- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,151,592
- Reaction score
- 59
Solving the Tigers starting pitching puzzle as they return off the IL.
The Tigers offense has spent a lot of this season looking for the kind of game where one big swing was not the entire story. Tuesday night against the Twins, Dillon Dingler made sure Detroit had more than one.
Dingler was the clear headliner in a loud offensive night at Comerica Park, putting together one of the best games of his young career as the Tigers won 10-4 over Minnesota. The catcher homered twice, doubled, singled and drove in four runs, giving Detroit the kind of production from behind the plate that can completely change how the lineup looks.
The game did not exactly start in Detroit’s favor. Byron Buxton opened the night with a leadoff home run, his 19th of the season, giving Minnesota a quick 1-0 lead before Troy Melton had recorded an out. Instead of letting the inning set the tone, the Tigers answered in the bottom half when Dingler launched a solo home run to left, his 15th of the season.
That was the first sign this was going to be a different kind of offensive night for Detroit.
Riley Greene followed with a solo home run in the second inning, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Minnesota came back in the third on Josh Bell’s 200th career home run, but Detroit answered again. Kevin McGonigle walked, Dingler singled him to third, and Greene lifted a sacrifice fly to left to put the Tigers back ahead, 3-2.
That sequence was just as encouraging as the home runs. McGonigle worked his way on base, Dingler kept the inning moving, and Greene did his job with a runner on third. It was not complicated baseball, but it was productive baseball, which is usually the version fans complain about not seeing enough.
The Twins took the lead back in the fifth when Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens hit back-to-back solo homers, giving Minnesota a 4-3 edge. Melton gave up four home runs on the night, but the damage stayed limited because each one came with the bases empty. That gave the Tigers offense enough room to keep swinging back.
And again, Dingler was right in the middle of it.
He opened the bottom of the fifth with a sharp double to center. Kerry Carpenter followed by driving a two-run homer to right field, his ninth of the season, putting Detroit back in front, 5-4. It was the kind of swing Carpenter can provide when he is locked in, but Dingler’s leadoff double created the chance for the inning to flip.
Zach McKinstry tripled to center, Gleyber Torres was hit by a pitch, and after McGonigle struck out, Dingler came up with two runners on against left-hander Taylor Rogers. Dingler jumped on the opportunity and sent his second home run of the night to left field, a three-run shot that pushed Detroit’s lead to 8-4.
At that point, Dingler had already homered, singled, doubled and homered again. For a catcher, that is not a nice little bonus from the bottom half of the lineup. That is a centerpiece performance.
The Tigers added on in the seventh, and this time they did it with patience. Greene walked, Spencer Torkelson walked, and McKinstry worked a walk to load the bases. Torres then singled to left, scoring Greene and Torkelson to stretch the lead to 10-4.
That inning was another positive sign for the offense. Detroit did not need to rely only on the long ball. They took free bases, forced Minnesota to throw strikes, and Torres came through with runners on. Those are the innings that make a lineup look deeper than just waiting for someone to run into a mistake.
Greene had a strong night as well, homering and adding a sacrifice fly. Carpenter supplied the go-ahead swing in the fifth. Torres added two RBIs. McKinstry tripled, walked and scored. Torkelson reached base twice with a single and a walk. But Dingler was the engine.
The most encouraging part of Dingler’s night was not just the two home runs. It was the full offensive profile. He showed power to left, handled different situations and kept producing across multiple trips to the plate. He tied the game in the first, helped set up a run in the third, started the fifth-inning rally and then broke the game open in the sixth.
For Detroit, that kind of night from Dingler changes the feel of the lineup. When he is driving the ball like that, the Tigers are not just getting occasional catcher production. They are getting a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, even if the lineup card does not always list him there.
The Tigers have needed more nights where the offense stacks quality plate appearances instead of waiting for one swing to carry everything. Tuesday was one of those games. Dingler led it, Carpenter and Greene backed it up, and Torres helped finish the job with a two-run single off the glove of Gray.
Tigers go for their third straight series win tomorrow as Framber Valdez looks to get revenge for a poor start against the Twins back in April.
