Riley Greene’s Unbelievable Ninth-Inning Power Surge Redefines MLB History—What Happens Next Will Shock You

Riley Greene strolled into the ninth inning Friday with the Detroit Tigers locked in a dead heat against the Los Angeles Angels. By the time he left the batter’s box, he’d etched his name into the record books in the most jaw-dropping way imaginable. This wasn’t just another clutch moment—it was a first in MLB history. Greene, the Tigers’ All-Star outfielder, shattered expectations by belting not one, but two homers in a single ninth inning. His first shot came off Angels’ closer Kenley Jansen to kick off the frame, and after the dust settled, he was back up again, delivering a three-run blast with two outs to seal a wild chapter at Angel Stadium.

The sheer force of those two shots—combining to a staggering 780 feet—lit up the late innings and capped off an eight-run surge that swung the Tigers from a tie to outright domination. It was part of a gritty comeback effort after Trey Sweeney’s solo blast tied things up earlier in the seventh. Meanwhile, Jansen, making his first appearance in more than a week, got rocked—giving up three homers and six runs, all first marks against him this season, tanking his ERA from a pristine 0.00 to a career-worst 6.23 in one disastrous inning. “Sometimes you stink. That’s it,” Jansen admitted afterward, a stark reminder of how unforgiving the closer role can be.

After Jansen’s collapse, the Angels brought in Jake Eder, who couldn’t stop the bleeding either, surrendering two more runs before finally retiring Colt Keith. The Tigers wrapped up the top half of the inning in style, cruising to a huge win that bolsters their case as one of the American League’s early-season heavyweights with a 21-12 record. On the flip side, the Angels have stumbled hard—dropping seven straight games—and now lose their marquee player, Mike Trout, to an indeterminate stint on the IL thanks to a bone bruise.

It’s the kind of unforgettable night that instantly rewrites history. And Riley Greene? Well, he’s just getting started.

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Riley Greene entered the ninth inning Friday with the Detroit Tigers tied with the Los Angeles Angels. He exited with a wild piece of MLB history.

The Tigers’ All-Star outfielder became the first major-league player to ever hit two home runs in a single ninth inning, taking Angels closer Kenley Jansen deep to lead off the frame (video above) then coming back up for a three-run homer with two outs.

The two homers combined for 780 feet of distance at Angel Stadium. That outburst was part of an eight-run ninth inning for the Tigers, who tied the game in the seventh inning on a Trey Sweeney solo homer.

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Detroit tagged Jansen, who was making his first appearance in eight days, for six hits (three homers) and six earned runs. Those were the first runs Jansen had allowed in nine games all season, which meant his ERA went from 0.00 entering Friday to a career-worst 6.23. That’s the life of a reliever.

“Sometimes you stink. That’s it,” Jansen said after the game, via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

After Jansen, the Angels put in Jake Eder, who allowed two more runs before finally getting Colt Keith to fly out to end the top of the inning. The Angeles went down in order against Tyler Owens to end the game.

“That might be a first for me,” Greene said when asked if he had ever seen an inning like the ninth.

The homers were the seventh and eighth of the season for Greene, who is now slashing .276/.324/.504 with 19 runs and 20 RBI. He’s part of a Tigers lineup that has helped position the team as perhaps the best in the American League so far this season, with a league-best 21-12 record in a competitive AL Central.

As for the Angels, in case the fact that their closer hadn’t pitched in eight days wasn’t evidence enough, it’s been a tough season at 12-19. After an encouraging start, they’ve lose seven straight and nine of their last 10, and Mike Trout just hit the IL for an indeterminate amount of time due to a bone bruise in his left knee.