ST. LOUIS — Detroit Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd didn't get the help he needed from his defense in the fourth inning.
Paul Goldschmidt, the reigning National League MVP, hammered a difficult-to-hit changeup for a ground-rule double. What happened next, while not Boyd's fault, put the Tigers in a hole.
The Tigers climbed out of the hole, though — thanks to Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and several tough-as-nails performances from their bullpen — to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4, in Friday's opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. The Tigers improved to 14-17 and extended their winning streak to four games.