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Detroit Tigers catcher Eduardo Valencia couldn't have hoped for a better result in his first MLB at-bat.
Thanks to some power from unexpected sources, the Tigers beat the Athletics 4-1 on Thursday, July 9, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The win marked a sweep of the A's, the Tigers' fifth straight win and seventh in the past eight games – helped in part by Valencia's seventh-inning solo home run in his first MLB at-bat.
Valencia, who the Tigers called up from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day to replace an injured Dillon Dingler, started the game on the bench with Jake Rogers getting the catching duties. But with the A's bringing in lefty reliever Hogan Harris in the seventh inning, Valencia got the call to pinch hit for designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, and the rookie sent a 2-1 fastball 425 feet into center field for his first ever hit, RBI, run and home run – all in the same swing.
The Tigers got power production from the bottom of the lineup, with Valencia, Rogers and shortstop Zach McKinstry all registering home runs. But the most emotional hit of the night came from the rookie Valencia, who became the 10th Tigers player to hit a home run in his first career at-bat (and the first since outfielder Akil Baddoo in 2021).
THE CALL-UP: Detroit Tigers DFA Jahmai Jones, call up Eduardo Valencia for MLB debut
Detroit also got seven strong innings from starter Framber Valdez, who recorded a season-high nine strikeouts while giving up just one run in a dominant performance. With the win, the Tigers move to 43-50, 3½ games back in the American League wild-card race and 4½ back of the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.
Rogers, starting in place of Dingler, hit a solo home run in the third inning off Athletics’ righty Jack Perkins to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. It was Rogers’ third home run of the season and his second in as many days (his two-run shot off the bench against the Athletics on Wednesday helped pace a 6-1 win).
Rogers, who hit three home runs over 142 plate appearances in 2025, has been a sudden slugger for Detroit over the past two games. His third-inning home run not only marked the first run of the game for the Tigers, but the first hit for a lineup that didn’t have a baserunner other than Rogers reach through the first four innings.
The Tigers got another big fly from their No. 7 hitter, with McKinstry hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead. It was McKinstry’s fourth home run of the season and his seventh hit through five games in July.
But the biggest fly of the night, both in magnitude and distance, belonged to Valencia. The 26-year-old rookie, only in the game because of Dingler's injury, made a booming first impression for a Comerica Park crowd that gave him an extended ovation after his home run.
Valencia also reached base in his second at-bat of the night, wearing a 3-0 fastball to the upper left arm to reach first on a hit-by-pitch. He finished 1-for-1 on the night and has yet to record an out at the plate in his young career.
Valdez ran into trouble in the fifth inning, allowing a leadoff single to shortstop Jacob Wilson, his first hit allowed all game. He followed that by hitting right fielder Lawrence Butler, prompting a mound visit from Rogers.
A flyout from left fielder Colby Thomas advanced Wilson to third, and Wilson scored on a ground ball to first baseman Spencer Torkelson, whose double-play attempt fell short when McKinstry couldn’t throw out center fielder Henry Bolte at first. Bolte’s RBI tied the score at 1-1.
Valdez cruised through the first two innings, striking out the side in the first and getting three quick outs on nine pitches in a clean second. He put up another clean inning in the third while striking out his fourth batter, while striking out two more in the fourth despite allowing his first baserunner (catcher Shea Langeliers on a two-out hit-by-pitch) after 11 straight retired.
And after giving up his only run in the fifth, he stayed composed through the sixth and seventh, marking a season-high nine strikeouts on a Bolte punchout in the seventh. He finished the game with one run allowed on three hits, zero walks and nine strikeouts through seven innings.
Relievers Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen wrapped up scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, though Jansen allowed the tying run to come up to the plate after walking Langeliers to start the inning, followed by a one-out single by Wilson.
The Tigers (43-50) take on the Philadelphia Phillies (51-42 entering Thursday) in the first of a three-game series at Comerica Park on Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet). Righty Jack Flaherty (2-8, 4.60 ERA) is scheduled to pitch against Phillies righty Aaron Nola (2-6, 5.87 ERA) to open the final series before the MLB All-Star Game (which is set for Tuesday in Philadelphia).
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rookie Eduardo Valencia homers in 1st AB as Tigers win 5th straight
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Thanks to some power from unexpected sources, the Tigers beat the Athletics 4-1 on Thursday, July 9, at Comerica Park in Detroit. The win marked a sweep of the A's, the Tigers' fifth straight win and seventh in the past eight games – helped in part by Valencia's seventh-inning solo home run in his first MLB at-bat.
