DETROIT (AP) — Vaughn Grissom hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 10-6 on Tuesday night.
Detroit led 6-4 going into the eighth, and Will Vest (1-4) got the first two outs with a runner on second. Logan O'Hoppe's double made it a one-run game, Zach Neto singled and Mike Trout walked to load the bases.
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Detroit Tigers' Kevin McGonigle hits a two-run triple against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tyler Holton throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kirby Yates throws against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene catches a Los Angeles Angels' Wade Meckler fly ball during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Los Angeles Angels' Vaughn Grissom (5) celebrates his grand slam with Logan O'Hoppe (14) and Zach Neto (9) against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Facing his ninth batter of the game — matching a career high — Vest fell behind 2-0 before Grissom homered to right-centerfield to give Los Angeles the 9-6 lead.
Jo Adell and Jose Siri also homered for Los Angeles, which has won four straight. Neto had three hits and a walk, scoring twice.
Wenceel Pérez homered for the Tigers, who have lost 12 of their last 14 games. Kevin McGonigle reached base four times, including a two-run triple.
Detroit's offense did show some signs of breaking out of an extended slump. Their eight hits snapped a franchise-record 11-game streak with seven or fewer hits, and the six runs ended a 13-game stretch with four or fewer runs.
Grissom's two-run single gave the Angels a 2-1 lead in the third, but he was thrown out later in the inning after losing track of the number of outs.
Adell hit Montero's first pitch of the fourth for his eighth homer, making it 3-1, and the Angels picked up a fourth run on doubles by Donovan Walton and Neto.
Zach McKinstry hit his second sacrifice fly of the game in the bottom of the fourth, and Detroit took the lead with a three-run fifth.
With two on and no one out, McGonigle hit a two-run triple. Two walks loaded the bases, and Jahmai Jones gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead with a single, leaving the bases still loaded with no one out.
Mitch Farris, though, escaped further damage with two strikeouts and a flyball.
The teams continue their three-game series on Wednesday evening, with Tigers RHP Casey Mize (2-3, 2.47 ERA) facing RHP José Soriano (6-3, 2.44)
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Detroit Tigers' Kevin McGonigle hits a two-run triple against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tyler Holton throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Kirby Yates throws against the Detroit Tigers during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Detroit Tigers left fielder Riley Greene catches a Los Angeles Angels' Wade Meckler fly ball during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Los Angeles Angels' Vaughn Grissom (5) celebrates his grand slam with Logan O'Hoppe (14) and Zach Neto (9) against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
It's been a very simple formula for the San Antonio Spurs in these Western Conference finals. When Victor Wembanyama has been the best player on the floor, they win. When he isn't, they lose.
He wasn't the best player on the floor Tuesday night.
That was not the only reason why the Spurs fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the West finals — there were many — but it was certainly among them. Wembanyama, who has had 41-point and 33-point outings in winning efforts during the series, never seemed to get fully rolling and the Spurs lost 127-114.
Now down 3-2 in the series, they'll try to extend the matchup — and save their season — in Game 6 at San Antonio on Thursday night.
Wembanyama scored 20 points, his lowest of the series, and only a 12-for-12 effort from the foul line helped him get there in Game 5. He was 4 for 15 from the floor, missing all five of his 3-point tries, never seeming to get into any sort of rhythm.
“He’s got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said in his postgame news conference in Oklahoma City. “He’s going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure. ... OKC did a good job. We’ve got to do a better job.”
Wembanyama did not speak with reporters after the game.
The first halves have told much of the story. In San Antonio's two wins in this series, Wembanyama has gone 7-for-15 and 6-for-11 from the field. In the three losses, his halftime shot numbers — 2-for-4, 2-for-5 and 2-for-6, the last of those what he did in the first two quarters on Tuesday.
Wembanyama offered an impassioned speech to teammates during a timeout barely two minutes into the third quarter, after the Thunder opened an 18-point lead. And it worked — to a point. Oklahoma City scored again to get the lead up to 20, but the Spurs closed within eight later in the third.
It seemed like there was hope. But the Spurs didn't get any closer. The deficit was 10 going into the fourth, the Spurs scored only two points in the first 4:02 of the final quarter, and whatever momentum that seemed like it was building after Wembanyama's timeout speech appeared to be gone.
And on a night in which the Thunder just kept throwing different bodies — Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso and more — along with different looks at Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French star just didn't have enough answers.
“It's a team defense,” Thunder guard Jared McCain said. “We talked about it. We made adjustments to it. We know that when he gets going, their whole team gets going."
Obviously, the Spurs know what's coming from the Thunder on Thursday — more of the same. San Antonio has two days to figure out how to counter.
“I think they sent so many bodies towards him, it’s hard at times,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I think he just wants to make the right play and wants to win. ... He’s our best player. We need him to be aggressive. I feel like him being aggressive opens up shots for other guys.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) makes a basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) vie for a loose ball in the first half of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) moves against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) moves on the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) moves on the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals NBA basketball playoffs series, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
