Wenceel Perez, Zach McKinstry solo homers lead Tigers over Guardians

Wenceel Perez and Zach McKinstry hit solo home runs and four Detroit pitchers combined for a nine-hitter, lifting the visiting Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the free-falling Cleveland Guardians on Friday night.Perez went deep in the third inning and McKinstry cleared the fence in the fourth, both off Guardians starter Slade Cecconi (3-4), as the American League-leading Tigers won the opener of their three-game weekend series.All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez homered in the first for defending AL Central champion Cleveland, which lost its eighth straight and is 1-9 since June 23. The Guardians matched their longest skid since 2021.Tyler Holton (4-3) earned the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief and Will Vest pitched the final four outs for his 14th save in 17 opportunities.Ramirez homered in the first to put Cleveland ahead 1-0, snapping a 0-for-21 streak that equaled the longest of his career. The drought began on June 26, when he was hit on the right arm by a pitch from Toronto’s Kevin Gausman.Cecconi threw a career-high 105 pitches over six innings, giving up two runs on six hits. The right-hander struck out five and walked two in front of the largest crowd in Cleveland this season, an advance sellout of 38,213.

Playlist