Los Angeles Dodgers at Detroit Tigers: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| DET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
The Story
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Detroit Tigers 2-1 at Comerica Park on August 28, 2026, in a tight, low-scoring affair that the DiamondIQ model had projected as a competitive contest entering the night, assigning Detroit a 40 percent pre-game win probability. Los Angeles pushed across both of its runs in the sixth and eighth innings without the benefit of a big inning, while Detroit's lone run came in the fifth on a Max Clark triple that gave the home side a brief lead and shifted the DiamondIQ model's estimate meaningfully in Detroit's favor, adding 13.5 percent to the Tigers' win probability.
The decisive sequence unfolded in the late innings. Freddie Freeman's single off Jacob Waguespack in the top of the eighth was the key offensive blow for Los Angeles, adding 17.2 percent to the Dodgers' win probability and putting them ahead in what would prove to be the margin of victory. Detroit had a chance to answer immediately, but Kevin McGonigle's flyout off Alex Vesia in the bottom of the eighth represented a 23.3 percent swing against the Tigers, and Gleyber Torres grounding into a double play off Brock Stewart compounded the damage with another 16.8 percent swing away from Detroit. The game's single biggest moment came in the ninth, when Tanner Scott struck out Ben Malgeri to end what Detroit had hoped would be a rally, a sequence the DiamondIQ model registered as a 31.6 percent swing in Los Angeles's favor — the largest single-play shift of the game.
Among individual performers, Malgeri led all batters by WPA at plus 22.6 percent despite the negative RE24 figure of minus 0.8, reflecting the situational weight of his strikeout rather than offensive production. Clark posted a plus 19.6 percent WPA and a plus 1.2 RE24, the best run-environment contribution among position players, driven entirely by his fifth-inning triple. Freeman added plus 18.7 percent WPA on the pitching side. Vesia led Dodgers relievers at plus 23.3 percent WPA, with Drew Anderson contributing plus 19.7 percent, and Detroit starter Tarik Skubal finishing at plus 10.5 percent WPA in a losing effort despite holding Los Angeles to limited damage through much of the game.