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Detroit – Most of the drama for the first five innings Friday night was atmospheric.
Rain clouds gradually creeped through the area in the fourth and fifth innings, scattering the fans but not stopping play.
But in the bottom of the sixth, it was the Tigers’ offense -- sparked again by rookie Eduardo Valencia – that provided all the entertainment the festive crowd of 34,084 at Comerica Park could want.
The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run assault and went on to enjoy a 10-2 romp over the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night.
That’s six straight wins for the Tigers (44-50), nine of 10 and they have the best record in baseball since June 1 (22-12).
The Tigers had been stymied, but for one swing, by Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola for five innings. But they got after lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
Walks to Riley Greene and pinch-hitter Matt Vierling set the table for Valencia. He had been punched-out twice by Nola, but he lashed a single to left-center to break the tie.
Zach McKinstry followed with a well-executed safety squeeze bunt to score Vierling.
James Outman then blistered a ball to the gap in right-center, a two-run triple. Then, to cap it all, he trotted home after Mayza balked.
There was more thunder in the seventh. Against right-hander reliever Max Lazar, Colt Keith launched his eighth homer, a 415-footer deep into the seats in right-center. After Greene drew another walk, Spencer Torkelson lined his 16th homer over the wall in left-center.
The Tigers have hit an MLB-most 63 homers in 34 games since June 1.
Kevin McGonigle, the Philadelphia kid, started the scoring for the Tigers in the third inning. He clubbed a 92-mph sinker from Nola, sending it 414 feet over the left-center field fence. The oppo-blast was his eighth and it gave the Tigers a short-lived 2-1 lead.
McGonigle, along with Greene, Dillon Dingler and Justin Verlander, will be in Philadelphia for the All-Star festivities next week.
That ended up being the only damage the Tigers could muster against Nola, who came in with a 5.87 ERA and career-worst numbers across the board.
But he pitched backwards against the Tigers. Meaning he leaned into his secondary pitches more than his fastball. He got the Tigers to chase both his knuckle-curve (six whiffs on 12 swings) and changeup (five whiffs, nine swings).
He finished with eight strikeouts in five innings.
Tigers starter Jack Flaherty wasn’t as efficient as Nola, but he was just as effective, posting another quality start, allowing two runs and just two hits in six innings.
Both hits and both runs came from former Tiger Derek Hill. A late entry into the starting lineup after Justin Crawford was scratched (left knee soreness), Hill blasted a 427-foot homer in the third inning and poked an RBI single in the fourth after Flahtery had loaded the bases with two walks and a hit-batsman.
An outstanding pick on a ground ball headed into right field by second baseman McKinstry ended that fourth inning.
Flaherty also got some sturdy defensive work from Greene in left. He took a hit away from Trea Turner with a sliding catch in the rain in the fifth and took a double away from Alec Bohm in the six, getting a quick jump on a ball hit in the left-center gap, making a backhanded catch on the run at the wall.
This will be updated…
[email protected]
@cmccosky
BOX SCORE: Tigers vs. Phillies
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers stay hot, rout Phillies 10-2 for sixth consecutive win
Continue reading...
Rain clouds gradually creeped through the area in the fourth and fifth innings, scattering the fans but not stopping play.
But in the bottom of the sixth, it was the Tigers’ offense -- sparked again by rookie Eduardo Valencia – that provided all the entertainment the festive crowd of 34,084 at Comerica Park could want.
The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run assault and went on to enjoy a 10-2 romp over the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night.
That’s six straight wins for the Tigers (44-50), nine of 10 and they have the best record in baseball since June 1 (22-12).
The Tigers had been stymied, but for one swing, by Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola for five innings. But they got after lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
Walks to Riley Greene and pinch-hitter Matt Vierling set the table for Valencia. He had been punched-out twice by Nola, but he lashed a single to left-center to break the tie.
Zach McKinstry followed with a well-executed safety squeeze bunt to score Vierling.
James Outman then blistered a ball to the gap in right-center, a two-run triple. Then, to cap it all, he trotted home after Mayza balked.
There was more thunder in the seventh. Against right-hander reliever Max Lazar, Colt Keith launched his eighth homer, a 415-footer deep into the seats in right-center. After Greene drew another walk, Spencer Torkelson lined his 16th homer over the wall in left-center.
The Tigers have hit an MLB-most 63 homers in 34 games since June 1.
Kevin McGonigle, the Philadelphia kid, started the scoring for the Tigers in the third inning. He clubbed a 92-mph sinker from Nola, sending it 414 feet over the left-center field fence. The oppo-blast was his eighth and it gave the Tigers a short-lived 2-1 lead.
McGonigle, along with Greene, Dillon Dingler and Justin Verlander, will be in Philadelphia for the All-Star festivities next week.
That ended up being the only damage the Tigers could muster against Nola, who came in with a 5.87 ERA and career-worst numbers across the board.
But he pitched backwards against the Tigers. Meaning he leaned into his secondary pitches more than his fastball. He got the Tigers to chase both his knuckle-curve (six whiffs on 12 swings) and changeup (five whiffs, nine swings).
He finished with eight strikeouts in five innings.
Tigers starter Jack Flaherty wasn’t as efficient as Nola, but he was just as effective, posting another quality start, allowing two runs and just two hits in six innings.
Both hits and both runs came from former Tiger Derek Hill. A late entry into the starting lineup after Justin Crawford was scratched (left knee soreness), Hill blasted a 427-foot homer in the third inning and poked an RBI single in the fourth after Flahtery had loaded the bases with two walks and a hit-batsman.
An outstanding pick on a ground ball headed into right field by second baseman McKinstry ended that fourth inning.
Flaherty also got some sturdy defensive work from Greene in left. He took a hit away from Trea Turner with a sliding catch in the rain in the fifth and took a double away from Alec Bohm in the six, getting a quick jump on a ball hit in the left-center gap, making a backhanded catch on the run at the wall.
This will be updated…
[email protected]
@cmccosky
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BOX SCORE: Tigers vs. Phillies
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers stay hot, rout Phillies 10-2 for sixth consecutive win
Continue reading...
