ARLINGTON, Texas — For the first time in his career, Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson launched two home runs in a single game.
The 23-year-old drove in four runs with his two homers, leading the Tigers to an 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers in Thursday’s series finale at Globe Life Field. He also had two walks in the victory.
The Tigers split the four-game series with the Rangers, in which Torkelson had three homers total. Torkelson received advice from 21-year MLB veteran Miguel Cabrera, a future Hall of Famer.
“We were in the cage before the game, and I didn’t feel great,” Torkelson said. “And Miggy was like, ‘Just trust your hands, and go to the big part of the field.’ It’s what my dad told me a week ago, but it’s a little different coming from Miggy.”
Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
HELP ON THE WAY?: Detroit Tigers send Joey Wentz to Triple-A Toledo with Tarik Skubal nearing season debut
JEFF SEIDEL: Behind the scenes of Tigers prospect Colt Keith’s amazing debut for Triple-A Toledo
After facing the best team in the American League West, the Tigers (35-45) travel to Denver for three games against the Colorado Rockies — the worst team in the National League West at 32-50 entering Thursday — at Coors Field.
“(The Rangers) are a really good team,” Torkelson said. “To be able to come back today and split the series was huge. I haven’t done much digging on Colorado, but they’re probably a decent team as well. We’ll play our best.”
The Tigers took the lead, 3-2, in the fifth inning on Torkelson’s solo home run off the foul pole in left field, but the Rangers evened the score again, 3-3, in the sixth inning on Leody Taveras’ solo homer to left-center field.
For his first homer, Torkelson hit an up-and-in 90.8 mph fastball from left-hander Cody Bradford.
“Off the bat, I knew it was over the fence, and then I saw it kind of hooking, hooking,” Torkelson said. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever hit the pole, like even in batting practice.”
Four straight batters reached safely against right-handed reliever Joe Barlow in the seventh inning: Matt Vierling (single), Torkelson (walk), Andy Ibáñez (single) and Javier Báez (single).
The two-strike single from Ibáñez put the Tigers ahead, 4-3.
The single from Báez loaded the bases and forced the Rangers to bring left-hander John King out of the bullpen. King escaped the jam, though, as Kerry Carpenter struck out swinging and Jonathan Schoop grounded into a double play.
The Tigers scored four runs in the eighth inning, and the final three runs came from Torkelson’s second home run. Still facing King, Torkelson pulled an eighth-pitch changeup at the bottom of the strike zone for a three-run homer to left field.
Torkelson passed Jake Rogers for the team lead with 11 homers.
“Listen, this guy is really good, got some good pitches to hit and had some pretty good at-bats today,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We just have to stay patient with him, and I think he can have games like this.”
Leading 8-3, the Tigers brought right-handed reliever Alex Lange out of the bullpen for the ninth inning. He loaded the bases, then walked Travis Jankowski on four pitches. The bases-loaded walk trimmed the Tigers’ lead to 8-4.
Nathaniel Lowe hit a sacrifice fly, making it 8-5.
With two outs, Lange had to face slugger Adolis García with runners on first and second base, and García lined out to end the game.
Olson’s early departure
Right-hander Reese Olson couldn’t get through the second inning in the sixth game of his MLB career, but his inability to stay in the game had nothing to do with his performance. He took a comebacker off the left leg.
Olson left the game with a left knee contusion, but he expects to make his next start.
“We’ll take the split based on how it was,” Hinch said. “Our guys responded. Our bullpen, again, logged a lot of innings unexpectedly with the injury. We leave here on a good note, and we’re going to have a happy flight. We split a series against a first-place team. We held our own, and a lot of guys contributed.”
Before his departure, the 23-year-old allowed one run to the Rangers in the first inning on two singles and one walk. For the second single, Josh Jung hit a two-strike, two-out slider at the bottom of the strike zone into center field.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers flipped the switch and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning with Jake Marisnick’s RBI triple and Matt Vierling’s RBI single. Both hits came with two strikes and two outs.
Olson retired the first two batters in the bottom of the second inning before the comebacker from Josh Smith drilled him in the leg. Left-handed reliever Tyler Holton replaced him and struck out Marcus Semien on three pitches for the third out.
Holton tossed a scoreless third inning, but in the fourth inning, Ezequiel Duran won an eight-pitch battle by hitting his changeup for a solo home run to left-center field. The homer tied the game, 2-2.
Oh, that bullpen
After an ensuing single, left-handed reliever Tyler Alexander took over for Holton and induced an inning-ending double play. The fifth inning, though, wasn’t as simple for Alexander.
A one-out double from Jankowski put a runner into scoring position, and Jankowski advanced to third base on Nathaniel Lowe’s groundout.
But Alexander beat García with a 10th-pitch sinker. Schoop, the third baseman, scooped the hard-hit grounder out of the dirt and made a clean throw to first for the third out, stranding a runner at the hot corner.
JEFF SEIDEL: Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal seems completely ready to return. How soon will that happen?
The Rangers hammered right-hander Mason Englert in the sixth inning, but only one of the four balls in play changed the scoreboard. Taveras lined Englert’s 90.3 mph fastball for a 424-foot home run to left center field.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.