It feels like such a treat that the Tigers are even playing in this game tonight that it’s difficult to discuss the finer points of the challenge that awaits them in Seattle. This won’t be an easy series
for the Tigers by any means, but at the end of the Wild Card series, it felt like watching them come back to life, so hopefully, we get to see more of that over this best-of-five series. To start things off, the Tigers would bring in Troy Melton to pitch, up against George Kirby for the Mariners. Kirby is by no means an unstoppable force in pitching, but the Tigers were struggling all September and through the Wild Card with brutal left on base numbers they would need to overcome if they were going to get by the Mariners.
The Tigers managed to get a baserunner on in the first with a two-out single by Greene, and Greene getting on base is certainly a good sign. A strikeout left him stranded, but early in the game we’ve got to look at the positives. In the home half Cal Raleigh got a one-out single, but was eliminated in a force out off the bat of Julio Rodriguez. Josh Naylor drew a walk (just when we thought we were done with Naylors), but a flyout ended the inning with no runs scored.
Colt Keith singled to get the second started, followed by a walk to Dillon Dingler. Unfortunately, three outs in a row followed, demonstrating that our old friend the LOBster would continue to haunt this game. Melton came back in the second, looking very confident, and got the side out in order.
In the third, Gleyber Torres got things going with a leadoff double. In classic Tigers fashion, though, three outs followed to leave him stranded. It was balanced out, however, by another really clean inning from Melton, getting the Mariners three-up, three-down.
By the fourth, it was clear we were getting a better version of Kirby than had been playing recently. He was really in the zone, and even when he wasn’t, the Tigers weren’t really getting anything they could take advantage of. He was getting a lot of pitches high and outside, and it was just the right thing to mess up the Tigers’ batters and get them to either swing where it wasn’t, or not swing when it was right down the middle. In the home half, the Mariners broke up the scoreless game with a leadoff home run from Julio Rodriguez to center. Josh Naylor hit a long fly that really looked like another home run off the bat, but went right to Kerry Carpenter’s glove. Melton turned things around, getting the next two outs of the inning, limiting the damage to the one run, though the Naylor fly ball was certainly a heart-stopping moment.
With one out in the fifth, Parker Meadows singled. He advanced to third on a groundout from Torres. With two outs, Carpenter really, really lucked out on an inside pitch that was ruled a ball, and he didn’t waste the opportunity, hitting a solo home run to right field. The insane luck of that moment can’t be understated. Riley Greene followed that up with a single, but the final out of the inning meant they had to settle for two runs and the lead.
Melton’s day was done after a strong outing, but not an unsurprising move given what happened in the previous inning. It was really the best-case scenario we could have asked for from Melton. His final line was 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR on 57 pitches. With two lefties up to start the inning, AJ Hinch moved to Brant Hurter. Hurter did precisely what he was expected to, and got through the Mariners in order.
Kirby’s day was also done after the big bomb in the fifth, and he was relieved by Caleb Ferguson. Jahmai Jones came in to pinch hit for Colt Keith, and he drew a leadoff walk. Two outs followed, and Eduard Bazardo replaced Ferguson to collect the final out of the inning. In the home half, Rafael Montero replaced Hurter, and gave up a walk to Randy Arozarena, followed by a single to Cal Raleigh. Then, Julio Rodriguez continued to be a menace, singling to score Arozarena and tie the game at 2-2. Tyler Holton replaced Montero. Naylor hit into a double play, but then Seattle challenged both out plays. Part of the question at second was that there was some dispute over whether Javier Baez had the ball in his glove or his hand; if the latter, the call could be overturned. Both calls were ultimately confirmed, so there were two outs with a runner on third. Holton got the final out of the inning, so while the game was now tied, the Mariners did not get their go-ahead run.
In the seventh, the Mariners turned to the workhorse of their bullpen, Gabe Speier. Speier got the Tigers out in order, though Gleyber Torres had plenty to say about his final strike call. In the home half the Tigers brought in Tommy Kahnle. The baseball gods blessed the inning, because Kahnle got through the order 1-2-3.
With one out in the eighth, the Mariners headed back to their bullpen, with Matt Brash coming in next. Brash gave up a walk to Spencer Torkelson. The next two outs in a row sent the Tigers back to the dugout, leaving a runner stranded and the game still tied. Kyle Finnegan was the next Tigers’ reliever out of the bullpen. With one out, Arozarena hit a long fly, but once again it was right to Carpenter. Raleigh got a single, but it wasn’t a rally single, because the final out of the inning left him stranded.
Andrés Muñoz was the new Mariners reliever for the top of the ninth. With two outs, Parker Meadows finally made some solid contact, except it was a comebacker right to the pitcher to end the inning. Brutal luck. Will Vest came out for the bottom of the ninth, hoping to get things into extras. Vest did just that, getting the Mariners in order and sending the game into extra innings.
In the tenth, the home plate umpire apparently started to suffer from temporary blindness based on some very questionable calls. The Tigers didn’t do much to help themselves, either, going in order with three lacklustre at-bats. Vest plowed through the order, and this game was headed to the eleventh.
Carlos Vargas was next up for the Mariners and gave up a leadoff walk to Torkelson. A wild pitch allowed Torkelson to advance to second. (Fun fact, in all of baseball this season, only Raleigh and Dingler have no passed balls charged against them.) With two outs, new ALDS hero Zach McKinstry hit a perfectly placed grounder down the middle, scoring Torkelson.
McKinstry then stole second. Baez was the final out of the inning, but the Tigers were finally ahead again. In the home half, while a search party was sent out to determine the whereabouts of Brenan Hanifee, Keider Montero came in. With two outs, Julio Rodriguez proved to be the new Steven Kwan, with a single to center. Montero turned it around to induce a groundball out to first to finish the game.
