Detroit Tigers Star Makes MLB History with Incredible Ninth Inning Feat
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers are off to an incredible start to the season. After making an improbable run to the playoffs last year, Detroit is 21-12 heading into Saturday and they are clear favorites to win the AL Central.
Friday night's win over the Los Angeles Angels was one of the more wild wins the team will have all season.
The game was in a pitchers duel heading into the ninth inning. The Tigers ace, Tarik Skubal, finished the game with six innings pitched, four hits allowed, one run given up and eight strikeouts. He was pulled after just 73 pitches, but it was a solid outing.
Before the final frame, the only run of the game for Detroit came off the bat of Trey Sweeney in the seventh inning. He hit a 362-foot home run to tie the game at one.
In the ninth inning, the Tigers exploded for eight runs. Riley Greene -- the designated hitter for the night -- was the star of the show during the rally.
Greene led off the inning with a 371-foot solo shot to right field off of Kenley Jansen. The Tigers proceeded to score five total runs off Jansen before he was taken out of the game. That is when Detroit's star outfielder made history.
Greene hit an 84 mph hanging sweeper 409 feet to right-center field for his second home run of the ninth inning.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Greene is the first player in MLB history to homer twice in the ninth inning of a game.
Riley Greene is the first player in MLB history with 2 homers in the ninth inning of a game https://t.co/xYeojtpeLW
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 3, 2025
Per Detroit's PR X account, the 24-year-old is the first Tiger to homer twice in an inning since 2007 when Magglio Ordóñez accomplished the feat against the Athletics.
Riley Greene hit two home runs in the ninth inning tonight, marking the the first two home run inning for a Tiger since Magglio Ordóñez hit two home runs in the second inning against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 12, 2007. pic.twitter.com/OMR5Cu15D3
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) May 3, 2025
This game will go down in history for Riley Greene, but there is more to come from 2024 All-Star.
Since April 23, Greene is slashing .429/.474/.886 with five home runs, 11 RBI and eight runs scored in nine games played. The left-handed batter has also cut down on his strikeouts during this hot stretch of games.
On the season as a whole, the former first-round pick is slashing .276/.324/.504 with eight home runs, 20 RBI and 19 runs scored in 32 games played. He does have 40 strikeouts, but his ability to still hit for a high average has made up for that.
Greene is well on his way to his second All-Star selection in as many years if he continues his production. Friday's amazing accomplishment has only solidified that fact.
Recommended Articles
Cameron Zunkel is a sports writer from the western suburbs of Chicago. He played Division-II baseball at the University of Illinois at Springfield where he earned a masters degree in Communication. Cameron also played independent league baseball for the Joliet Slammers and Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League. He has been in journalism for the better part of two years now, and has a passion for baseball specifically. His other work includes writing sports betting articles for ClutchPoints. In his free time, you can catch Cam at the gym, on the golf course, or coaching the youth in the beautiful sport of baseball.