Winning is the most fun.
Welcome home, Tigers! In this weekend’s series, we’ll see the Tigers take on the Cincinnati Reds. For the opening game of the series the Tigers fittingly went with an Opener, bringing Brant Hurter in for the first inning before turning things over to Keider Montero for the bulk of the game. The Reds looked to Nick Martinez to tame the Tigs. Both teams would have some cool, drizzly weather to contend with.
Paws also wasn’t playing here to make friends:
Paws going after Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/cwgejCAsWW
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) June 13, 2025
To start the game, TJ Friedl took a leadoff walk. Then, with one out, Elly De La Cruz singled. With two outs, Hurter was done for the game, making way for Keider Montero, who got the last out of the inning. In the home half, on the very first pitch of the inning, Gleyber Torres hit a solo homer to put the Tigers on the board nice and early. Three outs followed, but it was still a good start.
In the second, Gavin Lux took a one-out walk, but two back-to-back outs soon sent him back to the dugout. Colt Keith kicked off the home half with a walk, then Javier Baez got a one-out single. But both baserunners were ultimately left stranded.
TJ Friedl proved exactly why the Tigers employed an Opener against him in the first outing as he started the third with a leadoff solo home run. Three outs in a row finished the inning for the Reds, but the score was now tied 1-1. Two outs into the bottom of the inning, the home run struck again, this time a solo blast by Riley Greene. Spencer Torkelson followed it up with a single, but only the one run would score.
Montero got himself into a bit of a pickle in the top of the fourth. Spencer Steer got a one-out single. One out later, Connor Joe and Matt McLain got back-to-back singles to load the bases. But Montero pushed through and got the final out of the inning.
In the home half, with one out, Baez hit a homer that bounced off the bullpen fence. Then Jake Rogers, who hadn’t gotten a hit since April due to his lengthy stint on the IL, managed to get something going with a two-out double. I doubt he’s smiled that big since his first Little League hit. The Tigers didn’t bring him home, but a slump bust is a slump bust.
That Baez homer looked extra nice at the top of the fifth when Elly De La Cruz hit a one-out solo home run. Tyler Stephenson also collected a two-out single, but only one run scored. In the home half Kerry Carpenter kicked things off with a single. Then Spencer Torkelson was hit by a pitch. The Reds tried to challenge the call, but it was upheld, sending Torkelson to first. Colt Keith then singled, but Carpenter was tagged out at home plate trying to get the run across.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Connor Joe doubled. One out later, Montero’s night was done and he was replaced by Tyler Holton to get the final out of the inning. While Montero was not technically the starter, his final line for the night was 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR on 83 pitches. In the home half, Javier Baez took a leadoff walk, and that was all she wrote for Martinez, who was replaced by Scott Barlow. Zach McKinstry then laced a single into right field, allowing Baez to advance to third. McKinstry then stole second, and on the heels of that move, Rogers walked to load the bases. Gleyber Torres hit a sac fly that managed to score Baez.
Taylor Rogers replaced Barlow, but things didn’t get any better for the Reds. Jahmai Jones pinch-hit for Carpenter, and hit a little baby single, but it was enough to re-load the bases. And that was what Riley Greene was waiting for as he hit a ball to deep left that dribbled right into the corner and scored three runs.
Spencer Torkelson was intentionally walked. Keith reached on a rare no-out fielder’s choice as Matt McLain forgot how to keep a ball in his glove. Ian Gibaut was the third Reds pitcher of the inning and got the second out. The Tigers would leave ‘em loaded, but they did bat around, and at the end of the sixth, the score was 7-2.
In the seventh, De La Cruz reached safely on a fielding error by Baez. With two outs, Chase Lee replaced Holton and then gave up a single to Tyler Stephenson. He did rebound to get the final out of the inning, though, and left two runners stranded. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Gleyber Torres launched his second home run of the night. Jones then singled again, but the Tigers only scored the one run.
The Reds very efficiently went down in order at the top of the eighth. Brent Suter was the next reliever for the Reds, and he walked Spencer Torkelson. Keith then singled. Baez then hit the most bonkers double, basically off the tip of his bat, that just slid right up the middle between second and third, scoring Torkelson. One heck of a night for Rogers as he singled to score two more runs before he was tagged out at second trying to get a sneaky double.
John Brebbia came in for the Tigers to close things out in the top of the ninth, and gave up a one-out walk to Santiago Espinal. A wild pitch advanced Espinal, then a De La Cruz double brought him home. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (new longest name in baseball?) singled. Stephenson then doubled to score two runs, and all those bonus Tigers runs were looking extra beneficial. That was also the end of the night for Brebbia. Matt Gage came in and got the final two outs of the game.