Welcome to the last week of baseball before the All-Star break, as the Tigers hope to close out the first half of the season on a high note. To get there, they have to get through the Guardians and the Dodgers, so… you know… we’ll take it one game at a time.
Monday night’s game saw Gavin Williams pitching for the Guardians and Keider Montero on the mound for the Tigers.
The Guardians started out going 1-2-3 in the top of the first. In the home half, Colt Keith got a one-out single, but he was the only Tigers’ baserunner for the inning. This game is going to be a no-score outing for quite a while, so prepare yourselves.
In the second, the Guardians managed only one baserunner with a two-out single from Andres Gimenez. The Tigers, meanwhile, went 1-2-3.
Bo Naylor got a walk in the top of the third, but was eliminated by a double play to end the inning. In the home half a Wenceel Perez single was all the Tigers managed.
To kick of the fourth, Angel Martinez hit a leadoff single, but was unable to to score. The Tigers had one single, a two-out offering from Gio Urshela, that also amounted to nothing.
Top of the fifth was three-up-three down for Cleveland. As it turned over to the Tigers, Javier Baez hit a leadoff double. Three outs followed to leave him stranded.
Another 1-2-3 for the Guardians started the sixth. With one out in the bottom of the inning. Mark Canha walked, which chased Williams from the game. Riley Greene then hit what very much looked like a double, but was heartbreakingly ruled to be a foul ball, because the baseball gods hate us.
Top of the seventh and Angel Martinez singled to start it off, and one out later Montero was done for the day with a final line of 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K on 73 pitches. He’s looking to be a really promising pitcher. Tyler Holton came in to finish things off and got the next two outs. Nick Sandlin was in out of the Guardians dugout in the bottom half, and gave up a single to Zach McKinstry, but a double play and strikeout quickly ended the inning. the game was still scoreless.
Three outs for the top of the eighth. Scott Barlow was the next Guardians pitcher out. Jake Rogers hit a leadoff double. Then Wenceel Perez singled but got tagged out trying to stretch it out to a double for reasons I simply cannot comprehend. Rogers advanced to third, though. Colt Keith walked, in what appeared to be a classic intentional walk with four balls actually being thrown. Mark Canha then hit a little infield single that really should have been an out, but it scored Rogers and made me laugh, so it was all worth it.
Shelby Miller came in for the top of the ninth to hopefully get the final three outs of the game. And get those final three outs he did with the help of some solid defense.
Final: Tigers 1, Guardians 0