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ST. LOUIS – Kerry Carpenter started the game with a blast darn near to the Mississippi. Riley Greene ended it with a blast that rolled to the right-center wall, a double that drove in Zach McKinstry and broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth inning.
Tommy Kahnle finished off the St. Louis Cardinals, setting down the order 1-2-3 to give the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 win the hard way. But then the Cardinals had won 13 of their last 15 games entering Tuesday's game and have one of the best offenses in baseball.
So, when Carpenter and McKinstry and Greene helped give Tarik Skubal a 4-0 lead after three innings – Greene hit a two-run homer along with his double – the Tigers figured to be on their way to evening the series after getting blown out 11-4 in the opener.
Skubal had dominant stuff at times but wasn’t dominant overall. Despite a couple of errors, the defense made critical plays, including a diving stop from Trey Sweeney at shortstop to save a run and then this:
After the Cardinals tied it in the seventh inning, they put runners on first and second in the eighth with two outs. Will Vest was pitching. Pedro Pages ripped a line drive to right center. The ball trailed away from Javier Báez.
A good jump and quick feet got him there, though, and he made the catch, saving the game.
FUN STORY: Comedian John Oliver to help rename Detroit Tigers' minor-league affiliate
Skubal was called for the first balk of his major league career Tuesday. He appeared to move his arm after he was set. The call moved Masyn Winn from first to second with one out in the bottom of the sixth and the Tigers leading 4-2.
The next batter, Willson Contreras, grounded to first allowing Winn to take third. With two outs and facing his last batter, Skubal got ahead of Ivan Herrera 1-2 on a changeup and two sinkers, one at 99 mph and one 100 mph. Herrera took both pitches.
Skubal followed with a 98-mph four-seamer that stayed up in the zone. Herrera, who’d muscled one of Skubal to start the bottom of the fifth inning, did it again, pushing one into right field to drive Winn home.
That was the end of Skubal’s outing. He couldn’t quite finish six innings. He allowed three runs on five hits and while he tossed some filthy sinkers, including the 100 mph one to Herrera, and struck out eight, he wasn’t quite as sharp as he’s been – by his standards.
The balk cost him a run. So did hanging a first-pitch slider to Nolan Arenado in the fifth. Arenado lofted it over the left field fence for a two-run homer – Herrera had singled to start the inning.
Tomas Nido helped save the bullpen by throwing 40-mph curveballs and got sent packing the next day to make room for Jake Rogers. That’s the business. And Hinch was grateful for Nido’s last six weeks.
“When he got up here, he continued to contribute to winning,” said Hinch.
No need to star, just make the plays. Like Akil Badoo did in the first inning, after Carpenter and Greene spotted Detroit a 2-0 lead, when he chased down a tailing screamer in left field off the bat of Winn.
If it drops, St. Louis has a man on second with one out and here come the Cardinals, unbothered by the best pitcher in the American League. But Badoo made the play and Skubal sailed through the inning.
Now it’s Rogers turn to contribute. He was out with an oblique strain for the last six weeks. That his return coincided with Skubal’s start wasn’t a coincidence.
“What a treat,” Skubal texted Rogers when he found out Rogers was returning.
Rogers will need to hit at some point and did a little during his rehab time in Toledo. But his most critical assignment is to catch Skubal and help the Cy Young winner frame pitches.
Contact Shawn Windsor: [email protected]. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers score: Riley Greene's huge day leads to win vs Cardinals
Continue reading...
Tommy Kahnle finished off the St. Louis Cardinals, setting down the order 1-2-3 to give the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 win the hard way. But then the Cardinals had won 13 of their last 15 games entering Tuesday's game and have one of the best offenses in baseball.
So, when Carpenter and McKinstry and Greene helped give Tarik Skubal a 4-0 lead after three innings – Greene hit a two-run homer along with his double – the Tigers figured to be on their way to evening the series after getting blown out 11-4 in the opener.
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Skubal had dominant stuff at times but wasn’t dominant overall. Despite a couple of errors, the defense made critical plays, including a diving stop from Trey Sweeney at shortstop to save a run and then this:
After the Cardinals tied it in the seventh inning, they put runners on first and second in the eighth with two outs. Will Vest was pitching. Pedro Pages ripped a line drive to right center. The ball trailed away from Javier Báez.
A good jump and quick feet got him there, though, and he made the catch, saving the game.
FUN STORY: Comedian John Oliver to help rename Detroit Tigers' minor-league affiliate
Tarik Skubal's balk
Skubal was called for the first balk of his major league career Tuesday. He appeared to move his arm after he was set. The call moved Masyn Winn from first to second with one out in the bottom of the sixth and the Tigers leading 4-2.
The next batter, Willson Contreras, grounded to first allowing Winn to take third. With two outs and facing his last batter, Skubal got ahead of Ivan Herrera 1-2 on a changeup and two sinkers, one at 99 mph and one 100 mph. Herrera took both pitches.
Skubal followed with a 98-mph four-seamer that stayed up in the zone. Herrera, who’d muscled one of Skubal to start the bottom of the fifth inning, did it again, pushing one into right field to drive Winn home.
That was the end of Skubal’s outing. He couldn’t quite finish six innings. He allowed three runs on five hits and while he tossed some filthy sinkers, including the 100 mph one to Herrera, and struck out eight, he wasn’t quite as sharp as he’s been – by his standards.
The balk cost him a run. So did hanging a first-pitch slider to Nolan Arenado in the fifth. Arenado lofted it over the left field fence for a two-run homer – Herrera had singled to start the inning.
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Tomas Nido helped save the bullpen by throwing 40-mph curveballs and got sent packing the next day to make room for Jake Rogers. That’s the business. And Hinch was grateful for Nido’s last six weeks.
“When he got up here, he continued to contribute to winning,” said Hinch.
No need to star, just make the plays. Like Akil Badoo did in the first inning, after Carpenter and Greene spotted Detroit a 2-0 lead, when he chased down a tailing screamer in left field off the bat of Winn.
If it drops, St. Louis has a man on second with one out and here come the Cardinals, unbothered by the best pitcher in the American League. But Badoo made the play and Skubal sailed through the inning.
Now it’s Rogers turn to contribute. He was out with an oblique strain for the last six weeks. That his return coincided with Skubal’s start wasn’t a coincidence.
“What a treat,” Skubal texted Rogers when he found out Rogers was returning.
Rogers will need to hit at some point and did a little during his rehab time in Toledo. But his most critical assignment is to catch Skubal and help the Cy Young winner frame pitches.
Contact Shawn Windsor: [email protected]. Follow him @shawnwindsor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers score: Riley Greene's huge day leads to win vs Cardinals
Continue reading...
