Tarik Skubal pitched five innings of one run ball, Riley Green blasted a homer half way to St Louis and Trey Sweeney doubled in a pair of runs as the Tigers swept the three game series in Kansas City. With the Twins losing in extra innings in Cleveland, Detroit pulled to within half a game of Minnesota for the final playoff spot.
The stage is set!
The Tigers rode a three game winning streak into this final game of the season against the Kansas City Royals. They hold baseball’s best record over the past month of the season, winning 24 of their past 34 games. Coming into this one, Detroit had closed the gap from 10 games out of a playoff spot, moving to within a game and a half of the Minnesota Twins for the final wild card playoff spot, with just ten games remaining in the season. The Tigers were looking to sweep the final three game series in Kansas City, although the Royals had already clinched the season series, winning seven of the twelve games between the teams.
The stakes were high. Each team was getting their first whiff of being a playoff contender at least since 2016. The Royals sat in a playoff spot, three games behind division leading Cleveland and three games ahead of Detroit and 1.5 games up on the Twins.
On the mound for the Tigers was American League Cy Young leader Tarik Skubal, seeking his 17th victory of the season. Skubal was pitching for a rare triple crown by leading the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA. Despite the hot streak and Skubal’s outstanding season, Detroit had lost his last two starts. Not tonight!
Royals starter Cole Ragans struck out six Tigers on Tuesday night to take the league lead over Skubal by three K’s, and the Detroit ace aimed to reclaim the advantage. The Royals started right hander Alec Marsh, who was 8-8 with a 4.52 ERA in 23 starts this season.
With one out in the top of the first, Kerry Carpenter took a breaking ball off his back knee, and Wenceel Perez lined a single to right, putting runners on first and third. After Marsh struck out Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson drew a walk to load the bases with two out. Jace Jung struck out to end the threat, with Marsh throwing 28 pitches in the inning.
Tommy Pham singled up the middle to lead off the Royals’ half of the first. Skubal struck out Bobby Witt Jr and Salvador Perez singled through the middle to put two on with one out. Robbie Grossman lined one off Skubal’s glove, which he picked up and threw to second for the force out. Yuli Gurriel then lined a single past the diving Jung at third to plate the Royals’ first run. Hunter Renfroe popped out to Torkelson at first to end the inning. 1-0 KC after one.
Zack McKinstry, who was filling in for Colt Keith (shoulder) at second base, walked to lead off the second inning and took second on a wild pitch. Trey Sweeney struck out, and Jake Rogers hit a weak dribbler in front of the plate, which Marsh threw down the line into right field, scoring McKinstry to tie the game. Rogers was safe at first. Parker Meadows hit a soft spinning liner to short that Witt flubbed, putting two on with one out. Carpenter popped out to right and Perez took a called third strike. 1-1 with Marsh at 52 pitches.
Skubal struck out Maikel Garcia and Paul DeJong in the second, and got squeezed on a 3-2 pitch to Garrett Hampson that should have been called a strike, but wasn’t, thus breaking a 26 inning streak without allowing a walk. Pham grounded out 6-4 to end the inning.
Riley Greene led off the Tigers third by launching a 427 foot homer to right field, putting Detroit up 2- 1. (At the same time, Josh Naylor homered for Cleveland to tie up the Twins, 2- 2 in the sixth as we were scoreboard watching all the way).
Torkelson walked and Jung followed with a single putting two on with nobody out. McKinstry lined out to left field, but Trey Sweeney lined a ball down the right field line, barely past the diving Gurriel. Torkelson scored and Joey Cora sent Jung home all the way from first, and he scored with a feet first dive, landing on the plate, making it 4-1 Detroit. Marsh got Rogers swinging and his day was done after 73 pitches. The Royals summoned lefty Daniel Lynch, who got Meadows to ground out to second to end the inning.
Skubal struck out Witt and got Perez and Grossman to ground out to retire the Royals in order in the bottom of the third. Lynch struck out Carpenter, Perez and Greene in the top of the fourth.
