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SEATTLE – The Detroit Tigers leapfrogged the Seattle Mariners in the American League wild-card standings for the second time in three days. That’ll happen with so many teams bunched together as the last third of the season ramps up.
That’ll also happen when a team scores at least eight runs, as the Tigers did Thursday, Aug. 6, in their 11-0 win over the Mariners, and as they have done seven times in their past eight games.
The Tigers improved to 55-58 as they head to San Francisco to play the struggling Giants. They have gotten themselves back into the playoff race with nearly a couple of months of season to go.
SATURDAY'S STARTER: Jackson Jobe gives Detroit Tigers chance to settle starting rotation
Offensively, they were led, once again, by Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle, all while getting a dominant pitching performance from left-hander Framber Valdez.
So, yes, Dingler, and Colt Keith, and Zack McKinstry, and Javier Báez and Riley Greene – all of whom got a hit or got on base or scored (or did all three) Thursday afternoon, and all of whom are a big reason the Tigers have not just been mashing but winning.
And, finally, let’s not forget Kevin McGonigle, who broke the game open in the seventh with a two-run homer and singled and second when Dingler hit his two-run homer in the first inning. The 11 runs Thursday made it 53 runs on this road trip so far, with three games to go.
It starts with Dingler, who has to be considered among the AL MVP hopefuls (after Houston's Yordan Alvarez, who is chasing a Triple Crown). Meanwhile, McGonigle has been one of the best hitters in the AL all season.
JEFF SEIDEL: Tigers prospect Josue Briceño jacking homers again after wrist surgery
Keith, who had two more hits, has been on a heater since early June, and has an OPS in the .920s and a batting average pushing .300 in that span. Then there is Báez, who has been productive since his return from an ankle sprain, July 28, and there is McKinstry, who had a key walk (at the time, anyway) in the seventh and scored on McGonigle’s homer.
And Greene?
He's continuing his All-Star production. He homered in the series opener Tuesday, and doubled and scored in the first inning Thursday.
Manager A.J. Hinch observed in West Sacramento, California, during the Tigers' previous series, that part of Valdez’s struggles this year have stemmed from his lack of early aggression attacking the strike zone: He’d fall behind early and overcompensate, trying to pitch out of holes.
Oh, Hinch didn’t use that exact metaphor, but the point was the same: Valdez was pitching too cautiously. He threw more aggressively against the Athletics last weekend and even more so Thursday against the Mariners.
He used his sinker early and located it well, and once he had that humming, he came in with his curve and slider. Seattle’s hitters struggled to square anything and when they did get the bat on the ball, they couldn’t lift it off the ground.
The Tigers turned three double plays behind Valdez, who only got into trouble in the sixth inning when he gave up a single to Colt Emerson and a single to Randy Arozarena.
With runners on first and second and one out, Valdez struck out Dominic Canzone on four pitches – two sinkers and two curves. Then he got Julio Rodriguez to ground out to third on six pitches after he fell behind, 3-0. Valdez pumped his fist as he walked off the diamond.
He gave up five hits, two walks and didn’t allow a baserunner past second. He threw 95 pitches.
The Tigers head to San Francisco to face the Giants, who are not your father’s Giants, or even your older brother’s Giants. And yet entering Thursday, they’d still won 48 games, which means that if the Tigers aren’t ready – though there is no reason to think they won’t be – they’ll lose.
Thursday's victory moved the Tigers (56-59) within a game of the Texas Rangers in the wild-card race. The Cleveland Guardians, who come to Detroit next week, fell out of a tie with the Rangers for the third wild-card spot with a loss to the Mets on Thursday. That put Cleveland a half game back, with the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins (who also played later Thursday) and Tigers all tied a half game back of the Guardians.
Right-hander Keider Montero gets the start in the opener Friday night (10:15 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) and then fellow righty Jackson Jobe will take the mound for his much-anticipated 2026 debut on Saturday in a nationally televised game on Fox. Right=hander Troy Melton takes the rubber for the series finale on Sunday before the Tigers have Monday off.
