PHOENIX — Jack Flaherty continues to dominate.

The 28-year-old signed with the Detroit Tigers, agreeing to a one-year, $14 million deal in free agency, because he wanted to improve under the direction of a new pitching department. After nine starts, Flaherty is performing like a star reborn.

Flaherty blinked first in Saturday's pitching duel against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, but the Tigers immediately punched back.

The Tigers scored six runs in the seventh inning on the way to an 8-3 win in the second of three games in the series at Chase Field. Rookie Wenceel Pérez cleared the bases loaded with a triple to snap the tie and create separation on the scoreboard.

Flaherty picked up his first personal win of the season, thanks to his trusty slider and the Tigers' offense.

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After the Diamondbacks scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning against Flaherty, the Tigers (23-22) responded against Gallen in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI double from Javier Báez and an RBI single from Carson Kelly, tying the game.

The seventh inning began with Gio Urshela's double, and despite strikeouts from Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson, the Tigers didn't fold with two outs. That's when Báez and Kelly delivered run-scoring hits to chase Gallen.

Left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply couldn't stop the bleeding.

Riley Greene dropped a third-pitch sinker into left field for a double, putting two runners in scoring position, then the Diamondbacks intentionally walked Mark Canha to load the bases.

Pérez smoked his second triple of the game to clear the bases and put the Tigers ahead, 5-2, in the seventh inning. Pérez, a switch-hitter batting from the right side of the plate, swung at a down-and-away changeup and pulled the ball to the gap in left-center field.

Pérez pumped his fist and screamed in celebration after he pulled into third base standing up. He is hitting .300 with a .906 OPS through 28 games in his MLB career.

Still, the Tigers weren't done scoring.

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The Tigers increased their lead to 6-2 when Urshela, who opened the inning with a double, hit a high-velocity sinker from right-handed reliever Justin Martinez for an RBI infield single.

Gallen allowed three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts in 6⅔ innings, without issuing a walk. He generated 12 of 20 whiffs with his curveball.

The other three runs were charged to Mantiply.

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Jack Flaherty

Flaherty allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with nine strikeouts, throwing 98 pitches. In 2024, he has a 3.79 ERA with eight walks and 72 strikeouts across 54⅔ innings.

The Diamondbacks finally got to Flaherty in the sixth inning.

It began with a leadoff single from Kevin Newman, and two batters later, Ketel Marte — extending his hitting streak to 17 games — crushed an elevated fastball for an RBI triple to left-center field. The Diamondbacks grabbed a 1-0 lead and extended their margin to 2-0 with an ensuing RBI single from Joc Pederson.

Flaherty escaped without further damage to complete his ninth start of the season. Until the sixth, Flaherty seemed unstoppable against the Diamondbacks.

He sent down the first nine batters before Corbin Carroll — the reigning National League Rookie of the Year who has struggled since winning the award — ripped a changeup into the right-field corner for a leadoff triple in the fourth inning.

But Flaherty stranded Carroll at the hot corner. He struck out Ketel Marte with a slider and Christian Walker with a fastball, his seventh and eighth strikeouts.

Flaherty generated 17 whiffs on 43 swings — a 39.5% whiff rate — with four fastballs, 10 sliders and three curveballs. The D-backs swung at 18 sliders and missed 10 times.

More runs for Tigers

The Tigers added two more runs in the eighth inning for an 8-2 advantage. This time, the Tigers rocked right-handed reliever Kevin Ginkel.

Kelly hit an RBI double and Pérez delivered a sacrifice fly.

Right-handed reliever Alex Lange, left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin and right-handed reliever Beau Brieske kept the Diamondbacks from making a comeback in the final three innings, though Chafin surrendered a run in the eighth.

Báez went 3-for-4 with five RBIs in Friday's 13-0 win over the Diamondbacks. He followed that up by going 4-for-5 with one RBI in Saturday's win. His batting averaged has increased to .207 in 39 games this season.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jack Flaherty earns first win for Detroit Tigers in 8-3 win Saturday