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PHOENIX – Everything was going great for the Detroit Tigers.
They took a comfortable 5-1 lead into the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, March 31.
But then everything unraveled. The Tigers bullpen couldn't hold the lead and the Diamondbacks stunned the Tigers with a dramatic, 7-5 come-from-behind victory at Chase Field.
It all started with Tigers pitcher Will Vest on the mound, facing the top of Arizona's order. The truly dangerous part.
SHUFFLING BATS: Colt Keith, Kevin McGonigle move up in Detroit Tigers batting order
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs.
Corbin Carroll doubled off the wall in right, driving in a pair of runs. Vest walked Geraldo Perdomo to load the bases again. Gabriel Moreno hit a grounder to third. Zack McKinstry fielded the ball, touched third and tried to throw home, but a run scored, making it 5-4.
Hinch turned to Kenley Jansen, who has 477 career saves, fourth-most in MLB history.
But Diamondbacks 22-year-old prospect Jose Fernandez, in his MLB debut, crushed a 3-run home run – his second homer of the night – to give Arizona a 7-5 lead.
MORE MOUND WOES: Brutal start leaves Justin Verlander, Tigers searching for answers
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch wanted to change things, hoping to try to spark the Tigers offense.
So, Hinch shuffled the Tigers batting order.
Hinch moved Colt Keith to the top of the batting order and slotted rookie Kevin McGonigle into the No. 2 spot.
“I'm not going to change my approach at all,” Keith said before the game. “Just go up there. Have to try to have the same at-bats have been having. Just keep seeing the ball well.”
In the third inning, that's exactly what he did – Keith had a hit and scored a run.
And McGonigle responded with a hit, RBI and scored a run.
"I don't think it matters where I hit Kevin,” Hinch said. “I wanted to get his feet on the ground before I moved him up a little bit. That may change or he may be up there the rest of his career. I have no idea.”
Hinch told McGonigle about the batting order change on Monday night, sending him a text. Said McGonigle: "He just let me know, 'Don't change what you're doing. Just keep the same approach.'"
By moving those two players up, it created a ripple effect throughout the lineup. Hinch moved Kerry Carpenter from leadoff down to the No. 5 spot.
“I wanted to ease off Kerry a little bit,” Hinch said.
Carpenter had been struggling, chasing pitches out of the zone in a .063 stretch, and Hinch wanted to give him a break. “He seems to be swinging more and more, which is out of his norm," Hinch said. "I mean, he can be a little bit more disciplined. I'll get him back at the top at some point.”
Carpenter responded with an RBI.
Tigers right-hander Casey Mize got the start, his first of the season, and he was brilliant.
Mize gave up just one run off four hits over six innings, striking out nine with a walk.
He breezed through the first inning with just nine pitches, seven of them strikes.
But the Diamondbacks had a tremendous scoring opportunity in the second inning, when Moreno hit a double to lead off the second inning, jacking a ball high off the centerfield fence.
Then, Fernandez hit a slow roller to third, which Keith fielded after a brief hesitation, and he couldn’t throw him out. That put runners on first and second with one out.
It got truly hairy when Mize walked former Tigers catcher James McCann. After Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter made a mound visit, Mize struck out Jordan Lawlar to end the threat.
Mize was aggressive, racking up strikeouts until Jose Fernandez, in just his second career at bat, blasted a homer in the fourth inning.
But the solo shot didn’t do much damage.
One of the underlying factors in this game was the Tigers' aggressive base running.
Parker Meadows had an infield hit. Then, Jake Rogers hit a double to center field and Meadows scored from first base.
Hinch has instilled aggressive baserunning for so long, that Meadows didn’t even break stride.
Keith singled to right, keeping the rally going. Then, McGonigle hit a slow ground ball to first. Rogers, who was at third, took off for home and didn’t hesitate. Yes, more aggressive baserunning.
Arizona first baseman Carlos Santana didn’t have a play anywhere, as Rogers scored and McGonigle was safe at first, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
“It doesn't really matter what spot I am in the lineup” McGonigle said. “I'm just gonna keep the same approach and, you know, battle my butt off up there”
Then, Riley Greene got into the act, hammering a double, that drove in Keith and McGonigle.
“Let’s go, Tigers!” a loud group of Tigers fans chanted.
Carpenter fired a single into right field, and the Tigers were aggressive again. Greene scored from second, as the Tigers had a 5-0 lead.
Next up for the Tigers
The Tigers conclude this three-game series Wednesday (3:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) with ace left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound before returning to Detroit for Friday's home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals in Comerica Park.
Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers bullpen implodes in 7-5 loss to Arizona Diamondbacks
Continue reading...
They took a comfortable 5-1 lead into the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, March 31.
