River Ryan shines in Detroit debut as Tigers rout Nationals, 9-2
Ryan opened with three scoreless innings in his Detroit debut and Detroit backed him with three homers in a 9-2 victory, one day after being eliminated from the American League playoff race.
The Tigers overwhelmed the Nationals 9-2 on Monday night as River Ryan made a striking Detroit debut. Ryan worked three scoreless innings to set the tone, and Detroit supplied the offense with three home runs that put the game away. The victory came one day after the Tigers were eliminated from the American League playoff race.
Detroit struck early and often. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first when Gleyber Torres walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a ground-rule double by Hao-Yu Lee. After DJ Herz recorded the first out, Eduardo Valencia singled to left and Lee came home when James Wood misplayed the ball for an error. Javier Báez extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth with his third homer of the season over the Tigers bullpen in left, plating Dillon Dingler. In the fifth Detroit added five runs — three on Ben Malgeri’s fourth homer and two on Spencer Torkelson’s 25th — to make it 9-0. Yohandy Morales hit a two-run homer in the eighth to get the Nationals on the scoreboard.
Ryan allowed two hits and a walk while striking out two in his three scoreless innings and is expected to start again in the season finale Sunday, the day after Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his final major league start. Keider Montero (10-9) followed with four scoreless innings in relief of Ryan. Washington starter DJ Herz (0-1) made his first big league appearance in nearly two years after Tommy John surgery in April 2025, working four innings and allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four. The Tigers also announced that, because of a bank merger, Comerica Park will be known as Fifth Third Park starting in 2027 — the same name used by the Toledo Mud Hens' stadium.