Tigers' Andy Ibáñez hits two home runs in 11-7 win over Guardians

CLEVELAND — The thunderstorms that were forecasted never materialized. But the Tigers’ brought their own thunder — finally.

After being limited to three runs or fewer the last four games and scoring seven runs total in those games, the Tigers plated seven runs in the first two innings Tuesday, on their way to a rollicking 11-7 win against the Central Division-leading Guardians at Progressive Field.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak, their longest of the season. The night after getting beat 2-1, they pounded out 15 hits and tied their season-high in runs.

Andy Ibáñez, hitting leadoff against Guardians’ lefty starter Logan Allen, was the detonator. He obliterated a 2-0, get-me-over, four-seam fastball (88 mph) to start the game, launching it into the bleachers in left field. He came up again in the second inning with two runners on and two outs and took another fastball over the right-field wall, capping a four-run second.

Riley Greene led off the game Monday with a homer. It was the first time since June 3-4, 2002, that the Tigers led off back-to-back games with home runs. Ramon Santiago hit both of them back in 2002.

Ibáñez ended up with a career night, four hits, a walk, four RBIs, and four runs scored. He singled and scored the seventh run in the fourth inning. He doubled and scored the 10th run in the eighth.

Ryan Vilade made an early impact, too. Selected from Triple-A Toledo before the game to take Parker Meadows’ roster spot (optioned), he ripped a two-run single in the third inning that tied the game 7-7.

It was his first major league hit, coming three years after he made his debut with the Rockies. His first big league at-bat was Sept. 18, 2021.

He had another big at-bat in the seventh. Jake Rogers, the designated hitter on this night, hit his second double of the game and went to third on a ground out. With one out, the Guardians summoned lefty reliever Tim Herrin.

Vilade is a right-handed hitter, but his numbers in Toledo had been much better against right-handed pitchers. This time, he spoiled the strategy, slapping an RBI single through the drawn-in infield, giving the Tigers a two-run cushion.

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