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Watching Riley Greene’s dad watch the Detroit Tigers’ prospect bat vs. Yankees
As Detroit Tigers prospect Riley Greene hits against Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole during the March 1, 2021, exhibition, Greene’s dad, Alan, watches.
Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers picked up a 6-1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. The Tigers improved to 2-1 in Grapefruit League play.
What happened: The Pirates requested the game be trimmed from seven to five innings; Tigers manager AJ Hinch didn’t complain. Casey Mize started and pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three batters. Willi Castro went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and two-run double, collecting three RBIs. He has two homers this spring. No. 1 prospect Spencer Torkelson made his spring training debut and took a seven-pitch walk. JaCoby Jones crushed a double off the center-field run in the fifth, helping to bring in two runs (Torkelson scored on an error) for a 6-1 lead.
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Starting off: Mize walked three hitters — and struck out three — in his spring training debut. He used 45 pitches (25 strikes) and did not allow a hit across two scoreless innings. He struck out Gregory Polanco with his marquee splitter for the final out in the first frame. The 23-year-old punched out Jacob Stallings (on three straight fastballs) in the second inning and ripped a heater past a looking Travis Swaggerty to complete his work for the afternoon.
At the plate: Castro opened the scoring by belting his second home run of the spring to right-center field off JT Brubaker in the first inning. Akil Baddoo (Rule 5 draft pick) doubled to the left-field corner in the third inning, extending the lead to 2-0. Moments later, Castro chipped in two more runs on his double to right field off the pitcher’s glove. Zack Short doubled to the left-center wall in the fourth inning. Catcher Grayson Greiner — in a battle for the backup job — went 1-for-1 with one walk. Baddoo finished 1-for-2 with one RBI and one walk.
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On the mound: Bryan Garcia, who ended last year as the closer, pitched the third inning. He gave up a walk and double but worked out of the jam thanks to an uncanny 3-6-5-2 double play. Erasmo Ramirez pitched the fourth and fifth innings, giving up a solo blast to Todd Frazier on a 92-mph fastball. Unless there’s an injury, Ramirez is unlikely to make the team.
Prospects: Torkelson, Riley Greene, Dillon Dingler, Kody Clemens and Jake Rogers traveled with the squad and were available off the bench. Torkelson entered as a pinch-runner in the third inning and played third base the rest of the way. Rogers pinch-hit in the fourth; he struck out for the fourth time in four at-bats this spring. Dingler caught the fourth and fifth innings. Greene and Clemens did not play.
Three stars: 1. Castro, 2. Baddoo, 3. Jones.
Up next: Wednesday vs. Philadelphia Phillies in Lakeland.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.