The Tigers opened their series against the Rockies with a 6-2 win, and the game turned in a hurry once Colorado’s bullpen got involved.
Framber Valdez started for the Tigers opposite Mason Adams, and for a while it looked like the night might stay quiet. Colorado put together a few early chances - Jake McCarthy singled in the first, Adael Amador walked in the second, and Connor Norby added a single in the third - but the Rockies couldn’t cash in. Detroit wasn’t doing much better through four, as both lineups spent a lot of time going quietly.
Then the fifth inning finally cracked open. Troy Johnson and Jordan Beck each singled for Colorado, and Ezequiel Tovar’s fielder’s choice brought Johnson home only after a tag out at the plate.
McCarthy followed with another single, and the Rockies tried once more to score at home, only to get wiped out by a huge throw from Zach McKinstry. Even after that, the inning kept going: Norby walked, a fielding error by Kevin McGongile let Cole Carrigg reach and scored Tovar, and Colorado had its first run on the board.
Detroit answered immediately. Max Clark tied it with a solo home run in the bottom half, then the Tigers started drawing walks and forcing Colorado to work. John Peck walked, McKinstry walked, and Javier Baez hit into a double play to end that threat, but the tone had shifted.
The sixth is where the Tigers blew it open. Colorado went to Mark Manfredi first, then Nick Frasso, and neither move helped.
Gleyber Torres walked, Riley Greene ripped a triple off the centerfield wall to bring him in, and Dillon Dingler launched a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw. Clark was hit by a pitch, stole second, then moved to third and home on back-to-back wild pitches.
Peck also walked and stole second before McKinstry finally ended the inning, but by then Detroit had piled up a 5-1 lead.
Valdez finished his night after six innings with 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K on 90 pitches. Jacob Waguespack handled the seventh for the Tigers, while Blas Castaño answered with a clean inning in the bottom half.
There was a little late drama in the eighth when Carrigg singled for Colorado and a McGonigle catch near the protective netting was ruled a foul after MLB clarification said he “lost control of his body” in the netting. Detroit still added another run in the bottom of the inning when Spencer Torkelson walked and Greene doubled to make it 6-1. Moniak also finished the frame with a sharp final out.
Brant Hurter took the ninth for Detroit and ran into a bit of trouble. Adael Amador led off with a single, then with two outs Zac Veen reached on a dribbler down the third-base line that allowed Amador to score.
McCarthy followed with another single, ending Hurter’s night. Kenley Jansen came in and got the last out to lock down the Tigers’ win.
In Other News...
Tigers May Have Found A Surprise Arm In The Casey Mize Deal
The Casey Mize trade was always going to be measured by the big-league arms and names at the top, but Jackson Wolf has quietly made it worth a closer look for Detroit. Since joining the Tigers organization, the left-hander has turned in a sharp stretch of work, putting together a 1.63 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings across six appearances, a notable bounce from the rougher version the Tigers got in the deal.
Wolf was hardly a headline prospect when Detroit acquired him. He had been struggling in Triple-A El Paso with a 7.05 ERA and wasnt ranked in the Padres pipeline, which is part of what makes this early turnaround interesting for a Tigers team always looking for usable pitching depth. Whether this becomes a real role for Wolf in Detroit is still to be determined, but his recent form has given the front office an unexpected arm to keep tracking. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Suddenly Face A Wenceel Perez Problem They Can't Ignore
Wenceel Prezs season has hit an unexpected stop at exactly the wrong time for Detroit, with an orbital bone injury from a postgame workout ending his year and knocking him out of baseball activities for now. He is still rehabbing, but the Tigers have been left to sort through a roster picture that already has other moving parts, including Keider Montero headed for the paternity list.
Jack Flaherty is lined up for a simulated game and could be activated soon, while Justin Verlander is set to throw off a mound without facing hitters, so the pitching side keeps inching forward. Even so, Prezs absence lingers as a separate concern because the injury removes an outfield option the club had been counting on, and the longer he stays away from baseball work, the harder it is for Detroit to know what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Verlander Just Took A Step Tigers Fans Have Been Waiting On
Justin Verlanders rehab took a noticeable turn at Comerica Park, where the veteran right-hander threw off the mound against simulated batters as he continues working back from a hamstring injury. The session was a welcome checkpoint for the Tigers, who have been waiting to see how his body responds after the setback, and the early read was encouraging with his velocity and intensity both standing out.
Detroit still has not put a specific return date on Verlander, but the club remains hopeful he can make a late-season appearance if the ramp-up keeps trending in the right direction. Jack Flaherty also took part in a simulated game as he works his way back from right flexor tendon inflammation, giving the Tigers two important rehab watch points as they try to sort out the final stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]