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The Detroit Tigers sold at the trade deadline, but they certainly are not playing like a team ready to fade quietly into the final two months of the season.
Detroit jumped on Seattle early, received seven shutout innings from Framber Valdez and rolled to an 11-0 victory over the Mariners on Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Park. The win gave the Tigers another road series victory and improved them to 5-1 through the first six games of their nine-game West Coast trip.
More importantly, Detroit is suddenly right back in the American League wild-card conversation.
The Tigers improved to 56-59 and sit just one game behind the Texas Rangers for the final AL wild-card position. Detroit has also won six consecutive road series for the first time since 1988. The Tigers have scored at least eight runs in each of their five victories on the trip.
Detroit wasted no time against Mariners starter Bryce Miller.
Kevin McGonigle opened the game with a walk before Dillon Dingler launched his 26th home run of the season to center field, giving the Tigers a 2-0 advantage just three batters into the afternoon.
Riley Greene followed with a ground-rule double and Colt Keith drove him home with another double, pushing the lead to 3-0 before the Mariners had recorded their second out.
It was especially notable considering Miller's history against Detroit. Before Thursday, he had not allowed a run to the Tigers in 25 regular-season innings across four starts. Detroit forced him to throw 40 pitches in the first inning alone.
Dingler struck again in the second.
McGonigle singled, advanced to second on a groundout and scored when Dingler shot an RBI single into right field to make it 4-0.
That was more than enough support for Valdez.
With Skubal and Mize no longer in the rotation, Valdez becomes even more important to the Tigers down the stretch, and Thursday was exactly the type of outing Detroit needed.
Valdez worked seven scoreless innings while allowing four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He needed only 95 pitches, 60 of them strikes. Seattle did not put a runner into scoring position until the sixth inning. When the Mariners did put runners aboard, Detroit's defense erased them.
The Tigers turned four double plays, including one in the second, fourth, seventh and eighth innings. Javier Báez was involved in three of them as Detroit continually prevented Seattle from building any sustained offensive momentum.Kyle Finnegan worked a scoreless eighth and Brenan Hanifee finished the shutout in the ninth.
Detroit essentially put the game away in the seventh.
After Zach McKinstry drew a one-out walk, McGonigle drove a Cole Wilcox pitch over the center-field wall for his 12th home run, extending the Tigers' advantage to 6-0.
Gleyber Torres followed with a single before Dingler collected his third hit of the game, an RBI single to right that scored Torres. Keith later singled home Dingler to make it 8-0.
McGonigle finished 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and three runs scored.
Dingler went 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBI.
Keith also finished with three hits and two RBI as Detroit continued an offensive surge that has completely changed the complexion of its road trip.
And the Tigers still weren't finished.
The Tigers scored three more times in the ninth.
James Outman, Keith and Spencer Torkelson opened the inning with consecutive singles before Max Clark singled home Outman for Detroit's ninth run.
Báez then singled through the left side to bring home Keith and Torkelson, making it 11-0. Detroit finished with 17 hits.
The lineup received production throughout the order, and even the Tigers' reserves contributed. Ben Malgeri singled after entering the game, Outman had a hit off the bench and Clark picked up an RBI single in his final plate appearance.
It was another example of what has suddenly become an explosive Tigers offense.
Detroit entered the day still below .500, but its plus-80 run differential is nearly identical to the Yankees' plus-81 despite New York sitting eight games above .500. MLB's expected win-loss calculation has Detroit at 66-49, illustrating just how unusual the Tigers' season has been.
Now comes the question of whether Detroit can finally convert that run differential into actual wins over a sustained stretch.
So far on this trip, the answer has been yes.
After everything that has happened over the last week, including the trades of Skubal and Mize, the Tigers could have easily allowed the season to get away from them. Instead, they are playing some of their best baseball of the year.
Dingler set the tone immediately with his two-run home run in the first inning and never stopped producing.
He finished 3-for-6 with his 26th homer and four RBI, adding RBI singles in the second and seventh innings. His first-inning blast completely changed the feel of the game against a pitcher who had dominated Detroit throughout his career.
Seven innings, four hits, no runs.
With the Tigers reshaping their rotation following the deadline, Valdez delivered exactly what Detroit needed. Seattle rarely threatened him, and the veteran left-hander efficiently worked through seven innings on 95 pitches.
The Tigers gave him an early lead, and Valdez made sure Seattle never had a chance to get back into the game.
McGonigle continues to look comfortable setting the table at the top of the Tigers lineup.
He reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and two RBI. His two-run homer in the seventh was the blow that turned a comfortable 4-0 lead into the beginning of an 11-0 rout.
Starters for the series in San Francisco:
Friday: RHP Keider Montero vs TBD 10:15PM
Saturday: RHP Jackson Jobe vs RHP Landen Roupp 7:15pm
Sunday: RHP Troy Melton vs RHP Logan Webb 4:05pm
Follow me on "X" @therogcast
Continue reading...