But then everything unraveled. The Tigers bullpen couldn't hold the lead and the Diamondbacks stunned the Tigers with a dramatic, 7-5 come-from-behind victory at Chase Field.
It all started with Tigers pitcher Will Vest on the mound, facing the top of Arizona's order. The truly dangerous part.
SHUFFLING BATS: Colt Keith, Kevin McGonigle move up in Detroit Tigers batting order
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs.
Corbin Carroll doubled off the wall in right, driving in a pair of runs. Vest walked Geraldo Perdomo to load the bases again. Gabriel Moreno hit a grounder to third. Zack McKinstry fielded the ball, touched third and tried to throw home, but a run scored, making it 5-4.
Hinch turned to Kenley Jansen, who has 477 career saves, fourth-most in MLB history.
But Diamondbacks 22-year-old prospect Jose Fernandez, in his MLB debut, crushed a 3-run home run – his second homer of the night – to give Arizona a 7-5 lead.
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MORE MOUND WOES: Brutal start leaves Justin Verlander, Tigers searching for answers
Changing things up
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch wanted to change things, hoping to try to spark the Tigers offense.
So, Hinch shuffled the Tigers batting order.
Hinch moved Colt Keith to the top of the batting order and slotted rookie Kevin McGonigle into the No. 2 spot.
“I'm not going to change my approach at all,” Keith said before the game. “Just go up there. Have to try to have the same at-bats have been having. Just keep seeing the ball well.”
You must be registered for see images
In the third inning, that's exactly what he did – Keith had a hit and scored a run.
And McGonigle responded with a hit, RBI and scored a run.
"I don't think it matters where I hit Kevin,” Hinch said. “I wanted to get his feet on the ground before I moved him up a little bit. That may change or he may be up there the rest of his career. I have no idea.”
Hinch told McGonigle about the batting order change on Monday night, sending him a text. Said McGonigle: "He just let me know, 'Don't change what you're doing. Just keep the same approach.'"
By moving those two players up, it created a ripple effect throughout the lineup. Hinch moved Kerry Carpenter from leadoff down to the No. 5 spot.
“I wanted to ease off Kerry a little bit,” Hinch said.
Carpenter had been struggling, chasing pitches out of the zone in a .063 stretch, and Hinch wanted to give him a break. “He seems to be swinging more and more, which is out of his norm," Hinch said. "I mean, he can be a little bit more disciplined. I'll get him back at the top at some point.”
Carpenter responded with an RBI.
Great performance by Mize
You must be registered for see images attach
Tigers right-hander Casey Mize got the start, his first of the season, and he was brilliant.
Mize gave up just one run off four hits over six innings, striking out nine with a walk.
He breezed through the first inning with just nine pitches, seven of them strikes.
But the Diamondbacks had a tremendous scoring opportunity in the second inning, when Moreno hit a double to lead off the second inning, jacking a ball high off the centerfield fence.
Then, Fernandez hit a slow roller to third, which Keith fielded after a brief hesitation, and he couldn’t throw him out. That put runners on first and second with one out.
It got truly hairy when Mize walked former Tigers catcher James McCann. After Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter made a mound visit, Mize struck out Jordan Lawlar to end the threat.
Mize was aggressive, racking up strikeouts until Jose Fernandez, in just his second career at bat, blasted a homer in the fourth inning.
But the solo shot didn’t do much damage.
Be aggressive. Be, be, aggressive
You must be registered for see images
One of the underlying factors in this game was the Tigers' aggressive base running.
Parker Meadows had an infield hit. Then, Jake Rogers hit a double to center field and Meadows scored from first base.
Hinch has instilled aggressive baserunning for so long, that Meadows didn’t even break stride.
Keith singled to right, keeping the rally going. Then, McGonigle hit a slow ground ball to first. Rogers, who was at third, took off for home and didn’t hesitate. Yes, more aggressive baserunning.
Arizona first baseman Carlos Santana didn’t have a play anywhere, as Rogers scored and McGonigle was safe at first, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
“It doesn't really matter what spot I am in the lineup” McGonigle said. “I'm just gonna keep the same approach and, you know, battle my butt off up there”
Then, Riley Greene got into the act, hammering a double, that drove in Keith and McGonigle.
“Let’s go, Tigers!” a loud group of Tigers fans chanted.
Carpenter fired a single into right field, and the Tigers were aggressive again. Greene scored from second, as the Tigers had a 5-0 lead.
Next up for the Tigers
The Tigers conclude this three-game series Wednesday (3:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) with ace left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound before returning to Detroit for Friday's home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals in Comerica Park.
Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers bullpen implodes in 7-5 loss to Arizona Diamondbacks
Continue reading...
