straight win