On a night dedicated to the youngest baseball players in the world as part of the Little League Classic, it was Detroit’s rookies who willed the Tigers to a 3-2 walk-off win in extra innings over the New York Yankees.
Things looked bleak for most of the night. Tarik Skubal was shoving, as usual, but the Tigers couldn’t figure out how to bring in a run. Facing one of the most expensive lineups in the sport added even more pressure to the challenge, but Colt Keith, Jace Jung and Parker Meadows were ready for the spotlight.
Jung forced the game into extra innings with a two-out single through the left side in the ninth. Scoring on the play was Keith, who was one of two Tigers with three hits on the day.
Meadows was the other, and his final hit of the night sealed the win for Detroit in walk-off fashion. Coming into tonight, Meadows had an .870 on-base-plus-slugging percentage over 42 plate appearances in August. Those numbers are now even more impressive, and he has a plus-speed tool (stole second tonight).
Not to be forgotten was Zach McKnistry, who re-tied the game and scored the winning run. He’s a guy many have been clamoring for Detroit to get rid of, but the Tigers don’t win tonight without him pinch hitting.
In many ways, this game was a glimpse into the Detroit Tigers’ crystal ball. The lineup of the future is here with Keith and Jung in the mix, and Riley Greene returned one day after Spencer Torkelson. Neither of the “vets” did anything of note on ESPN Sunday night, but the point still stands: this is Detroit’s core for the next few years.
Winning via walk-off can send somewhat of a mixed signal, but it’s clear that the young guys are hungry. The team blew chances to beat a good Yankees club all night, but it’s the end result that matters, right?
Was it a coming-out party of sorts for the organization after nearly a decade-long rebuild? Your guess is as good as mine, but there was that special feeling in the air tonight.
Maybe it’s just the rose-colored filter comes with the Little League Classic?
Matt Vierling did an in-game interview in the top of the third. He tracked down a tough ball in the left-field corner, drawing praise from the broadcast booth in real time.
“Since I’m mic’d up, the ball’s got to find me, right?” Vierrling said after making the catch.
Several half innings were spent doing some sort of interactive segment with the players. Jazz Chisolm — who didn’t play — spent three outs in the broadcast booth, and Juan Soto did a full interview in Spanish with a Little Leaguer. It made for a somewhat distracting game, but neither team was doing much early on.
Tarik Skubal and Marcus Stroman delivered a pitcher’s duel through five innings, but a wild pitch put the Tigers down by one. Skubal wasn’t bad — he never is — but you could call this an off night of sorts for him. He still put together a quality start — six innings, three hits, one earned run — but he nearly walked as many batters (4) as he struck out (5).
It’s only the third time this season that Skubal has failed to reach six strikeouts and hasn’t walked four in over two years (June 26). For good measure, the last time Skubal walked three came in July 2022.
“I thought my stuff was fine. Execution, probably not so good. I’ll get back to executing pitchers and setting my sights and trusting my stuff and going right after guys. But, I thought my stuff was fine today. Just execution-wise, four walks is not characteristic of me. It’s not how I like to pitch.
“I like to get ahead and make guys beat me with hits and putting the ball around the yard, rather than me giving a free base.”
Despite the walks, there’s little to worry about when it comes to Skubal. His fastball velocity was up and he had his usual spin on every pitch. Perhaps it was the Scooby-Doo cleats that threw him off?
Stroman attacked Detroit’s lineup with a steady dose of sinkers and changeups, micing in a slider or slurve whenever necessary. Parker Meadows was the only Tiger getting to him, notching a single in the third and double in the fifth.
Third base coach Joey Cora thought that Jace Jung had a chance to score from first on Meadows’ double, but everyone in the stadium knew he was hosed at the plate well before he slid into Jose Trevino’s shinguards.
Bad time for a bad call by Cora… The Yankees took the lead right after that on the Skubal wild pitch.
Brett Hanifee threw the seventh for Detroit. Anthony singled on a soft grounder that required a challenge to ensure he was safe, but no harm done.
Will Vest was next out of the bullpen for the Tigers. He struck out Gleyber Torres, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in order. Vest spent the afternoon playing with kids on The Hill before the career inning. If that’s what it takes for Vest, get the man working with a youth program in Detroit and sign him to a long-term contract.
Shelby Miller allowed a leadoff single to Giancarlo Stanton in the ninth, but he retired the next three batters in order to keep it a one-run game.
Yankees closer Clay Holmes took the mound in search of the save, but Detroit’s youth movement wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
You already know the rest, so I’ll save my fingers some typing. Credit to Zach McKinstry for a big 10th inning knock and stealing the base that set up the walk off knock from Meadows.
It’s my first recap back at Bless You Boys in a few months. I won’t lie. There was some serious anger coursing through my veins as we stared down a potential 11th inning after seeing goose eggs for eight. But, in the end, the Tigers came through, so I’ll end this recap with my new favorite phrase: Man, these Tigs are gritty.