Welcome back to Kaufmann stadium, where the Tigers were riding the high of their Monday night win and hungry to keep the wins coming as they eye the third wild card spot. Cole Ragans was on the mound for the Royals, and none other than Casey Mize was up for the Tigers. Nice to see some rebounding pitchers coming back.
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board, as Andy Ibanez reached on a hit-by-pitch and then Matt Vierling doubled to bring him home.
In the home half, Mize gave up a one-out walk to Bobby Witt Jr, who successfully stole second, but it didn’t end up mattering as Mize finished off the side.
Trey Sweeney got a one-out single in the top of the second, but was eliminated on a double play to end the inning. Hunter Renfroe got a leadoff single in the home half, but three outs quickly followed.
Parker Meadows doubled to start the third, but he was followed by three outs in a row. Kyle Isbel started the home half with a single, but a double play off the bat of Tommy Pham booted him from the basepaths. Bobby Witt Jr. walked again. Then Salvador Perez singled, followed by a Michael Massey single to score Witt and tie the game. Parker Meadows did end the inning in style with a truly incredible catch.
In the fourth, Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson got back-to-back walks with one out. Two more outs followed to leave them stranded. In the home half, Yuli Gurriel singled to get things going, but a double play and groundout ended the inning scoreless for the Royals.
Top of the fifth saw only an Ibanez walk for the Tigers, and no runs, as he was also caught stealing. Tommy Pham got a one-out single in the bottom of the inning, and Bobby Witt Jr. walked yet again. Perez walked after him to load the bases, and that was it for Mize, who went 4.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K on 89 pitches. Shelby Miller was out of the pen in relief, and induced a double play to end the inning.
In the sixth, it was just a Colt Keith single and no runs. In the home half, Gurriel walked then Paul DeJong singled. Kyle Isbel then walked to load the bases with two outs, but the Tigers managed to get out of the inning unscathed.
Trey Sweeney walked to start the seventh, but was tagged out at second in an attempted steal. Beau Brieske was the next Tigers’ reliever out, and got the Royals 1-2-3.
Ragans was done for the night, replaced by Kris Bubic. The Tigers went down in order. In the home half Tyler Holton was in for the Tigers, and the play of the inning might have been Bobby Scales in the radio booth with a barehanded foul catch. This led to Jason Bennetti telling an incredible story about taking a foul ball to the chest in Triple-A.
Onto the ninth and if the Tigers were going to make it happen in regular innings, this was it… Lucas Erceg was pitching, and a pinch-hitting Wenceel Perez doubled to start things off. Unfortunately, three outs followed, so they’d have to keep it going through nine and hope for the best in extras. Tyler Holton came back in to get the job done and got three outs in a row. Onto the tenth.
Trey Sweeney was the ghost runner, and with one out, advanced to third on a balk. Meadows then singled to score Sweeney.
Matt Vierling walked with two outs, and while Erceg was clearly struggling there was a length mound meeting and then he was left in. Interesting strategy, Cotton. Riley Greene singled into center and literally knocked Erceg’s glove off and right by Witt, scoring Meadows.
That was it for Erceg, naturally. Angel Zerpa came in for the Royals and got the final out, but had the Tigers done enough?
In the bottom of the inning, it was Jason Foley’s chance to keep the Tigers’ lead intact and win the game.