With the “rivalry weekend” series against the Blue Jays tied 1-1, the Tigers took on Toronto with the series win on the line. Even though Detroit leads the league in wins, the hard-charging Minnesota Twins have won 13 in a row to surge to four games back of the Tigers, meaning every game is important right now.
José Berríos led off the game for the Blue Jays. He got bombed in his last outing against the Tampa Bay Rays, so you knew he was hoping to shake that off. Spoilers: he did not. Kerry Carpenter greeted him with a single. Gleyber Torres flew out but Zach McKinstry singled. Riley Greene struck out and a great chance looked like it could be wasted, but the resurgent Spencer Torkelson would not be denied. He smoked a double to deep right center, nearly homering, but driving in two. Trey Sweeney grounded out but the Tigers had put up a crooked number to start the game.
Jackson Jobe, himself coming off of a solid outing against the Red Sox, also had issues. The first two batters easily reached with singles. With things looking a bit upsetting, Dalton Varsho hit a deep fly to left field that Akil Baddoo made a leaping snag up the wall to steal extra bases. On the very next batter, a sinking liner to left is caught by a sliding Baddoo, who springs to his feet, throws to second, and doubles off the runner to end the inning. Absolutely bonkers back-to-back defensive plays for the recently recalled outfielder.
Dillon Dingler kept the hitting going by smacking a changeup off the top of the wall in left, missing a homer by inches but settling for a double. Baddoo, still fired up from his defense, worked a walk. However, Berríos was able to calm down and got the next three outs without the runners advancing, stranding two.
Jobe came back out after an extremely lucky first inning. Would his luck run out? Not so much, as he quickly retired all three guys, aided by the ump not giving Anthony Santander time when he called for it, which directly led to a pop-up.
Berríos had himself a quick inning, as a Greene single was erased by a Tork ground ball double play. Game felt like it was flying by at this time.
Nathan Lukes lightly flew out before Jonatan Clase gave a ball a ride to center. Unfortunately for him, Javy Baez was right there to catch it. Jobe then unleashed a monster sinker that tailed inside and totally fooled Bo Bichette for a strikeout.
Dingler hit a deep single but nobody else was doing much, so the game went on.
Jobe got into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff walk was followed by a bloop double, putting two in scoring position. Alejandro Kirk hit a grounder that got past a diving Sweeney, scoring a run. A nasty changeup struck out Barger swinging for the first out. Tork was able to snag a foul pop-up for the second out. However, the pesky Ernie Clement smoked a grounder that made it through, tying the game. A forceout ended things, but it was a brand new ballgame after four innings.
The Tigers would not go quietly. After a flyout, Torres was hit by a pitch. A strikeout followed but Greene smashed a ball into the right field corner, putting two in scoring position. Tork came up with a chance to regain the lead…but he struck out.
A bloop and a swipe put Clase in scoring position in the bottom of the 5th. Bichette walked and Vlad Guerrero Jr. drove the runners over with a grounder. Varsho smacked one but right at Torres for a lineout. In a moment that could have blown open the game, Zach McKinstry hopped and snagged a bouncing ball, firing over to 1B in plenty of time to get the final out. Defensive wizardry today from the Tigers.
Berríos had really settled in by this point. He was giving up a few baserunners by the Tigers, clearly bitten by the disastrous Squander Squid of old, could not deliver the key knock. A hit in the 6th for the Tigers but another baserunner stranded. Rinse, repeat.
Jobe was feeling it in the 6th. He sandwiched a pop-up between two strikeouts, clearly amped up.
Mason Fluharty came on in relief of Berríos in the 7th. Carpenter flied out but Torres walked. A pinch-hitting Andy Ibáñez singled, bringing up the big boys. Greene struck out – he was pretty bad with runners in scoring position today – but Tork singled off of new reliever Braydon Fisher. Torres lumbered home while Ibáñez was caught on the basepaths trying to advance; luckily the run scored just before the out was recorded. Tigers had retaken the lead.
Jobe’s day was done after 6 solid innings of 2-run ball. He had a lot to build off of for his next start. John Brebbia came on and had an…interesting outing. He walked a batter, struck out two in a row, then walked another batter before Hinch pulled him for Brant Hurter. With a major scoring threat, Hurter struck out Daulton Varsho. Remember to unclench that jaw, folks.
Fisher remained in the game for the 8th. With two outs Baddoo walked, stole second on the first pitch, but a lineout ended the threat. Still, this is the Baddoo that stole our hearts a few years ago.
Tommy Kahnle took the bottom of the 8th for Detroit. The leadoff runner singled, only to be pulled for the speedy Myles Straw. A strikeout brought up Barger, who hit a grounder that was clearly only going to get the lead runner. Sweeney oddly threw to first, trying to turn two, but his throw was sent to Quebec, allowing Barger to take 2nd. Luckily, Kahnle got the pesky Clement to ground out, avoiding damage.
Yimi García came in for the 9th and danced around a walk to keep the Tigers from adding on.
Bottom of the 9th, a one-run lead, and Will “Safety” Vest was on to close things out. Lukes grounded out. George Springer pinch-hit and struck out on a masterful pitch from Vest. Bichette, their last chance, grounded out right to third but Ibáñez completely biffed the fielding, allowing him to reach. With the dangerous Guerrero Jr up, Vest got him to weakly ground out to second. Tigers win the game and the series in one of the most entertaining stretches of Detroit baseball in a long time. Final: Detroit 3, Blue Jays 2.