Looking at the scoreboard, Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase (possibly Skubal’s closest competition for the Cy Young award) retired the Twins, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth tied at 2-2. Jason Benetti delivered updates on the contest in Cleveland throughout this one.
Skubal set down the Royals in order in the fourth. Still Tigers 4, Royals 1 as the game in Cleveland headed into extra innings.
After Lynch retired the Tigers in order in the fifth, McKinstry, now moving to 3B. booted a one out grounder by Hampson to put one on with one out. Pham hit a fly to the warning track in right but Perez made a leaping catch against the fence for the second out. Skubal grazed Witt to put two runners on with two out but then charged up everything he had left and struck out Perez to end the threat.
Meanwhile in Cleveland, the Twins scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th to take a 4-2 lead.
Sweeney flew out to the track in center field to leas off the sixth, then Rogers singled past Witt and Meadows beat out an infield single to put two on with one out. Vierling, pinch hitting for Carpenter flew out to the gap in right center field, allowing Rogers to motor over to third. Perez grounded out 6- 4 to end the inning. Still 4- 1 Tigers as Cleveland scored the ghost runner to make it 4- 3 for the Twins in the bottom of the 10th.
Brenan Hanifee took the mound to start the bottom of the sixth as Skubal was approaching the scientific number (not) of 100 pitches. 5.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 earned run, one BB on a bad call, and seven K’s, to put Skubal back in the league lead. The Tigers said they weren’t going to lean on Skubal hard down the stretch considering this is his first full season back from injury. They’ve stuck to their guns, like it or not. Hopefully that helps him in October…
After striking out Grossman, Gurriel reached on an infield single but Hanifee got Perez to ground into a double play to end the sixth.
In Cleveland, the Guardians scored two more in the bottom of the 10th to pull out a victory, pulling Detroit within one game of the Twins, at least temporarily. Scoreboard watching is definitely a thing again for Tiger fans.
Former Tiger John Schreiber took the hill for the Royals in the 7th to retire the side in order.
After Massey singled, Hanifee returned serve and struck out the Royals in order in the bottom half.
Sam Long came on to pitch the 8th for Kansas City and retired the side in order as well. Still 4- 1 Tigers.
As Hanifee took the mound for a third inning in the bottom of the eighth, McKinstry chased a fly ball into shallow left field down the line and backed off at the last second, putting Witt on second with no outs. Perez singled through the right side, scoring Witt to make it 4- 2.
Southpaw Sean Guenther, who has come out of nowhere with a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings, replaced Hanifee and immediately got the grounder to third for a 5-4-3 double play. it’s unreal how often they’re doing this. Two outs, nobody on as a sigh of relief came from Tiger Town. Renfroe flew out to left to end the inning. We were on to the ninth with the Tigers ahead 4- 2.
Carlos Hernandez took the mound for the Royals in the top of the ninth, and walked Vierling and Perez before getting Greene to ground into a double play, Vierling took third with two outs on the play, but Torkelson struck out to end the inning.
Guenther came back out for the bottom of the ninth, with Jason Foley having worked the last three nights and Tyler Holton working three of the last five games. He pitched to one batter. Michael Massey hit a line drive that was speared by Torkelson, diving to his right for possibly his best defensive play of the season.
Will Vest came in with one out and nobody on. He got DeJong on a blooper to Andy Ibanez at second for the first out, then struck out Kyle Isbel with a beautiful heater on the edge to put the game on ice and seal the victory.
The win put the Tigers within one game of 81 victories, and within half a game of the Twins for the final wild card spot with nine games to play in the season. Folks, we’re in a playoff race! It’s been a while!!
Skubal picked up his league leading 17th victory in the process, and re-took the lead in strikeouts to lead all three triple crown categories.
The Tigers now have an off day to help get a taxed bullpen some rest. They head to Baltimore to start a three-game set on Friday night with just nine games left in the season. Meanwhile, the Twins can feel the 2024 Detroit Tigers breathing down their neck.