Valencia, who the Tigers called up from Triple-A Toledo earlier in the day to replace an injured Dillon Dingler, started the game on the bench with Jake Rogers getting the catching duties. But with the A's bringing in lefty reliever Hogan Harris in the seventh inning, Valencia got the call to pinch hit for designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, and the rookie sent a 2-1 fastball 425 feet into center field for his first ever hit, RBI, run and home run – all in the same swing.
ELECTRIC!️
Valencia homers in his first Major League at-bat! pic.twitter.com/s0s4qzcZhf
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 10, 2026
The Tigers got power production from the bottom of the lineup, with Valencia, Rogers and shortstop Zach McKinstry all registering home runs. But the most emotional hit of the night came from the rookie Valencia, who became the 10th Tigers player to hit a home run in his first career at-bat (and the first since outfielder Akil Baddoo in 2021).
THE CALL-UP: Detroit Tigers DFA Jahmai Jones, call up Eduardo Valencia for MLB debut
Detroit also got seven strong innings from starter Framber Valdez, who recorded a season-high nine strikeouts while giving up just one run in a dominant performance. With the win, the Tigers move to 43-50, 3½ games back in the American League wild-card race and 4½ back of the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.
At the plate: Catchers carry the big sticks
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Rogers, starting in place of Dingler, hit a solo home run in the third inning off Athletics’ righty Jack Perkins to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. It was Rogers’ third home run of the season and his second in as many days (his two-run shot off the bench against the Athletics on Wednesday helped pace a 6-1 win).
Rogers, who hit three home runs over 142 plate appearances in 2025, has been a sudden slugger for Detroit over the past two games. His third-inning home run not only marked the first run of the game for the Tigers, but the first hit for a lineup that didn’t have a baserunner other than Rogers reach through the first four innings.
The Tigers got another big fly from their No. 7 hitter, with McKinstry hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead. It was McKinstry’s fourth home run of the season and his seventh hit through five games in July.
But the biggest fly of the night, both in magnitude and distance, belonged to Valencia. The 26-year-old rookie, only in the game because of Dingler's injury, made a booming first impression for a Comerica Park crowd that gave him an extended ovation after his home run.
Valencia also reached base in his second at-bat of the night, wearing a 3-0 fastball to the upper left arm to reach first on a hit-by-pitch. He finished 1-for-1 on the night and has yet to record an out at the plate in his young career.
On the mound: Framber Valdez has the curve working
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Valdez ran into trouble in the fifth inning, allowing a leadoff single to shortstop Jacob Wilson, his first hit allowed all game. He followed that by hitting right fielder Lawrence Butler, prompting a mound visit from Rogers.
A flyout from left fielder Colby Thomas advanced Wilson to third, and Wilson scored on a ground ball to first baseman Spencer Torkelson, whose double-play attempt fell short when McKinstry couldn’t throw out center fielder Henry Bolte at first. Bolte’s RBI tied the score at 1-1.
Valdez cruised through the first two innings, striking out the side in the first and getting three quick outs on nine pitches in a clean second. He put up another clean inning in the third while striking out his fourth batter, while striking out two more in the fourth despite allowing his first baserunner (catcher Shea Langeliers on a two-out hit-by-pitch) after 11 straight retired.
And after giving up his only run in the fifth, he stayed composed through the sixth and seventh, marking a season-high nine strikeouts on a Bolte punchout in the seventh. He finished the game with one run allowed on three hits, zero walks and nine strikeouts through seven innings.
Relievers Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen wrapped up scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, though Jansen allowed the tying run to come up to the plate after walking Langeliers to start the inning, followed by a one-out single by Wilson.
Next up: An NL East contender
The Tigers (43-50) take on the Philadelphia Phillies (51-42 entering Thursday) in the first of a three-game series at Comerica Park on Friday (6:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet). Righty Jack Flaherty (2-8, 4.60 ERA) is scheduled to pitch against Phillies righty Aaron Nola (2-6, 5.87 ERA) to open the final series before the MLB All-Star Game (which is set for Tuesday in Philadelphia).
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rookie Eduardo Valencia homers in 1st AB as Tigers win 5th straight
Continue reading...
