Matt Vierling hits a grand slam as Reese Olson pitches the Tigers past the Reds 8-2

DETROIT — Matt Vierling hit a grand slam, Reese Olson pitched six sharp innings and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 on Thursday.

Akil Baddoo also went deep for Detroit, which salvaged the finale of the three-game series. Kerry Carpenter and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run.

Olson (4-7) permitted one run and two hits. The rookie right-hander struck out seven and walked four.

Jake Fraley hit a leadoff single in the sixth for Cincinnati’s first hit of the game. Olson carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his previous start.

Spencer Steer and TJ Friedl homered for the Reds, who had won three straight.

Cincinnati (76-72) finished with five hits, hurting its pursuit of an NL wild card.

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PHOTOS: Matt Vierling hits a grand slam as Reese Olson pitches the Tigers past the Reds 8-2

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The Tigers jumped in front on Carpenter’s two-out RBI single off opener Derek Law (4-6) in the first.

Detroit added two more runs in the fourth. With Tyler Nevin aboard after a leadoff single against Ben Lively, Baddoo hit a liner over the right-field wall for his 10th homer.

Vierling’s eighth-inning grand slam came against former Tigers pitcher Buck Farmer. It was his ninth homer of the season.

ROSTER MOVES

The Reds placed right-hander Tejay Antone on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow discomfort. He returned to Cincinnati for further examination.

“Hopefully, we’ll have him back in a couple of weeks,” manager David Bell said. “At this point in the year, even if he gets back for a couple of games, he can make a big difference for us.”

Lively was activated from the COVID-19 IL. Right-hander Carson Spiers was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga, and right-hander Connor Phillips was returned to Triple-A Louisville.

CASEY ON THE MOUND

Tigers right-hander Casey Mize threw another bullpen session on Wednesday. Mize, the top pick in the 2018 amateur draft, underwent Tommy John surgery last June. The Tigers are optimistic he’ll rejoin the starting staff at the beginning of next season.

“We’re thrilled the way his year went - what he’s been able to re-establish, delivery-wise, health-wise and recovery-wise,” manager A.J. Hinch said.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Hunter Greene (3-6, 4.75 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game road series against the New York Mets on Friday.

Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal (5-3, 3.47 ERA) will start the opener of a 10-game West Coast trip against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.