Matt Vierling Sparks Tigers’ Late Rally as Detroit Avoids Sweep vs. Braves

Tigers rally late to avoid sweep against Braves

The Detroit Tigers are back at .500, and while a 16-16 start is not exactly cause for celebration, this team keeps finding ways to stay alive.

Thursday’s 5-2 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves was another example of what has defined Detroit’s first month. When the Tigers are ahead, it rarely feels safe. When they are behind, it rarely feels over.

This time, that worked in their favor.

Detroit trailed 2-0 for much of the afternoon before late rallies in the eighth and ninth innings flipped the game. The win helped the Tigers avoid a sweep and finish a difficult road trip at 2-4 against two hot teams.

Matt Vierling delivers his biggest game of the season

Matt Vierling picked the right time to break through.

After a slow start to the season following a strong spring, Vierling came up with two of the biggest swings of the game. His RBI hit tied it, and he later added another run-scoring knock as Detroit created separation in the ninth.

Vierling has always had a knack for showing up in important spots, and the Tigers needed every bit of that on Thursday.

Wenceel Pérez also helped spark the late push, while Dillon Dingler added a key double to make it 5-2 and give Detroit some breathing room.

Framber Valdez grinds through six innings

Framber Valdez did not have his best stuff early, but he found a way to give the Tigers what they needed.

The Braves put traffic on the bases and made him work, especially in the first half of his outing. Valdez was not missing wildly, but too many pitches caught the heart of the plate in two-strike counts, allowing Atlanta to spray the ball around and apply pressure.