DETROIT (Interstat) — The Cleveland Guardians edged the Detroit Tigers 4-3 on Tuesday night at Comerica Park, using a two-run homer by Travis Bazzana and a solid start by Parker Messick to take the second game of a three‑game series.

Cleveland improved to 28‑22, while Detroit fell to 20‑29 in front of an announced crowd of 21,239. The game lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes.

Messick, the top star for Cleveland, pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision, but his outing kept the Guardians within striking distance after the Tigers tied the game in the second inning.

Cleveland opened the scoring in the top of the second. Kyle Manzardo led off with a single to right field, and Bazzana walked. Angel Martínez sacrificed both runners into scoring position, and Steven Kwan lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Manzardo for a 1‑0 lead.

Detroit answered quickly in the bottom of the second. Riley Greene drew a one‑out walk, and Spencer Torkelson crushed a 2‑0 pitch to left‑center field for his seventh home run of the season, putting the Tigers ahead 2‑1. Wenceel Pérez followed with a single, but Messick induced two lineouts to end the inning.

The Guardians reclaimed the lead in the fourth. Manzardo walked to open the inning, and Bazzana drove a 1‑1 pitch from Detroit starter Keider Montero over the right‑field wall for a two‑run homer, his second of the season. The blast gave Cleveland a 3‑2 advantage.

Detroit answered in the bottom of the fourth. Riley Greene singled, and after two strikeouts, Hao‑Yu Lee singled sharply to right, moving Greene to second. Greene later scored on a wild pitch or passed ball during Zack Short’s strikeout, pulling the Tigers within 4‑3.

Cleveland added an insurance run in the seventh. Kwan led off with a double to right field. Austin Hedges sacrificed him to third, and Brayan Rocchio grounded out to shortstop, scoring Kwan and extending the lead to 4‑3.

The Tigers mounted threats in the eighth and ninth innings but could not push across the tying run. In the eighth, Jahmai Jones walked, Riley Greene was hit by a pitch, and Detroit loaded the bases with two out on a walk to Wenceel Pérez, but Colt Keith grounded into a force out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Detroit put two runners on base with one out. Matt Vierling singled to center, and Kevin McGonigle lined a single to right. But Cade Smith struck out Jahmai Jones and Dillon Dingler to earn his 15th save of the season.

Colin Holderman pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one, to earn the win and improve to 1‑0. Tyler Holton took the loss after giving up one earned run on one hit over two innings, striking out two. Holton fell to 0‑3.

Montero started for Detroit and allowed three earned runs on two hits over five innings, striking out one. He walked three.

Key performances included Messick’s five‑inning, two‑earned‑run outing with six strikeouts; Montero’s five‑inning, three‑earned‑run start with one strikeout; Smith’s save with two hits allowed and three strikeouts in one inning; Bazzana’s 2‑for‑3 day with a home run and two RBIs; Holton’s two‑inning, one‑earned‑run relief appearance with two strikeouts; Tim Herrin’s one‑third inning with no hits and one strikeout; Hunter Gaddis’ two‑thirds of a scoreless inning; Holderman’s scoreless inning with one strikeout; Burch Smith’s scoreless inning with one hit allowed; and Erik Sabrowski’s scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Cleveland had four hits and made two sacrifice hits. Detroit had seven hits. The Guardians’ pitchers combined for nine strikes, 46 balls and nine balls in play, while Detroit’s pitchers totaled 17 strikes, 61 balls and 17 balls in play.

The Guardians have won three of their last four games and are 8‑2 in their past 10. The Tigers have lost four of their last five and are 3‑7 in their past 10.

The two teams continue the series Wednesday night at Comerica Park before Cleveland travels to face the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit heads to Baltimore.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland Guardians 6, Detroit Tigers 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave Cleveland a 52.30 percent probability to win. Cleveland had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus‑1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over‑under line of 7.5.