Detroit Tigers vs Cleveland Guardians Box Score on Aug 18, 2023

The Cleveland Guardians erupted for four runs in the eighth inning Friday night to take the second game of their doubleheader 4-1 against the visiting Detroit Tigers.

The Guardians had been held scoreless on just four hits before their eighth-inning outburst against Detroit's bullpen.

The Tigers held a 1-0 lead until the eighth courtesy of a run in the top of the fourth due to some luck and the elements. Riley Greene reached on an infield single that caromed off the plate out of the reach of Guardians starting pitcher Xzavion Curry.

With one out, Kerry Carpenter lofted a routine fly ball to right-center that Cleveland center fielder Will Brennan lost sight of in the twilight sky, but right fielder Oscar Gonzalez saw the ball just in time to come over from right field to make the catch.

The next batter, Andy Ibanez, hit a fly ball in almost the exact same spot, but this time neither Brennan or Gonzalez could see the ball against the sunset sky, and the ball dropped between them for a double. Greene raced home from first and the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth, when Brayan Rocchio tied the game at 1-1 with a line-drive single through the middle to score Gonzalez, who reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on Kole Calhoun's walk.

Rocchio was 0-for-6 in the doubleheader, striking out all six times, before delivering the tying hit off Tigers right-hander Jose Cisnero.

Brennan then stroked a two-run double that one-hopped into the right-field wall to give the Guardians a 3-1 lead, before Gabriel Arias added an RBI single to right for a 4-1 lead.

Cisnero (2-4) took the loss for Detroit, while Enyel De Los Santos (5-2) got the victory for the Guardians. Emmanuel Clase closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save, and the 100th save of his career.

The Tigers' starter, left-hander Joey Wentz, wasn't overpowering but he was effective over an 83-pitch outing. Wentz threw five shutout innings, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out three.

Curry, making his sixth start of the season since joining the rotation after 25 appearances out of the Guardians' bullpen, struck out six and walked two on 81 pitches, giving up five hits, including the ball his outfielders lost in the sky.

The Tigers won the opener of the doubleheader 4-2 behind six strong innings from left-hander Tarik Skubal.

--Field Level Media