On a hot night in the Bronx, the Tigers battled the Yankees in the second game of three at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers lost Matt Manning after only an inning of work to injury, so the bullpen was tasked with carrying the load. While they did an admirable job holding the Bronx Bombers to only four runs, the offense only tallied three runs on six hits on its way to a 4-3 loss.
The Tigers got the party started right away in the first inning. Zach McKinstry, hitting in the two-hole doubled to right field with one out. With two outs, Kerry Carpenter, following his MLB Network appearance in the Big Apple, lined a 1-2 knuckle-curve to left field to score McKinstry and put the Tigers up 1-0.
The big story of the game sadly revolves around the chronically unlucky Matt Manning getting injured yet again. Manning, in the midst of a nice stretch of starts, allowed DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge to reach to start the bottom half of the first before bearing down and getting the next two hitters.
Fresh off his 400th career home run, Giancarlo Stanton strode to the plate with two outs looking to do damage. And damage he did, just not in the traditional sense. Stanton rocketed a 1-0 fastball back up the middle at 119 MPH off the bat, striking Manning in the back of the right foot before kicking up and nestling into his glove for the final out of the inning. While Manning got out of the inning without allowing a run, he walked off the field under the guidance of trainers and did not come out for a second inning.
AJ Hinch confirmed after the game that Manning has a fractured foot yet again and will miss the rest of the season. Brutal.
Matt Manning (right foot fracture) is out for the rest of the season according to AJ Hinch.
— Johnny Kane (@JohnnyKaneBSD) September 7, 2023
What devolved into a bullpen game did not go well for the Tigers. Beau Brieske came on in the second inning and gave up a run on a LeMahieu single after getting the first two outs in the inning. In the third inning, Brieske gave up a leadoff home run to the rookie sensation Jasson Dominguez, a bullet to right field off the bat at 110 MPH, a ball that looked like it never got more than 15 feet off the ground. The Yankees would tag Brieske for another run in the third off an Oswald Peraza double with two outs to go up 3-1 and drive Brieske out of the game.
Jose Cisnero came on in relief of Brieske in the third to get the final out and then got the first out right away in the fourth. Cisnero then gave up three straight hits, a double to Aaron Judge, a single to Dominguez, and a single to Gleyber Torres to put the Yankees up 4-1. Tyler Holton came on in the fifth inning and continued his excellent season, throwing two clean innings to keep the Tigers within striking distance.
The Tigers made their move in the seventh, putting two men on with one out. Andy Ibáñez knocked in Detroit’s second run of the game and knocked out Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt with a single to pull them within two. Wandy Peralta came on in relief and got ahead of Parker Meadows 1-2. Parker then shortened up and lifted a nasty slider to center field for a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Yankees.
After a scoreless seventh from Jason Foley, a product of Manhasset, New York and Sacred Heart University, a distinction he shares with Sacred Heart alum Zack Short as discussed in a Johnny Kane in-game interview with their old college coach, the Tigers’ offense went right back to work in the eighth inning.
With one out, Javier Báez pinch hit for Akil Baddoo. Báez pulled a ball towards the hole between third base and shortstop, and was able to run out an infield single. With two outs, Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter drew back-to-back walks prompting another pitching change. Greg Weissert came on for New York, and Matt Veirling looked more overmatched with every swing he took en route to a four pitch strikeout to end the threat.
The Tigers went quietly in the ninth against Yankees closer Clay Holmes, and will look to salvage one game in New York on Thursday evening.