Jordan Lyles pitched a complete game when the Baltimore Orioles desperately needed it in an 8-1 victory against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
Lyles (11-11) tossed a three-hitter with six strikeouts and no walks. He threw 94 pitches. In his two previous outings this month, he gave up 12 runs in 8 2/3 innings covering two starts.
It was the first complete game for a Baltimore pitcher since John Means had a no-hitter in May 2021 at Seattle.
The Orioles (77-71) won for just the sixth time in their last 16 games as they avoided a three-game series sweep. Kyle Stowers homered and added an RBI single for Baltimore, Adley Rutschman had two RBIs and Gunnar Henderson contributed two hits.
Kerry Carpenter homered for the Tigers (57-92), who were trying to secure a three-game winning streak for just the second time since the All-Star break.
Detroit starter Matt Manning (2-3) surrendered five runs, three earned, on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He issued five walks and fanned four.
The Orioles took their first lead in the series in the third inning on Rutschman's RBI fielder's choice. Henderson followed with a run-scoring single before Ryan Mountcastle's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Baltimore built on the advantage when Stowers drove a pitch from Manning over the center field fence for a two-run shot in the sixth. It was his second home run.
Carpenter's seventh-inning homer gave him long balls on back-to-back nights. He has six homers this season. Carpenter ended up 2-for-3.
The Orioles tacked on three runs in the eighth off Jason Foley on RBI singles from Stowers, Robinson Chirinos and Rutschman.
Lyles, who was facing the Tigers for the fifth time in his career, secured his first victory vs. Detroit.
The Orioles had a total of two runs and eight hits in the first two games of the series before racking up eight runs and nine hits on Wednesday.
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