Continue reading...
The Tigers offense has spent a lot of this season looking for the kind of game where one big swing was not the entire story. Tuesday night against the Twins, Dillon Dingler made sure Detroit had more than one.
Dingler was the clear headliner in a loud offensive night at Comerica Park, putting together one of the best games of his young career as the Tigers won 10-4 over Minnesota. The catcher homered twice, doubled, singled and drove in four runs, giving Detroit the kind of production from behind the plate that can completely change how the lineup looks.
The game did not exactly start in Detroit’s favor. Byron Buxton opened the night with a leadoff home run, his 19th of the season, giving Minnesota a quick 1-0 lead before Troy Melton had recorded an out. Instead of letting the inning set the tone, the Tigers answered in the bottom half when Dingler launched a solo home run to left, his 15th of the season.
That was the first sign this was going to be a different kind of offensive night for Detroit.
Riley Greene followed with a solo home run in the second inning, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Minnesota came back in the third on Josh Bell’s 200th career home run, but Detroit answered again. Kevin McGonigle walked, Dingler singled him to third, and Greene lifted a sacrifice fly to left to put the Tigers back ahead, 3-2.
That sequence was just as encouraging as the home runs. McGonigle worked his way on base, Dingler kept the inning moving, and Greene did his job with a runner on third. It was not complicated baseball, but it was productive baseball, which is usually the version fans complain about not seeing enough.
The Twins took the lead back in the fifth when Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens hit back-to-back solo homers, giving Minnesota a 4-3 edge. Melton gave up four home runs on the night, but the damage stayed limited because each one came with the bases empty. That gave the Tigers offense enough room to keep swinging back.
And again, Dingler was right in the middle of it.
He opened the bottom of the fifth with a sharp double to center. Kerry Carpenter followed by driving a two-run homer to right field, his ninth of the season, putting Detroit back in front, 5-4. It was the kind of swing Carpenter can provide when he is locked in, but Dingler’s leadoff double created the chance for the inning to flip.
Zach McKinstry tripled to center, Gleyber Torres was hit by a pitch, and after McGonigle struck out, Dingler came up with two runners on against left-hander Taylor Rogers. Dingler jumped on the opportunity and sent his second home run of the night to left field, a three-run shot that pushed Detroit’s lead to 8-4.
At that point, Dingler had already homered, singled, doubled and homered again. For a catcher, that is not a nice little bonus from the bottom half of the lineup. That is a centerpiece performance.
The Tigers added on in the seventh, and this time they did it with patience. Greene walked, Spencer Torkelson walked, and McKinstry worked a walk to load the bases. Torres then singled to left, scoring Greene and Torkelson to stretch the lead to 10-4.
That inning was another positive sign for the offense. Detroit did not need to rely only on the long ball. They took free bases, forced Minnesota to throw strikes, and Torres came through with runners on. Those are the innings that make a lineup look deeper than just waiting for someone to run into a mistake.
Greene had a strong night as well, homering and adding a sacrifice fly. Carpenter supplied the go-ahead swing in the fifth. Torres added two RBIs. McKinstry tripled, walked and scored. Torkelson reached base twice with a single and a walk. But Dingler was the engine.
The most encouraging part of Dingler’s night was not just the two home runs. It was the full offensive profile. He showed power to left, handled different situations and kept producing across multiple trips to the plate. He tied the game in the first, helped set up a run in the third, started the fifth-inning rally and then broke the game open in the sixth.
For Detroit, that kind of night from Dingler changes the feel of the lineup. When he is driving the ball like that, the Tigers are not just getting occasional catcher production. They are getting a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, even if the lineup card does not always list him there.
The Tigers have needed more nights where the offense stacks quality plate appearances instead of waiting for one swing to carry everything. Tuesday was one of those games. Dingler led it, Carpenter and Greene backed it up, and Torres helped finish the job with a two-run single off the glove of Gray.
Tigers go for their third straight series win tomorrow as Framber Valdez looks to get revenge for a poor start against the Twins back in April.
Continue reading...
