Dillon Dingler powers Detroit Tigers past Boston Red Sox

Since 2000, only Jarrod Saltalamacchia (six in 2016), Wilson Ramos (six in 2021) and James McCann (five in 2017), have hit five homers in April among Tigers’ catchers.

Dingler finished with four hits and would’ve had a fifth RBI had Gleyber Torres not been thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on his final hit of the game in the ninth.

It’s been a rough stretch for Crochet. In his last two starts, covering 6.2 innings, he’s been tagged for 16 runs, 16 hits and four home runs.

Dingler also helped starter Framber Valdez get his outing started on a positive note, stealing a first-pitch strike with a correct challenge to lead-off hitter Roman Anthony. He challenged and won a strike three pitch for reliever Kyle Finnegan in the seventh. He’s 11 for 13 on ABS challenges.

Valdez, like his catcher, was largely unfazed by the conditions, allowing a run and three hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.

He was commanding and mixing changeups and curveballs off well-spotted sinkers, producing 11 whiffs on 29 swings with his two secondary pitches and 26 called strikes (22 with his sinker).

The lone run came in the first inning on a two-out homer by Willson Contreras. Valdez got two quick strikes when Contreras tapped his helmet and stepped out of the box. The umpires thought he had challenged the pitch but Contreras said he was just adjusting his helmet.

Whether it was gamesmanship or not, after the delay, he slugged the next pitch over the Green Monster in left.

Valdez allowed just two base runners after the first inning.

Javier Báez, who has been quietly red-hot at the plate, got two more hits and scored the sixth run (off former Tigers’ farmhand Jack Anderson) in the ninth. In his last 13 games, Báez is 15 for 42 (.357) with five doubles and a home run.

The Tigers (12-10) have won eight of their last nine games.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.

Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com

@cmccosky

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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Dillon Dingler powers Detroit Tigers past Boston Red Sox