After losing two in a row against the Braves and dropping below the .500 mark for season wins, the Tigers were hoping to dodge a series sweep before heading back to Detroit. Despite a losing record, the Tigers only trailed the division-leading Guardians by half a game, because the AL Central is not having a great year so far. To get themselves back on track, Detroit had Framber Valdez on the mound, and the Braves would be depending on Bryce Elder, who is off to a really strong start this season, three wins coming into today’s game, a 1.93 ERA and 0.96 FIP. There’s a reason Atlanta has the best record in baseball right now, so the Tigers would have a fight on their hands to come away with the win.
The Tigers made a push to get baserunners on in the first. Colt Keith got a two-out single, and right on his heels, Riley Greene took a walk. However, a Spencer Torkelson flyout ended the inning, leaving both baserunners stranded. In the home half, Drake Baldwin got a one-out single. Valdez does typically pitch to contact, getting a lot of outs on the ground, but the Braves were going to take advantage of that where they could. Ozzie Albies then singled, putting two on. A Matt Olson groundout got the second out of the inning, but advanced both runners into scoring position. A strikeout did end the inning, thankfully, with no harm done, but a decidedly rough start to the game.
The second inning saw the Tigers go 1-2-3, with bonus thanks to a Braves ABS challenge that ended in the second out of the inning for Matt Vierling. Valdez really started to struggle in the home half, with a leadoff hit-by-pitch to Mauricio Dubon. Kyle Farmer then singled. With one out an Eli White single brought the first run of the game in for Atlanta. There was then some lengthy drama as Ronald Acuña Jr decided he was hit by a pitch and walked to first. The home plate ump belatedly disagreed, and there was a review requested. Some debate later, it was determined he wasn’t hit, and he came back to the plate to get struck out for the second out of the inning. Very peculiar. By some miracle the inning ended with only the one run scored.
Kevin McGonigle got a one-out walk in the top of the third. Right after him, Gleyber Torres singled. A Colt Keith groundout managed to advance both runners into scoring position. Two outs followed, though, leaving things scoreless for the Tigers. Ozzie Albies doubled to start the home half. With one out, Valdez threw a pitch so wild he might as well have been 50 Cent throwing the opening pitch of a game. Albies easily advanced to third. With two outs, Dubon singled, bringing Albies home. Kyle Farmer then hit into a force out to end the inning.
In the fourth, Spencer Torkelson got things going with a leadoff single. Too bad three outs followed that. Thankfully for the Tigers Valdez turned things around in the home half of the inning getting the Braves out in order for the first time in the game.
With two outs in the fifth, Torres singled, but he tried to leg it out into a double and got snagged at second, ending the inning. Valdez continued to look good in the bottom of the inning, going three-up, three-down.
In the top of the sixth, Riley Greene got a one-out walk. Spencer Torkelson followed that with a single. With two outs, Matt Vierling singled, bringing Greene home and putting the Tigers on the board for the first time in the game. They’d need to settle for the one run, but it put them within one run of tying things up.
The Braves once again went 1-2-3 in the home half. If Valdez had this kind of command against the Braves all game, things might be looking very different at the moment.
After six innings and one run, Elder’s day was done. He was replaced by Tyler Kinley. McGonigle had a foul tip hit him on the inside of the thigh and knee. It took a little bit for him to walk it off, but ouch. He worked a walk out of it, getting on base for the second time in the game (but not yet extending his impressive hitting streak). Torres won an ABS challenge by a sliver, then got a single. Colt Keith singled and suddenly the bases were loaded. A Torkelson lineout into left ended the inning, with three men left stranded and the Tigers still trailing. Not sure they’re going to see a better opportunity this game.
In the home half, Valdez was done as well, being replaced by Drew Anderson. Valdez’s final line for the game was 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K on 99 pitches. It started rough, but he really hit his stride mid-game, impressive against these red-hot Braves. With two outs, Acuña doubled. Anderson then walked Drake Baldwin intentionally. The Tigers got through a nail-biting inning with no runs added to the score.
In an effort to prove me wrong, Detroit got the eighth started with vigor. Kerry Carpenter kicked things off with a triple to dead center against new pitcher Joel Payamps. Matt Vierling, RBI hero, came in and singled, tying the game up 2-2.
Hao-Yu Lee took a walk. AJ Hinch went to his bench, swapping out Jake Rogers for Dillon Dingler. After striking out Dingler on a full count, Payamps was done, making way for Aaron Bummer. McGonigle walked for the third time in the game. Torres hit a sac fly, deep enough into the outfield to score Vierling and bumping the Tigers into the lead.
A pinch-hitting Jahmai Jones came in and ended the inning with a strikeout. Anderson continued for the eighth, getting three outs in a row.
José Suarez was the new Atlanta reliever for the ninth. While the Tigers were fighting it out in Atlanta, we got some updates from the minors regarding our injured players.
A pinch-hitting Wenceel Perez worked a great at-bat and worked a walk, something the Tigers were doing well in this game. Vierling then continued his dominance against the Braves with a groundball that took a weird little hop. Thanks to a fielding error by Mike Yastrzemski, who couldn’t catch the little bobbling hit, and Perez made an incredible run from first all the way home on the play.
Lee walked for the second time in the game. Dingler then doubled right into the left field corner, giving Vierling enough leeway to get home for another run. Lee tried to get another one across, but was tagged out at home to end the inning. The Tigers were up 5-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Perhaps learning from last night’s walk-off nightmare, the Tigers turned things over to Kyle Finnegan for the ninth. Yastrzemski got a one-out single. With two outs, Yastrzemski advanced to second on defensive indifference. Finnegan worked out of the jam, getting the final out of the inning and the Tigers had a win to take them home and avoid the sweep.
Final: Tigers 5, Braves 2
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