The Tigers head into the series finale in Seattle with Framber Valdez back in the spotlight and a lineup built to answer a 4-2 loss in game two. Detroit’s bats had been rolling earlier in the set, but Bryan Woo shut things down enough to cool that surge and leave the Tigers needing a strong start from their highest-paid arm.
Valdez is carrying plenty of attention into this one. Detroit brought him in to help push for a World Series run, and with Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize dealt at the MLB Trade Deadline, he’s now the veteran presence in the rotation who has to deliver a reset.
His last outing looked like the kind of version the Tigers were hoping for: seven innings, one run allowed, six strikeouts and two walks against the Athletics. But July was a rough stretch overall, with Valdez posting a 7.13 ERA in four starts, which left his season ERA at 4.41 entering this game.
Manager A.J. Hinch is backing him with a lineup that puts Kevin McGonigle at the top and Gleyber Torres right behind him, followed by Dillon Dingler, Riley Greene, Colt Keith, Spencer Torkelson, Max Clark, Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry.
- 3B Kevin McGonigle
- 2B Gleyber Torres
- C Dillon Dingler
- LF Riley Greene
- DH Colt Keith
- 1B Spencer Torkelson
- CF Max Clark
- SS Javier Baez
- RF Zach McKinstry
Torres is one of the names worth watching closely after getting hit by a pitch from left-hander Gabe Speier. The sequence came after Enmanuel De Jesus had hit Cal Raleigh in the bottom of the seventh, and Torres was then plunked in the top of the eighth on the same pitch that had already missed him once.
The result was benches clearing, with only Speier and Mariners manager Dan Wilson getting ejected. Torres now gives the Tigers a chance to turn that tension into production.
Dillon Dingler has been one of the better bats in the series, going 4-8 with two home runs and three RBIs. Riley Greene has also been productive at 3-8, though he was held without a hit in game two. If those two keep swinging it well, Detroit should like its chances even with Bryce Miller on the mound for Seattle.
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Tigers Fans Already Have One Big Question About The Skubal Return
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For Detroit, the timing only sharpened the curiosity around what came back in the Skubal return. The Tigers added Zyhir Hope and River Ryan in that deal, and both arrive with the kind of upside that can change the temperature of a deadline reaction fast. Hope has flashed impact at Double A, while Ryan brings a power arm that can light up a radar gun, and the question now is less about why Detroit made the move than how quickly those pieces can start shaping the next wave. [Read more 🡒]