Contact Shawn Windsor: [email protected]. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dillon Dingler does it again, Tigers bounce back to boost Framber Valdez vs Mariners
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That’ll also happen when a team scores at least eight runs, as the Tigers did Thursday, Aug. 6, in their 11-0 win over the Mariners, and as they have done seven times in their past eight games.
The Tigers improved to 55-58 as they head to San Francisco to play the struggling Giants. They have gotten themselves back into the playoff race with nearly a couple of months of season to go.
SATURDAY'S STARTER: Jackson Jobe gives Detroit Tigers chance to settle starting rotation
Offensively, they were led, once again, by Dillon Dingler and Kevin McGonigle, all while getting a dominant pitching performance from left-hander Framber Valdez.
At the plate: Another Dingler dinger
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So, yes, Dingler, and Colt Keith, and Zack McKinstry, and Javier Báez and Riley Greene – all of whom got a hit or got on base or scored (or did all three) Thursday afternoon, and all of whom are a big reason the Tigers have not just been mashing but winning.
And, finally, let’s not forget Kevin McGonigle, who broke the game open in the seventh with a two-run homer and singled and second when Dingler hit his two-run homer in the first inning. The 11 runs Thursday made it 53 runs on this road trip so far, with three games to go.
It starts with Dingler, who has to be considered among the AL MVP hopefuls (after Houston's Yordan Alvarez, who is chasing a Triple Crown). Meanwhile, McGonigle has been one of the best hitters in the AL all season.
JEFF SEIDEL: Tigers prospect Josue Briceño jacking homers again after wrist surgery
Keith, who had two more hits, has been on a heater since early June, and has an OPS in the .920s and a batting average pushing .300 in that span. Then there is Báez, who has been productive since his return from an ankle sprain, July 28, and there is McKinstry, who had a key walk (at the time, anyway) in the seventh and scored on McGonigle’s homer.
And Greene?
He's continuing his All-Star production. He homered in the series opener Tuesday, and doubled and scored in the first inning Thursday.
On the mound: Framber Valdez gets aggressive
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Manager A.J. Hinch observed in West Sacramento, California, during the Tigers' previous series, that part of Valdez’s struggles this year have stemmed from his lack of early aggression attacking the strike zone: He’d fall behind early and overcompensate, trying to pitch out of holes.
Oh, Hinch didn’t use that exact metaphor, but the point was the same: Valdez was pitching too cautiously. He threw more aggressively against the Athletics last weekend and even more so Thursday against the Mariners.
He used his sinker early and located it well, and once he had that humming, he came in with his curve and slider. Seattle’s hitters struggled to square anything and when they did get the bat on the ball, they couldn’t lift it off the ground.
The Tigers turned three double plays behind Valdez, who only got into trouble in the sixth inning when he gave up a single to Colt Emerson and a single to Randy Arozarena.
You must be registered for see images
With runners on first and second and one out, Valdez struck out Dominic Canzone on four pitches – two sinkers and two curves. Then he got Julio Rodriguez to ground out to third on six pitches after he fell behind, 3-0. Valdez pumped his fist as he walked off the diamond.
He gave up five hits, two walks and didn’t allow a baserunner past second. He threw 95 pitches.
Next up: Giant finish
The Tigers head to San Francisco to face the Giants, who are not your father’s Giants, or even your older brother’s Giants. And yet entering Thursday, they’d still won 48 games, which means that if the Tigers aren’t ready – though there is no reason to think they won’t be – they’ll lose.
Thursday's victory moved the Tigers (56-59) within a game of the Texas Rangers in the wild-card race. The Cleveland Guardians, who come to Detroit next week, fell out of a tie with the Rangers for the third wild-card spot with a loss to the Mets on Thursday. That put Cleveland a half game back, with the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins (who also played later Thursday) and Tigers all tied a half game back of the Guardians.
Right-hander Keider Montero gets the start in the opener Friday night (10:15 p.m., Detroit SportsNet) and then fellow righty Jackson Jobe will take the mound for his much-anticipated 2026 debut on Saturday in a nationally televised game on Fox. Right=hander Troy Melton takes the rubber for the series finale on Sunday before the Tigers have Monday off.
Contact Shawn Windsor: [email protected]. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dillon Dingler does it again, Tigers bounce back to boost Framber Valdez vs Mariners
Continue reading...
