Riley Greene returns, Jack Flaherty works quickly in Detroit Tigers' 4-0 win over Astros

LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers beat the Houston Astros, 4-0, on Monday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Tigers improved to 1-1-1 in Grapefruit League play.

What happened

Outfielder Riley Greene, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft, played in a competitive game for the first time since Sept. 1 against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Greene, fully recovered from Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing right elbow, finished 0-for-2 with one strikeout. He was the designated hitter for Monday's game, but he is scheduled to play in the outfield Tuesday.

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Although Greene didn't get a hit, the 23-year-old drove in the first run of the game. Ryan Kreidler walked on seven pitches, advanced to third base on Akil Baddoo's single, and scored on Greene's weak groundout to second base for a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

Greene struck out in the first inning, but he battled for nine pitches against right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. A changeup below the strike zone induced the swinging strikeout.

Starting off

Right-hander Jack Flaherty didn't waste any time on Monday.

He threw 10 pitches, including nine strikeouts, in a perfect first inning with two strikeouts. He struck out Chas McCormick swinging with an elevated 95 mph fastball, then he struck out Jake Meyers looking with a rare right-on-right changeup.

Flaherty threw just 14 changeups to right-handed hitters in 2023.

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The Tigers didn't let Flaherty return for the second inning, despite an efficient 10-pitch first inning.

Flaherty averaged 94.6 mph with his four fastballs — up from 93.1 mph last season — and maxed out at 95.6 mph. His slider had the biggest jump in velocity, from 84.2 mph last season to 87.3 mph.

He mixed all five of his pitches.

At the plate

Spencer Torkelson hit a bloop single against Arrighetti, considered the Astros' top pitching prospect, in his first plate appearance of spring training.

He finished 1-for-2 with one strikeout.

Ryan Kreidler, who played third base and shortstop on defense, made a spectacular up-the-middle diving stop — and throw to Torkelson at first base — to take a single away from David Hensley, but he went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts at the plate.

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In the sixth inning, the Tigers increased their lead to 4-0 with a three-run home run from Brady Allen, driving in Dillon Dingler (walk) and Jake Holton (double). Allen, an outfielder acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins last season, crushed a 92.3 mph fastball from left-handed reliever Julio Robaina to right field.

Allen, 24, attended George Jenkins High School in Lakeland, the city that's home to the Tigers' spring training facility, before his college career at South Carolina.

Javier Báez, who started at shortstop, finished 0-for-2, but he didn't strike out. He flew out to right field in the second inning and grounded into a double play to end the fourth inning.

Colt Keith hit a single in the fourth.

On the mound

After Flaherty, the Tigers sent right-hander Will Vest, left-hander Tyler Holton, right-hander Beau Brieske and left-hander Joey Wentz to the mound from the second through seventh innings.

Brieske struggled to locate his slider, but he weaponized his fastball and changeup for two scoreless innings. He threw 18 of 24 pitches for strikes and racked up two strikeouts.

Wentz threw 40 pitches.

He pitched the sixth and seventh, firing two scoreless innings with one hit, two walks and five strikeouts. He struck out three batters in the sixth, but not without allowing two walks and one single, then he settled down for a three up, three down seventh.

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Wentz, who threw 23 of his 40 pitches for strikes, generated five swings and misses with one four-seam fastball, three cutters and one changeup. He also had seven called strikes.

The hit allowed by Wentz — a single from ex-Tiger Dixon Machado in the sixth inning — was the first hit surrendered by the Tigers. The Astros finished with just two hit and five walks.

Three stars

1. Flaherty, 2. Allen, 3. Brieske.

Next up

Tuesday (1:05 p.m.) vs. Toronto Blue Jays in Lakeland; Tuesday (1:05 p.m.) vs. Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota.

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

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers spring training: Riley Greene returns in 4-0 win vs. Astros