Tigers salvage game in Atlanta, rally vs. Braves with four late runs

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Apr 30, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — So long, April. Good riddance.

Injuries, inconsistent offense and defense, untimely bullpen breakdowns and way too many days on the road culminated in a frustrating month.

But the Tigers will go to the new month on the wings of a series-salvaging 5-2 win against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, ending a 10-game losing streak to the Braves and finishing April with a 14-13 record.

Held dormant since the third inning Wednesday night, the Tigers’ bats pushed across two runs to flip the scoreboard in the eighth inning.

Down 2-1 and facing right-handed reliever Joel Payamps, Kerry Carpenter tripled off the wall in center and scored the tying run on a sizzling double by Matt Vierling into the left-field corner. It was Vierling’s second hit and second RBI.

After a walk to Hao-Yu Lee and a strikeout by pinch-hitter Dillon Dingler, Braves manager Walt Weiss brought in lefty Aaron Bummer to face rookie Kevin McGonigle.

McGonigle, who already extended his MLB-longest on-base streak to 27 games, walked to load the bases. It was his third walk of the game.

Gleyber Torres, who had three singles, followed with a sacrifice to center.

Vierling struck again in the ninth. With two outs, Braves closer Robert Suarez walked pinch-hitter Wenceel Perez. Vierling hit a bullet that third baseman Austin Riley couldn't handle. The ball also eluded left fielder Mike Yastrzemski.

Perez, with a bold send from third base coach Joey Cora, scored all the way from first base.

Dingler doubled home another insurance run, though Lee was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on the play.

After Drew Anderson pitched two scoreless innings, Tigers manager AJ Hinch summoned Kyle Finnegan for the ninth. Finnegan threw 29 pitches in a long eighth inning Wednesday night.

No problem. Finnegan closed it out for his first save of the season.

It was a gut-check performance by Tigers’ lefty starter Framber Valdez, who delivered a six-inning quality start with eight strikeouts, getting a high-contact Braves offense to swing and miss 21 times on 54 swings.

For the first three innings, though, he was wobbling. Truist Park, historically, has been a tough place for visiting sinkerball pitchers. Whether it’s the slope of the mound or the atmospheric conditions (humid, mostly), Valdez has been among those who have struggled here in the past.

And the Braves did damage against his sinker early. Four of the six hits allowed came on the sinker, including an RBI single his former Astros’ teammate Mauricio Dubon.

But Valdez began leaning less on his sinker and more on his curveball and change-up and he took control of the outing. After giving up two hits in each of the first three innings, he retired the last 10 hitters he faced.

He got nine whiffs on 20 swings with the change-up, seven whiffs on 14 swings with the curveball.

Like Tarik Skubal Wednesday night, Valdez put the Tigers in position to win. If the offense ever could get unstuck.

Braves’ right-hander Bryce Elder, who came in with the second lowest ERA in the National League (1.95) stymied the Tigers’ hitters with a heavy dose of four-seamers, sinkers and sliders.

He was nicked for six hits and three walks but never yielded a big hit. The Tigers were 2 for 10 against him with runners in scoring position.