The Tigers blew this one open in the third.
Happy Monday, and it was a Monday Funday at Comerica Park, let me tell you. To open their series against the Red Sox, the Tigers called on Jackson Jobe to pitch, while the Red Sox turned to Tanner Houck.
In the first inning Rafael Devers got a one-out single, but he was the only baserunner for the Red Sox. The Tigers, meanwhile, didn’t waste much time before scoring some runs. Kerry Carpenter hit a leadoff single, then Gleyber Torres hammered a home run to bring in two runs.
Riley Greene collected a one-out single, but the Tigers would need to settle for the two runs and a nice early lead.
In the second, with one out, Trevor Story got hit by a pitch. He was soon eliminated in a force out, and then one more out followed to keep the Red Sox scoreless once again. The Tigers’ bats were silent in the home half, however, as they went 1-2-3.
Ceddanne Rafaela kicked off the third inning with a single. He was eliminated, then, on the force out, and then Jobe gave up back-to-back walks to Devers and Alex Bregman. It was a bad situation, but the combo of great fielding by Kerry Carpenter and great work by Jobe, the Red Sox weren’t able to score a run. Things really broke open for the Tigers in a serious way in the third. Carpenter doubled to start the inning, then back-to-back walks to Torres and Colt Keith loaded the bases. A wild pitch from Houck scored the first run of the inning, but it wouldn’t be the last. Riley Greene then singled, but a fielding error by Wilyer Abreu managed to turn that single into a Little League inside-the-park home run. With one out, Zack McKinstry singled, then Dillon Dingler was hit by a pitch to join him on the basepaths. Trey Sweeney homered to bring three runs in. Javier Baez singled, then Kerry Carpenter walked. A Gleyber Torres single brought Javy home on an incredible slide. That was finally it for Houck, who was replaced by Sean Newcomb. Justyn-Henry Malloy came on to pinch-hit for Keith, and he singled to score Carpenter. Two outs then followed, but by the time it was all over, the Tigers had scored nine runs in the inning.
The Sox went 1-2-3 at the top of the fourth. In the home half, McKinstry singled, then one out later, Sweeney singled to put men on the corners. Baez then singled to score yet another run.
Gleyber Torres collected another single, but the Tigers couldn’t pile anything else on.
With two outs in the top of the fifth. Devers collected another walk, something he apparently is still willing to do for the Red Sox. Bregman walked, but even with two on the Red Sox couldn’t make anything happen. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the home half.
In the top of the sixth, Abreu hit a solo home run. Then two outs later, Connor Wong walked, and that was it for Jobe for the day. His final line for the evening was 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, 1 HR on 100 pitches. Aside from a high number of walks, it was a really good outing for Jobe, certainly bolstered by the great run support he had to take some of the pressure off.
Sean Guenther came in to get the final out of the inning. In the home half, Dingler got a leadoff double. Baez then singled to score Dingler. At the end of the inning the Tigers were up 13-1.
David Hamilton singled to start the seventh, but was soon eliminated in a double play. Then a strikeout ended the inning. Malloy singled to start the home half. McKinstry then reached on a fielding error by Abraham Toro at first, and this allowed Malloy to score.
In the top of the eighth, with two quick outs, Guenther was replaced by John Brebbia. Brebbia got the final out of the inning. In the home half, Sweeney started off the inning with a single. Sweeney was eliminated in a force out by Carpenter, who landed safely on first. No runs ultimately scored.
The game rolled into the top of the ninth, and Toro started things off with a solo home run. A bunch of adults in the stands tried to bully a kid into throwing the home run ball back, and I’m pleased to say he kept his treasure and did not yield to peer pressure. The Tigers also didn’t allow one run to turn into a rally, and while David Hamilton got a two-out single, the Tigers got the last out, and held onto a very impressive lead.
Final: Tigers 14, Red Sox 2