And one volatile ejection.
You know you might be Canadian if you ask yourself, “Why is it a day game on a Monday?” or “Man, did a lot of people call in sick to work today for a Montero start?” Well, no, folks, don’t worry, I figured out it was Memorial Day (no, we don’t have Memorial Day in Canada, we have Remembrance Day at the same time y’all do Veterans Day). And I have to say, the uniforms for it this year are a really nice change of pace. Trading in camo for the poppies was an excellent move. In today’s game the Tigers turned to Keider Montero, while the Giants were leaning on Hayden Birdsong.
In the top of the first, with one out, Matt Chapman walked. Then, Jung Ho Lee singled to put two men on. Two outs followed, leaving two runners stranded, zero runs scored. In the home half, Colt Keith hit a ground rule double (this was initially ruled an E7, but later changed), but the Tigers wouldn’t be able to bring him home.
The top of the second saw the Giants go 1-2-3. In the bottom of the inning, Spencer Torkelson got a leadoff walk, but that was it for the Tigers that inning as three outs followed.
Montero continued to deal against the Giants with another three-up, three-down inning in the third. But the Tigers did the same thing in the home half.
Once again the Giants went 1-2-3 in the fourth. In the home half, Keith hit a leadoff single. Then the lucky force of Tarik Skubal being mic’d up in the dugout was what the Tigers needed. With one out, Torkelson singled. Then with two outs, Dingler singled to bring Keith home and finally put a score on the board for the Tigers.
With two outs in the fifth, Patrick Bailey walked for the Giants, but was soon walking right back to the dugout. In the bottom of the inning things got spicy. Javier Baez fiercly disagreed with a strike call (he was right, it was a ball), but it got very spirited and he was ejected from the game. Meanwhile, Joey Cora and Gleyber Torres had to physically restrain him from getting into it with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi as A.J. Hinch attempted to calm things down.
Once that cooled down, Kerry Carpenter singled, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Torres walked, and that was all she wrote for Birdsong, who was replaced by Erik Miller. A pinch-hitting Andy Ibanez walked. Then, a Riley Greene single brought in two runs.
Spencer Torkelson was walked intentionally, and then Zach McKinstry grounded into a double play.
Keider Montero’s day was done after five with a final line of 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K on 79 pitches. A really good outing for him against a strong NL West team. Matt Vierling replaced Baez in the filed, and Tyler Holton was out of the pen in relief. Matt Chapman and Jung Ho Lee got back-to-back singles with one out, and with the minimum batters faced, Holton was replaced by Brenan Hanifee. Wilmer Flores singled to drive in a run, but Willy Adames grounded into a double play to end the inning with minimal damage. In the home half Spencer Bivens was the next Giants pitcher out of the pen. With two outs, Matt Vierling singled, but the Tigers weren’t able to get him home.
Beau Brieske was next out of the Tigers’ pen, and he gave up a leadoff walk to LaMonte Wade Jr. Three outs (and a moment of silence) followed. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
Tommy Kahnle was in for the eighth, and got the Giants out in order. The Giants called on Jordan Hicks in relief in the bottom of the inning. The Tigers went 1-2-3.
For (hopefully) the final outs of the game, Will Vest was in. Wilmer Flores singled. Then Willy Adames grounded into a force out that Sweeney managed to get perfectly executed, getting the ball to Andy Inbanez to get the out. Vest then collected the last two outs needed to seal the deal on the Tigers’ win. A great way to start the series.
Final: Tigers 3, Giants 1