The Tigers and Blue Jays met for game two of a four game series at Comerica Park. The Jays took game one behind a brutalizing of Tigers’ pitching. Would that happen again in this game?
Keider Montero was up for the Tigers in this one. The righty pitcher has had an up and down year so far, coming into this one with a 4.28 ERA and having been in and out of the rotation. The Blue Jays started things off with a hit, as Nathan Lukes got a single. Keider struck out George Springer swinging, then induced
a grounder that advanced the runner, although Montero made a nice defensive play on it. With two outs and an early scoring chance, the Jays faltered, as Bo Bichette grounded out.
The Tigers also started things off with a hit against righty José Berríos, who has struggled of late. With AJ shaking things up in the lineup, Colt Keith was DHing and led off the game, smacking a single. Unfortunately, Gleyber Torres immediately hit a double-play ball, erasing them both. Riley Greene worked a walk, something he hasn’t done much of lately. Tork popped out, and that was that.
In the second, the Jays got a two-out single but nothing else, as Montero was mixing things up rather well to that point.
The Tigers broke through in the bottom of the frame. Wenceel Pérez singled. Zack McKinstry struck out, but Pérez was able to steal second. Dillon Dingler hit a ball that may have been snagged if the defender didn’t have to worry about the runner and was thus not in position to make the play. The result was an RBI and a stretch double for Dingler, who just barely made it into second before the throw. The next two batters were retired, including Javy Báez swinging at a breaking ball about a foot outside, but the Tigers had drawn first blood.
Toronto went 1-2-3 in the top of the third, a welcome sight. The Tigers did the same.
Toronto got to Keider in the 4th. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled to deep left center on a ball that it looked like Riley Greene mistimed, trying to jump for it and missing. A grounder moved him to third, and a double for Addison Barger scored him. A grounder moved Barger over, and then what should have been an inning-ending groundout was thrown poorly by Báez, allowing another baserunner and scoring a run. A single followed and Tigers fans everywhere were groaning. Montero bucked down and fixed it himself, striking out Will Wagner on a checked-swing, stopping the threat. Still, it was now 2-1 Blue Jays on some real poor defense and a few hard hit balls.
The Tigers needed an answer, and fast. Berrios got the first two batters without too much difficulty, but McKinstry worked a walk to break a run of 7 straight batters retired. Nothing came of it, as Dingler flied out to end things.
The Jays led off the 5th with a bloop single to left from Lukes. You could hear some “Let’s Go Blue Jays” chants on the broadcast, showing how many fans had made the border crossing for the series. Springer then hit a single, followed by an RBI double from Guerrero Jr. Which was immediately followed by a Bichette double. Within about three minutes it was suddenly 5-1 Jays as Montero couldn’t get ANYONE out the third time through the order. He was pulled in favor of Tyler Holton. He got Barger to ground out. Kirk blooped one into left field to score another run, so Montero’s final line was 4 IP, 6 runs (4 earned), 9 hits, and 3Ks. Pretty frustrating situation because he had pitched adequately until the third time through the order.
Loperfido kept the conga line going by dropping a single into right field, putting two on with one out. Holton finally settled in, retiring the next two batters to stop the bleeding. That kind of inning has been way too prevalent of late, where the other team puts up large numbers and the Tigers don’t seem to have an answer.
Meadows led off their half of the frame with a single...and that’s all they got. No answer for the big inning was to be had.
Brenan Hanifee relieved Holton for the top of the 6th. He got a groundout, then a fly ball to center was nearly caught by Meadows (in this writer’s opinion, he should have caught it), leading to a single. A strikeout got Hanifee close to out of the inning, then a pickoff throw to first was misplayed by Tork, allowing the runner to steal second. A groundout ended things, but the team looked totally deflated and making rookie-level mistakes.
After a Greene strikeout, Tork decided he’d had enough. He brutalized a baseball for a Tork Bomb over the left field wall, hitting his 23rd homer of the year. The next two Tigers grounded out, but at least the game was a little closer.
Brant Hurter was in the game to pitch the 7th while it started to rain at the park. Báez snagged a line drive for the first out, Kirk flied out, but then Hurter hurt Loperfido by hitting him with a baseball. Loperfido said ‘thank you for putting me on base’ by stealing second immediately. Hurter got Clement swinging to stop the threat, though.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the 7th, although it required some highlight defense from the Jays.
Hurter stayed out in the 8th, giving up only a single. No damage. Great outing for Brant to keep things in reachable distance, assuming they could score some runs. They would not score some runs.
Jahmai Jones came in for Keith against the lefty in the bottom of the eighth, but the bats continued to slumber as nobody reached base.
Geoff Hartlieb relieved Hurter in the 9th. He was called up yesterday for an audition before Skubal is re-activated off the paternity list. It didn’t go well for him in his first game. He allowed two baserunners in this one, but got out of it without letting them score. He’s likely DFA’d tomorrow, but at least he had this outing.
The Tigers had three more outs remaining in the bottom of the 9th. Yariel Rodríguez relieved Brendon Little to try to keep them from rallying. He got Tork to strike out for the first out. Pérez flied out. McKinstry grounded out. Game Over.
Final: Toronto 6, Detroit 2
The Tigers have now lost 11 of their last 12 games, often by large margins. Not much is working for the team right now. They desperately need someone, anyone to step up and stop the slide.
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