Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene launched his first home run of the 2026 season, a three-run blast in the third inning that powered a 6-1 victory over the Miami Marlins at Comerica Park. The 10-pitch at-bat against starter Janson Junk showcased Greene's improved plate discipline. Greene finished with four RBIs in the game.
Greene fouled off several tough pitches during the at-bat, including a changeup, curveball, and fastballs, before capitalizing on Junk's 10th pitch—a fastball over the middle—for a 408-foot drive into the right-field seats. This scored Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle, who had reached base earlier in the inning thanks to a catcher's interference call on Agustín Ramírez and McGonigle's walk. A catcher's interference call had extended the inning for Greene's turn at the plate. Junk later said, “It was a 2-2 count. I didn't want to go 3-2 in that. Felt like we had him in a good spot, and then I wanted to go up away. Just kind of leaked a little up, middle in, and he got me.” Greene entered the game hitting .204 but had reached base safely in the Tigers' first 15 games, the longest such streak to start a season for Detroit since Brandon Inge in 2009. He credited offseason work on facing tougher pitches and better plate discipline, noting his chase rate dropped to 25 percent and whiff rate to 29.1 percent. “I never get off the fastball, ever,” Greene said. “Just sticking to my approach, staying on the heater.” In his first at-bat, Greene lined an RBI single off Junk's changeup as part of a two-run first inning. The four-RBI outing marked his first multi-RBI game since a grand slam on Aug. 26, 2025. Greene also stole a base, his first homer-and-steal game since May 4, 2023. Starter Casey Mize earned the win, allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts.
