Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene had himself a 9th inning to remember Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Tigers and Angels were tied 1-1 entering the top of the 9th inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. Greene led off the inning against Angels closer Kenley Jansen, who entered the game without having given up a single run yet this season.
Jansen’s spotless ERA was stained in three pitches as Greene took a middle-middle cutter deep to right field for a tie-breaking solo home run.
RILEY. COLT.
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 3, 2025
Back-to-back homers in clutch time ‼️ pic.twitter.com/MoSJWHp65W
Colt Keith and Javier Baez followed Greene’s lead as both hit home runs off a suddenly vulnerable Jansen. Jake Eder stepped in to replace the veteran reliever once the Tigers’ lead ballooned to 5-1. Eder allowed another run to score via a wild pitch.
The lineup turned over for Greene with runners on the corners and two outs. Eder threw Greene a meatball sweeper right at the heart of the plate. The Tigers slugger took advantage by blasting his second home run of the inning to right field.
TWO HOME RUNS THIS INNING.
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 3, 2025
RILEY GREENE IS HIM. pic.twitter.com/QOJ2IJBf3F
The inning mercifully came to an end as Keith flew out one batter later.
Greene became the first Tigers player since 2007 to hit two home runs in a single inning. The last time it happened was off the bat of All-Star outfielder Magglio Ordoñez in the 2nd inning of an August 2007 matchup against the Oakland Athletics.
Greene also became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the 9th inning.
Greene is the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the ninth inning of a game. (Via @EliasSports) https://t.co/rj0C4jQOXH
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) May 3, 2025
When you’re the first to do something after over a hundred years of MLB action, that’s definitely something you can tell your grandkids about.
Jansen probably just wishes Greene’s unprecedented feat came against someone else. Jansen’s previously unblemished ERA swelled to 6.23 in a single game. He was on the hook for six of the Tigers’ eight earned runs during Friday’s 9th inning.