Detroit jumped on Seattle early, received seven shutout innings from Framber Valdez and rolled to an 11-0 victory over the Mariners on Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Park. The win gave the Tigers another road series victory and improved them to 5-1 through the first six games of their nine-game West Coast trip.
More importantly, Detroit is suddenly right back in the American League wild-card conversation.
The Tigers improved to 56-59 and sit just one game behind the Texas Rangers for the final AL wild-card position. Detroit has also won six consecutive road series for the first time since 1988. The Tigers have scored at least eight runs in each of their five victories on the trip.
Dingler gets Detroit started
Detroit wasted no time against Mariners starter Bryce Miller.
Kevin McGonigle opened the game with a walk before Dillon Dingler launched his 26th home run of the season to center field, giving the Tigers a 2-0 advantage just three batters into the afternoon.
Riley Greene followed with a ground-rule double and Colt Keith drove him home with another double, pushing the lead to 3-0 before the Mariners had recorded their second out.
It was especially notable considering Miller's history against Detroit. Before Thursday, he had not allowed a run to the Tigers in 25 regular-season innings across four starts. Detroit forced him to throw 40 pitches in the first inning alone.
Dingler struck again in the second.
McGonigle singled, advanced to second on a groundout and scored when Dingler shot an RBI single into right field to make it 4-0.
That was more than enough support for Valdez.
Valdez controls Seattle
With Skubal and Mize no longer in the rotation, Valdez becomes even more important to the Tigers down the stretch, and Thursday was exactly the type of outing Detroit needed.
Valdez worked seven scoreless innings while allowing four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. He needed only 95 pitches, 60 of them strikes. Seattle did not put a runner into scoring position until the sixth inning. When the Mariners did put runners aboard, Detroit's defense erased them.
The Tigers turned four double plays, including one in the second, fourth, seventh and eighth innings. Javier Báez was involved in three of them as Detroit continually prevented Seattle from building any sustained offensive momentum.Kyle Finnegan worked a scoreless eighth and Brenan Hanifee finished the shutout in the ninth.
McGonigle helps break it open
Detroit essentially put the game away in the seventh.
After Zach McKinstry drew a one-out walk, McGonigle drove a Cole Wilcox pitch over the center-field wall for his 12th home run, extending the Tigers' advantage to 6-0.
Gleyber Torres followed with a single before Dingler collected his third hit of the game, an RBI single to right that scored Torres. Keith later singled home Dingler to make it 8-0.
McGonigle finished 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and three runs scored.
Dingler went 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBI.
Keith also finished with three hits and two RBI as Detroit continued an offensive surge that has completely changed the complexion of its road trip.
And the Tigers still weren't finished.
Detroit pours it on
The Tigers scored three more times in the ninth.
James Outman, Keith and Spencer Torkelson opened the inning with consecutive singles before Max Clark singled home Outman for Detroit's ninth run.
Báez then singled through the left side to bring home Keith and Torkelson, making it 11-0. Detroit finished with 17 hits.
The lineup received production throughout the order, and even the Tigers' reserves contributed. Ben Malgeri singled after entering the game, Outman had a hit off the bench and Clark picked up an RBI single in his final plate appearance.
It was another example of what has suddenly become an explosive Tigers offense.
Detroit entered the day still below .500, but its plus-80 run differential is nearly identical to the Yankees' plus-81 despite New York sitting eight games above .500. MLB's expected win-loss calculation has Detroit at 66-49, illustrating just how unusual the Tigers' season has been.
Now comes the question of whether Detroit can finally convert that run differential into actual wins over a sustained stretch.
So far on this trip, the answer has been yes.
After everything that has happened over the last week, including the trades of Skubal and Mize, the Tigers could have easily allowed the season to get away from them. Instead, they are playing some of their best baseball of the year.
Three Stars
First Star: Dillon Dingler
Dingler set the tone immediately with his two-run home run in the first inning and never stopped producing.
He finished 3-for-6 with his 26th homer and four RBI, adding RBI singles in the second and seventh innings. His first-inning blast completely changed the feel of the game against a pitcher who had dominated Detroit throughout his career.
Second Star: Framber Valdez
Seven innings, four hits, no runs.
With the Tigers reshaping their rotation following the deadline, Valdez delivered exactly what Detroit needed. Seattle rarely threatened him, and the veteran left-hander efficiently worked through seven innings on 95 pitches.
The Tigers gave him an early lead, and Valdez made sure Seattle never had a chance to get back into the game.
Third Star: Kevin McGonigle
McGonigle continues to look comfortable setting the table at the top of the Tigers lineup.
He reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and two RBI. His two-run homer in the seventh was the blow that turned a comfortable 4-0 lead into the beginning of an 11-0 rout.
Starters for the series in San Francisco:
Friday: RHP Keider Montero vs TBD 10:15PM
Saturday: RHP Jackson Jobe vs RHP Landen Roupp 7:15pm
Sunday: RHP Troy Melton vs RHP Logan Webb 4:05pm
Follow me on "X" @therogcast
Continue reading...
