Emmanuel De Jesus Shines: Perfect Pitching Leads Detroit Tigers to Victory in 2026 MLB

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[MyDaily — Reporter Shim Hye-jin] Left-hander Emanuel De Jesus, 29, of the Detroit Tigers — who returned to the majors after a stint in the KBO — recorded his second win of the season with a flawless relief appearance.

On May 11 (Korean time), De Jesus came on in relief at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and threw 2⅓ perfect innings, striking out one and allowing no runs.

He entered as Detroit’s fourth pitcher in the bottom of the fifth with the score tied 3-3. Drew Anderson, who had earlier pitched in the KBO for the SSG Landers, had given up three runs after entering in the third, which left the game deadlocked.

De Jesus retired the first batter, Vinny Pasquantino, on an 84.4-mph cutter that produced a groundout to first. He then induced a flyout to center from Isaac Collins and a grounder to second from Carter Jensen to complete a 1-2-3 inning.

He was sharp again in the sixth. With Detroit taking a 5-3 lead, De Jesus retired the side on two flyouts and a groundout. In the seventh, with the lead extended to 6-3, he struck out the first batter, Lane Thomas, on a 94.2-mph four-seam fastball. That ended his outing; Kyle Finnegan came in to relieve him.

Detroit held the three-run lead the rest of the way and secured the win, with De Jesus earning the victory.

In 2024, De Jesus pitched for Kiwoom in the KBO, going 13-11 with a 3.68 ERA over 30 starts and 171⅓ innings. He used that performance to move to KT in 2025, where he went 9-9 with one hold and a 3.96 ERA across 32 appearances and 163⅔ innings. While the aggregate numbers were similar year to year, he showed extreme swings between the first and second halves, and KT declined to re-sign him.

He then returned to the U.S. and signed a minor-league contract with Detroit.

Before the season, De Jesus made Venezuela’s WBC roster and was a difference-maker in the tournament. He notably struck out Shohei Ohtani in the game against Japan and helped Venezuela win the title.

Still, he struggled during the regular season and was optioned to the minors. After being recalled on April 30, De Jesus recorded his second win of the season on this outing — his first since beating San Diego on March 29, ending a nine-game gap.

De Jesus has shown signs of a turnaround in May, posting a 1.50 ERA across four appearances.

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