Round 2: Fight! Tonight was game two of a three game set at Comerica where the Tigers were again taking on the Los Angeles Angels. Last night’s affair was a pitching duel until it wasn’t, when the Tigers put up a 6 spot on the husk of Johnny Cueto and cruised to their fifth straight win. The Angels have now lost six straight, so would those trends continue?
Detroit started former Rule 5 pick and RHP Mason Englert, recalled two days ago during a flurry of pitching moves (Sammons down, Vest to paternity, Ty Madden up, Javy Baez to the 60-day IL). He’s had a rough go of it in Detroit this season, throwing 19.2 innings of relief with a 5.95 ERA (5.15 FIP) and 1.32 WHIP to go with some injury trouble as well.
Opposing him was former Angels 2nd round pick Griffin Canning, a California native. The RHP is having a down year, with 25 starts and a 5.18 ERA (5.11 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP. His strikeout rate is way down; it normally averages around 9.5 per 9 innings, while this season it’s all the way down to 6.6.
For the second day in a row, this game started late due to more thunderstorms hitting the metro area. Englert took the mound at 8:30 ET and quickly retired the first two batters. Nolan Schanuel worked a walk and stole second, but Englert got Anthony Rendon to harmlessly fly out.
Riley Greene led off the bottom of the 1st with a single, Kerry Carpenter lined out, and Vierling grounded into an easy double play as the rain started falling again.
The Angels got a single in the 2nd, but a great snag on a liner and a forceout ended the frame.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Colt Keith struck out, Jace Jung drew a walk, and then Spencer Torkelson annihilated a baseball to left center for a 408’ HR. Tigers up 2-0. McKinstry hit a hard liner that was caught and Trey Sweeney struck out, but the damage had been done.
Kenta Maeda relieved Englert to start the 3rd; he’s been much better in relief since moving to the bullpen, but still suspect with an ERA close to 6.5 and a -1.4 bWAR. He was greeted by two straight singles but rebounded to strike out Zach Neto swinging. Things were looking hairy, but Kenta caught a line drive right at him; the runner on 1st got back before a throw over, but Niko Kavadas on second base inexplicably kept running to third, so he was doubled off with a casual throw. Weird double play but the Tigers will take the unforced gaffe.
Jake Rogers drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch that nearly ended up in the dugout; only a diving save by O’Hoppe kept Jake at 2nd. Greene grounded out, advancing Rogers, and a sharp single from Kerry Carpenter brought him home. Canning knuckled down and got out of the inning, but it was 3-0 Cats after 3 innings.
In the fourth, a strikeout, bloop single to center, a forceout at first, and a great snag for Sweeney at short got the Tigers through it with no damage.
Tigers got the offense going again in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Tork and McKinstry hit back-to-back singles. Sweeney grounded out but advanced Tork to third, then Rogers drew a walk on a full count to load the bases with two gone. Greene came up with a chance to really break the game open, but he froze on a 2-2 slider right down the middle and struck out.
Maeda missed with four straight to walk the leadoff man in the 5th. However, like previous innings, he rebounded to get three straight outs and strand Jo Adell at second base. Maeda not be totally reliable, but he was still getting the results that mattered.
Carpenter also got four straight balls to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on a passed ball, but then was thrown out at third trying to advance on a second passed ball that O’Hoppe managed to snag on a lucky bounce. Tigers meekly went down afterwards, so it was on to the 6th.
After two outs, Trey Sweeney made a poor throw that allowed O’Hoppe to reach (although to this author it looked like Tork had a shot on it). Maeda immediately allowed a HR to Mickey Moniak, and suddenly it was a 3-2 game. He escaped further damage, but suddenly things got a bit tighter.
José Quijada relieved Canning and wildly walked Jace Jung. That was all the Tigers would get, as a flyout and a double play ended the inning.
Maeda was surprisingly back out for the 7th. He walked Adell but struck out Kavadas on a nice 2-2 pitch. Hinch finally went back to the bullpen, calling in Beau Brieske. The right-hander induced a flyout for the second out, then Adell got a great jump and slid into second….so fast that he left the bag while being tagged. No steal for you!
Lefty Brock Burke came in for the visitors. He’s had a rough year, but lefties with intriguing stuff will always get work. He retired the side with no drama, striking out 2 and flashing 99 mph. We could use a guy like that.
Brieske stayed in the game. After a flyout and strikeout, Rendon hit a double down the left field line. With the tying run on second, Beau battled O’Hoppe, striking him out at 99mph to preserve the lead.
Veteran journeyman Hunter Strickland came on for the bottom of the 8th and promptly walked Carpenter; Ryan Kreidler came in to pinch run for Kerry. The Tigers couldn’t do anything with it as Vierling flew out, Kreidler was easily thrown out trying to steal second, and Colt Keith – in the middle of a mini-slump – struck out.
Jason Foley came in to get the save in a 3-2 game. Butts were clenched, particularly because the Minnesota Twins lost earlier tonight, meaning a Tigers win would put them only 4.5 games back in the wild card race. Foley got Moniak to ground out, pinch-hitter Matt Thaiss struck out on a wicked four-seam fastball, and, with a loud Comerica crowd backing him, Foley fooled Adell for a swinging strikeout to end the game.
Final: Tigers 3, Angels 2. Tigers win their sixth straight game, the Angels lose their seventh straight, and since the Twins lost, the Tigers are now 4.5 games back of a wild card spot. What a wild time for this incredibly young team.
- Happy Birthday to legendary actor and musician Jack Black, who turned 55 today.