Troy Melton pitched into the sixth inning in his first outing of the season and the Detroit Tigers ended an eight-game losing streak by beating the host Baltimore Orioles 4-1 on Sunday night to complete a day-night doubleheader.
Dillon Dingler smashed a two-run home run and Kevin McGonigle drove in two runs as the Tigers won for only the third time in a 17-game stretch.
Melton, who was added to the active roster Sunday after several rehabilitation assignments this spring, worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks. He struck out three batters during the 79-pitch stint, which resulted in his first victory since a playoff triumph last October.
Tyler Holton and Drew Anderson worked in relief for what became a combined three-hitter. Anderson secured his second save with two innings.
Trevor Rogers (2-6) took the loss, yielding four runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. He hasn’t completed six innings in his last six starts. Reliever Albert Suarez turned in four shutout innings out of the Baltimore bullpen.
No player in the game had more than one hit, while Dingler had the only extra-base hit.
The Orioles won the day’s first game 5-3 on Colton Cowser’s three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The night game was necessary after Saturday’s rainout.
But this time Baltimore didn’t convert in the ninth inning. Though like in the first game, the Orioles drew two ninth-inning walks before Anderson struck out the next three batters.
Dingler’s first-inning homer marked his 10th long ball of the year and it put the Tigers up 2-0. Detroit scored first in all three games in the series.
Samuel Basallo’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly cut the margin in half.
The Tigers extended their lead with two outs in the fifth on McGonigle’s two-run single.
Baltimore designated hitter Adley Rutschman walked twice and scored the team’s run.
