The Tigers turned a tight game into a runaway Saturday in San Francisco, blanking the Giants 8-0 behind Jackson Jobe’s sharp return to the mound and a six-run seventh inning that blew the door off the place.
Jobe was making his first start since May 28 of last year, and he looked every bit like a pitcher ready to pick up where he left off. He opened with a fastball that topped 100 mph for his first strikeout, then piled up three more punchouts over five innings. In his comeback from Tommy John surgery last summer, he allowed just one hit and one walk.
San Francisco starter Landen Roupp kept Detroit quiet early, too. Through five innings, he had struck out three and given up only two hits, and the Tigers once again looked stuck in the same offensive rut they had shown Friday night.
Detroit finally scratched across the first run in the top of the sixth, but it came in a subdued way. Every Tigers runner who reached base in the inning did so via a walk, and Spencer Torkelson’s five-pitch walk brought home the opening score.
Then came the seventh, and with it, the real separation. The Tigers took advantage of Trent Harris making his major-league debut for the Giants, as Zach McKinstry, Kevin McGonigle, and Dillon Dingler strung together back-to-back-to-back big hits to push Detroit ahead and hand Harris a rough introduction.
Reiver Sanmartin entered in relief, but the damage kept coming. Riley Greene singled, then pinch-hitter Eduardo Valencia delivered a loud hit that center fielder Drew Gilbert lost in the sky, clearing the way for both Greene and Dingler to score. Max Clark then lined his first major-league triple, driving in Valencia and stretching the lead to 7-0.
Detroit had gone 15 innings in San Francisco without an extra-base hit before that burst, and then suddenly the bats were flying all over the park. Clark added another RBI in the top of the ninth on a forced ground-out to make it 8-0.
Tyler Holton and Ty Madden handled the final four innings out of the bullpen, combining to allow just one hit while striking out three and finishing off the shutout.
The Tigers will try to take the series from the Giants Sunday afternoon in the final game of their West Coast road trip.
In Other News...
Tigers Still Have A Real Shot If They Make These 3 Tweaks
The Tigers deadline selloff did not knock them out of the race, even after two of their better starting pitchers were moved. Detroit is still hanging around the playoff picture, and that has pushed attention toward smaller, more immediate fixes rather than any sweeping overhaul. In that sense, the conversation has shifted from whether this group can contend to how the front office might patch a roster that is still close enough to keep hope alive.
One path would be to lean into the bullpen market, with free-agent relievers Lou Trivino and Craig Kimbrel both viewed as possible additions. Another would be to tap into Triple-A and give Corey Julks a look, adding another bat and a different type of energy to the mix. None of those moves would remake the Tigers, but for a team still within striking distance, the right combination of modest tweaks could be enough to keep the season from drifting away. [Read more 🡒]
Kenley Jansen Is Setting A Tone The Tigers Suddenly Need
Kenley Jansen has been one of the steadier pieces in Detroit since coming back from injury in mid-June, giving the Tigers the kind of late-inning presence they wanted as the roster shifted around the trade deadline. The veteran closer has been effective across his recent work, and the broader message around him has been about more than saves. It has been about tone, accountability and a veteran willing to help hold a changing clubhouse together.
Jansen said he still needs to improve, even with the strong run he has put together lately, a reminder that the Tigers are asking more of him than clean innings. Detroit also passed along rehab updates for Brant Hurter and Wenceel Perez while reshuffling the pitching staff to make room for Jackson Jobes return, and those moving parts only sharpen the need for steady voices at the back end. For a team trying to settle in after deadline changes, Jansen looks ready to be part of that answer, even if the full picture is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Jackson Jobe's Return Could Change Detroit's Playoff Push
Jackson Jobe is back on the active roster at a time when Detroit could use every bit of pitching help it can get. The Tigers activated the right-hander from the 60-day injured list and sent reliever Brenan Hanifee to Triple-A Toledo, a roster shuffle that comes on the heels of trades involving Casey Mize and Gage Workman and creates a clearer path for Jobe to step into the rotation.
The move gives Detroit a fresh arm with real long-term significance, but it also brings a measure of uncertainty as the club tries to keep its playoff push on track. Jobes return has been a long time coming after Tommy John surgery, and his next outing will be watched closely as the Tigers sort through a staff that has already been reshaped by recent transactions. [Read more 🡒]