San Francisco Giants center fielder Mike Yastrzemski (5) catches a Detroit Tigers’ Eric Haase fly ball in the bottom of the fifth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tue Aug 23, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Carlos Rodon tossed seven innings of one-hit baseball, Evan Longoria went deep, and the San Francisco Giants took the first of a two-game set with a 3-1 win over the Tigers in Detroit.

Detroit had a chance to win, loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning, but came up empty. In the Tigers’ ninth, Victor Reyes doubled off Giants closer Camilo Doval with one out, and took third on a passed ball. Doval then committed an error trying to field a grounder back to the mound by Javier Baez.

With runners at the corners, Eric Haase drew a walk to load the bases. Doval struck out Miguel Cabrera looking, and Harold Castro grounded out to end the game, giving Doval his 18th save.

In the Giants’ sixth, after a two out walk issued to Joc Pederson by Detroit reliever Daniel Norris, Longoria drove a slider for a two-run home run.

Rodon (12-6) lowered his earned run average to 2.81, and, after giving up a leadoff single by Riley Greene in the first inning, did not allow another baserunner until Castro reached with a two-out single in the fifth. He allowed one run on five hits and struck out 10, giving him eight double-digit strikeout games this season.

San Francisco took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Tommy La Stella singled, and LaMonte Wade Jr. walked before a double play moved La Stella to third. Pederson followed with a run-scoring single.

Drew Hutchinson (1-7) took the loss for the Tigers. He struck out three and walked two, giving up one run on four hits over five innings.

Longoria and Pederson each had two of San Francisco’s five hits.

The teams wrap up the brief series with 10 a.m. getaway start on Wednesday. Logan Webb (11-6, 3.08) starts for the Giants, facing Detroit’s Matt Manning (0-1, 2.81).