Tigers' Riley Greene Sets Unique MLB History With Two Home Runs in Ninth Inning

Greene powered an eight-run ninth inning for the Tigers.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Greene celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels. | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Riley Greene gave his Detroit Tigers the lead with a solo shot to right field in the top of the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. His 371-foot homer was only the start of an eight-run inning for the Tigers. And Greene did it again before the Los Angeles Angels were able to retire the side.

With two outs in the inning, he hit a three-run, 409-foot bomb to right-center field. The second homer made Greene the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the ninth inning of a game.

No player in MLB history had ever hit 2 homers in the 9th inning of a game ... until Riley Greene last night.

(h/t @SlangsOnSports)

(MLB x @BudweiserUSA) pic.twitter.com/WckSd9djOY

— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025

“I was just thinking, ‘Win the baseball game.’ That's about it,” Greene said after the Tigers beat the Angels 9-1 Friday night via MLB.com. “That was the only thing on my mind: Let's win this game.”

Detroit trailed 1-0 for the majority of the game until shortstop Trey Sweeney tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Then, Greene powered the eight-run ninth as the Tigers' batters got all over Angels closer Kenley Jansen, who gave up six earned runs in the inning.

The Tigers earned win No. 21 Friday, the most in the American League. Greene's big night gives him eight home runs early in the 2025 campaign. He's slashing .276/.324/.504 on the year after getting through an April slump. And now he has his name etched in niche baseball history, but that isn't much to dwell over for Detroit's cleanup hitter.

"Yeah, I just found that out—pretty cool," Greene said after the game via ESPN. "But the game is over. We got to show up tomorrow and try to win another baseball game."

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