On a day meant for celebration and joy the cold-hearted Toronto Blue Jays played to win and spoiled the party. How incredibly rude, and on Miguel Cabrera Day no less! A four-run fourth inning ruined a strong start for Detroit’s starter Tarik Skubal and the bullpen let the game slip further away late in the game. Tigers lose, 6-0.
Skubal was on his way to another quality start, matching Ross Stripling for three innings. Things fell apart in the fourth though when the Blue Jays put together four extra-base hits for as many runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. turned on a sinker inside and took over the wall for his 14th home run of the year. Skubal battled back to strike out Alejandro Kirk, but Teoscar Hernandez beat him on a 3-2 count doubling to left field.
A mound visit helped for just a moment as Skubal struck out Espinal for out No. 2 before giving up an RBI double to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He then lost Gabriel Moreno on a full-count walk but should’ve been out of the inning with a long fly ball to right-center field. Austin Meadows and Victor Reyes both had a chance at the ball in the gap but some apparent miscommunication let it fall between them. It wasn’t an easy play for either guy, but neither really made an attempt at the ball.
Fortunately, the ball hopped over the wall and kept Cavan Biggio from advancing past second. George Springer flew out to finally end the inning, but Skubal’s night was over. He left the game after just 74 pitches and four innings of work. It’s a shame because Skubal looked like he’d be the guy we’ve come to expect on the mound once again. His command was slipping though, and his velocity also started to take a dip, so getting him out of there was probably the right call. Hopefully, there’s no other reason Skubal’s night was short. The Tigers can’t afford another injury on the pitching staff.
Detroit does have one of the best bullpens in the league and flexed it after a short night from the lefty. Wily Peralta navigated the fifth and sixth innings without giving up a hit and only surrendered a pair of walks. Joe Jiménez struck out two in the seventh, but the offense was pretty lifeless once again other than a number of line drive outs. The Tigers struck out eight times when all was said and done.
Detroit managed just one hit through the first six innings of the game against Toronto’s starter Ross Stripling. He needed just 74 pitches to get through those six, but the Blue Jays decided to go to the bullpen in the seventh. Miguel Cabrera did hit a ball to the warning track in right field to open the second inning and Javier Báez rocketed balls right at gloves in his first two at-bats, but things were pretty quiet elsewhere.
Jacob Barnes couldn’t follow in Peralta and Jiménez’s footsteps and gave up two more runs in the eighth. Gurriel singled in both Kirk and Hernandez. Alex Lange got the ninth and promptly gave up a double to Biggio. He struck out Springer in the next at-bat on what Kirk Gibson called his worst swing of the series. It’s too bad the series is over and that didn’t come earlier when it could’ve made a difference. Lange got out of it with a nifty ground out and another K, this time on Guerrero.
A 1-2-3 ninth inning put us out of our misery and Detroit now prepares for the start of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
Final: Blue Jays 6, Tigers 0
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) June 12, 2022
Miggy Day Celebrations
Before the game, the Tigers held a celebration for Miguel Cabrera’s 3000th hit with several stars from the past. Dan Dickerson served as the master of ceremonies for the event and quickly moved past introductions for Al Avila and Chris Ilitch after the crowd booed both of them. Jim Leyland garnered the ovation he deserves, though. Good job, Tigers fans. Let ‘em know.
A.J. Hinch and Alex Avila gave the manager and player perspective of being a part of Cabrera’s illustrious career, and former Tiger Victor Martinez came out to surprise Miggy with the ball he hit No. 3000 with.
There was also an incredible video narrated by Brisel Cabrera, Miguel’s daughter, that thanked Tigers fans for being a part of the journey. Talk about emotional. That got me.
“The guy you see on the field, just enjoying his teammates and smiling with fans, that is the real Miguel Cabrera.”