Tigers’ Riley Greene hits career milestone with 2 RBI game vs Royals

The Detroit Tigers broke a four-game losing streak Friday night, led by Riley Greene, who reached a major career milestone. Greene drove in his 100th and 101st RBIs of the 2025 season with a go-ahead double, leading Detroit to a 5-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. His two-run double in the fourth inning gave Detroit a 4-3 lead and was the first time a Tigers left-handed hitter reached 100 RBIs before September since Rusty Staub in 1978.

Greene also became the first Tiger with over 100 RBIs since Nick Castellanos in 2017, and the first with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs since Miguel Cabrera in 2016.

The milestone came in an important game for Detroit, which had just weathered a strenuous stretch, including a sweep by the Athletics in Sacramento and a frustrating off day spent stranded on a tarmac due to plane mechanical issues. The win boosted the Tigers’ record to 79-57 and widened their lead over the second-place Royals, 69-66, in the AL Central to 9½ games.

Detroit fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, as Mike Yastrzemski homered on Chris Paddack’s first pitch, followed by a two-run shot from Maikel Garcia. Despite a rough start, Paddack settled down to retire nine of the next ten batters but did not record a strikeout in 3⅔ innings. In his last five starts, Paddack posted a 6.37 ERA with just nine strikeouts in 24 innings, allowing eight home runs in that span.

The Tigers responded in the second inning, loading the bases against Royals starter Seth Lugo. Kerry Carpenter’s two-run single cut the deficit to 3-2, setting the stage for Greene’s go-ahead double in the fourth. Greene reached the milestone in 132 games and is on pace for 121 RBIs in 2025, becoming the fifth MLB player this season to reach 100 RBIs.

Detroit’s bullpen was crucial in preserving the lead. Tyler Holton, Troy Melton, Kyle Finnegan, and Will Vest combined for 5⅓ scoreless innings. Finnegan, who joined the Tigers at the July 31 trade deadline, has now thrown 13⅓ scoreless innings across 11 appearances. Vest earned his 20th save, closing out the game after Dillon Dingler added a solo homer in the eighth for insurance.

The Tigers’ defense also made some key contributions. Wenceel Perez made a leaping catch in center field in the third inning, and Carpenter added another near-the-wall catch in the sixth, helping strand Royals runners in critical situations. Greene himself made a perfect read on a fifth-inning line drive from Garcia, preventing a potential extra-base hit.

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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source sports.yahoo.com ’