DETROIT (Interstat) — Cristopher Sánchez pitched seven strong innings and J.T. Realmuto drove in two runs with a double as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 on Saturday at Comerica Park.

Sánchez allowed two runs on 10 hits while striking out seven. The left-hander improved to 11-4 on the season. He retired the side in order twice and induced two double plays to escape threats. The outing marked a sharp turnaround from his previous start July 6 at Kansas City, when he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and surrendered nine earned runs in a 15-1 loss.

Jhoan Duran recorded the final three outs for his 24th save of the season. Duran struck out one and did not allow a baserunner.

The Phillies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning without a hit. Derek Hill reached on a throwing error by third baseman Kevin McGonigle, moved to second on the error and scored on Trea Turner’s sacrifice fly to center field.

Philadelphia broke the game open in the fourth inning against Tigers starter Casey Mize. Brandon Marsh walked to lead off and Alec Bohm struck out. Bryson Stott singled to put runners at first and second. Realmuto followed with a sharp double to left field that scored both Marsh and Stott, giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead. After Gabriel Rincones Jr. grounded out, moving Realmuto to third, Hill singled to left to drive in Realmuto for a 4-0 advantage.

The Tigers got on the board in the fifth inning. Eduardo Valencia led off with a home run to right-center field, his second of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

Detroit threatened again later in the fifth. Hao-Yu Lee singled and Matt Vierling singled, putting runners at first and third with two outs, but Kevin McGonigle flied out to center to end the inning.

Sánchez worked through the sixth and seventh innings with the help of double plays. In the sixth, Dillon Dingler singled leading off but Spencer Torkelson grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Riley Greene then struck out on a foul tip to end the inning.

In the seventh, Valencia singled and Hao-Yu Lee singled to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Ben Malgeri struck out. Zach McKinstry then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, erasing the threat.

The Tigers again pulled within two runs in the eighth inning. Matt Vierling drew a leadoff walk from reliever Jonathan Bowlan. Kevin McGonigle singled and Dingler was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Spencer Torkelson grounded into a double play, scoring Vierling from third and cutting the lead to 4-2. Riley Greene walked but Valencia grounded out to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth for Detroit, but the Tigers were unable to mount a rally against Duran. Colt Keith grounded out, Kerry Carpenter popped out foul and McKinstry popped out to shortstop to end the game.

Attendance was 33,705. The game lasted 2 hours, 26 minutes.

Mize (4-6) took the loss for Detroit, allowing three earned runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.

Tyler Holton followed Mize with one scoreless inning. Drew Anderson pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts. Jansen allowed one hit while striking out one.

For Detroit, Valencia went 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI.

For Philadelphia, Hill went 1 for 3 with an RBI. Realmuto was 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Bryce Harper went 2 for 4 with a double.

The Phillies improved to 53-43. The Tigers fell to 44-51.

Philadelphia entered the game having lost the series opener 10-2 on Friday. The Phillies had won three of their previous five games and five of their previous 10. Detroit had won four of its previous five games entering Saturday.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred in the top of the fourth inning. With the score 1-0 and one out, Stott singled and Realmuto doubled to the left-field gap to score two runs, doubling the lead. Hill’s subsequent single made it a four-run cushion, which proved decisive when Detroit mounted two separate scoring threats in the middle and late innings. Sánchez’s ability to induce double plays in the sixth and seventh innings kept the Tigers from closing the gap further, preserving the lead for Duran to close.

The victory was Philadelphia’s second consecutive win after a 15-1 loss to Kansas City on Monday. The Phillies have a chance to win the series in the rubber match Sunday.

Detroit entered the game with momentum from a 10-2 win Friday and three straight series wins before this matchup.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Detroit 7, Philadelphia 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave Philadelphia a 52.30 percent probability to win. Philadelphia was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of six runs went over the over-under line of seven.