Spencer Torkelson did something on Tuesday night against the Blue Jays that almost feels like a typo: he stole a base.
It was the first stolen base of his season and only the sixth of his career, a rare little jolt that fit perfectly into a night when the Tigers kept doing things they haven’t done much of for most of the year. Detroit, long buried near the bottom of the stolen-base leaderboard, has suddenly started running with real purpose.
Entering Monday’s action, the Tigers had swiped 15 bags over their previous 15 games, which tied for fourth-most in MLB. They added two more after that.
The result was a 10-1 win over Toronto, and it came with a little bit of everything. Max Clark went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Torkelson had two hits and a homer. Hao-Yu Lee also went deep.
And then there was the moment that summed up the whole night: Torkelson, not exactly known for foot speed - his sprint speed sits in the 26th percentile and is the third-lowest on the Tigers - taking off and getting the job done anyway.
That kind of aggression feels intentional. AJ Hinch and the Tigers have been signaling a change in approach as September arrives.
After Joey Cora left the team in July, the Tigers backed off a bit, but the arrival of youth and speed with Clark, John Peck and Ben Malgeri - plus their position in the Wild Card standings - has opened the door for a looser, more adventurous style. Even Torkelson is being given room to run.
There’s a fun edge to it right now, and the Tigers look like a team enjoying the freedom. They’re experimenting.
They’re playing with less pressure. They’re showing fans a preview of what this group might look like when it gets another blank slate in 2027.
For now, it’s helping them stay alive mathematically and making life harder for Wild Card hopefuls.
Still, there’s a line here, and Detroit can’t afford to cross it. Cora was fired for a reason, and the Tigers can’t turn this into reckless baseball or start giving away free outs just because the mood has lightened. Letting Torkelson or, heaven forbid, Eduardo Valencia take off whenever they want would be a different story.
At their best, the Tigers have been smart on the bases, and that should be the standard even when they’re pushing the envelope. Jason Benetti and Andy Dirks pointed out on the broadcast that Brendon Little’s delivery gave a runner at first more time to make a move, and after Torkelson scored on a John Peck single, they joked, “He must've read the scouting report.”
That’s the sweet spot for Detroit: calculated risk, not chaos. Some of their best stretches have come with a little daring, and with the season winding down and their fate no longer entirely in their hands, this is the right time to lean back into that edge.
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Colt Keith has spent the 2026 season moving around the Tigers lineup card, bouncing between third base, first base and designated hitter duties as Detroit sorts out where he fits best long term. For a club trying to stabilize its infield beyond this year, the appeal is obvious: Keith has shown a better offensive split at third base than he has in the other spots, even if the sample sizes are still all over the place.
The Tigers still have to weigh that production against the defensive side of the equation, which is the part that will likely decide whether third base becomes a real answer for 2027. Keiths bat has at least given the front office a reason to keep looking there, and the next step is figuring out whether the fit holds up once Detroit starts planning more seriously for next season. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Late-Season Push Feels Real After Another Torkelson Statement
Spencer Torkelson kept the Tigers surge rolling with a three-run homer, and Drew Anderson supplied the kind of steady outing Detroit has been searching for in a 10-1 win over the Blue Jays. Anderson worked five shutout innings, allowed just two hits and struck out four while picking up his first victory since July 23, a clean effort that fit the tone of a night when the Tigers looked increasingly comfortable playing meaningful September baseball.
The win stretched Detroits streak to six straight and added more weight to a late-season push that suddenly feels far more real. Toronto, meanwhile, has dropped six of nine and slipped further in the American League wild card race, a reminder that every head-to-head result carries extra value this time of year as the Tigers continue to make their case. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Win Streak Now Hinges On A Crucial Keider Montero Test
The Tigers have put themselves in a strong spot again, riding a sixth straight win with a 10-1 thumping of the Blue Jays that kept the momentum rolling in Toronto. It has been the kind of stretch that changes the feel of a clubhouse, and now the final game of the series brings a different sort of test, with Keider Montero lined up to take the ball after some uneven recent outings.
Monteros start has become the latest point of interest because the Tigers have not only needed wins, they have needed signs that the back end of the rotation can hold up when the schedule turns. On the other side will be Max Scherzer for Toronto, a veteran nearing the end of his career who has shown mixed form lately, which adds a little more edge to a game that already carries more weight than a typical series finale. [Read more 🡒]