Detroit Drops Three Ninth-Inning Bombs in 8-0 Demolition of Seattle

Detroit sent three consecutive home runs over Seattle's fences in the ninth inning to put an exclamation point on an 8-0 shutout. Troy Melton was nearly untouchable, and the offense did the rest — early, often, and emphatically.

The damage started in the third. A throwing error by Seattle's shortstop on a Riley Greene infield single let a run score and left runners at second and third. Colt Keith then singled to right, scoring both Dingler and Greene to make it 3-0. That two-run single was the turning point — Seattle's win probability dropped from 34% to 18% on that single swing, and the game never felt close again. Greene added a solo shot to center in the fifth, a 403-foot blast that pushed the lead to 4-0 and made Melton's job feel like a formality.

Melton was the story on the mound. He went 7.0 innings, allowing just 3 hits and 0 earned runs while walking 2 and striking out 4. That's a performance that demands attention. Emerson Hancock gave Seattle a reasonable outing — 6.0 innings, 3 earned runs, 6 strikeouts — but Detroit's lineup kept finding gaps, and the 8-hit, 3-run effort against him was enough to make the deficit insurmountable. Yilber Diaz closed things out with a clean 1.0 inning, punching out 3 of the 4 batters he faced.

Then came the ninth, and Detroit apparently decided a 4-0 lead wasn't emphatic enough. McGonigle grounded out to score Báez and move McKinstry to second, making it 5-0. Then Torres launched one 370 feet to left center, a two-run shot that brought McKinstry home and pushed the lead to 7-0. Dingler followed immediately with a 391-foot homer to right center. Three runs, three at-bats, three outs — Detroit turned a comfortable win into a statement. Greene finished 3-for-5 with a homer, 2 runs, and an RBI. Keith went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI. McKinstry reached base all three times he came to the plate. This looks like a lineup that's operating with real depth right now — no soft outs, no wasted innings. Seattle, meanwhile, was held scoreless for nine innings and managed just 4 hits total against Detroit's pitching staff. That's a rough night any way you frame it.