The Detroit Tigers were on the verge of a very disastrous start. Starting 2-9 and having mistake after mistake, fans wondered how long they would have to wait this time. Well, before it got worse, AJ Hinch made a statement and does what good managers do and set a tone for his team. After the Javy Baez benching, this team looked night and day different. They were winning games and seeing some form of hope. The Tigers would look to make it six wins in a row; were they able to do it?
Recap
Spencer Turnbull had a rough first couple of starts in 2023. Today he finally settled in, and it was easy to tell early. Turnbull had his fastball working and needed just 30 pitches in the first two innings of work. The Guardians starter Quantrill matched the effort seen from the Tigers starter, and after four innings of play, the two teams were locked at 0-0 and just two combined hits.
There was not much action to speak of until the sixth inning. After a leadoff walk followed by a single, the Guardians had the leadoff runners on with Jose Ramirez coming to the plate. Ramirez would send a Turnbull pitch deep into right field and give us the game's first runs. Turnbull would be pulled after 82 pitches, going 5.1 IP, followed by 3 H, 3 BB, 3 Ks 3 ER. The Tiger's offense couldn't muster much and didn't plate a run until the seventh inning. That is where Spencer Torkelson sent a solo home run into the left field over the bullpens to give Detroit their first run of the day. Zack McKinstry would get his first homer as a Tiger in the eighth, but once again, it would only be good for one run to score 3-2. Carpenter and Baddoo would get on to lead off the bottom of the ninth but would fall short against Clase. The final score was Cleveland 3, Detroit 2.
Hitting
Not too much hitting to speak of today. All the runs were scored off of just three hits, all home runs. Spencer Torkelson had a solid day for Detroit, going 2-3 with a home run and a walk. While it may not have amounted to anything scoring-wise, Kerry Carpenter continued to hit the ball well, going 2-4 in the game. The Tiger's one through three hitters in the lineup went just 1 for 12. Mckinstry came into pinch hit in the bottom of the eighth and went 1 for 1 with a solo home run. For Cleveland, they didn't do much to produce their offense outside of some walks. The Guardians went for just five hits but got the one that mattered most. After struggling all series, Ramirez finally broke through with his winning three-run blast.
Pitching
Quantrill and Turnbull both gave solid efforts in today's game. Turnbull is getting deeper into the game than his previous stuff while limiting the damage besides the home run. Quantrill would go for six very smooth innings. Giving up just four hits and one walk kept Detroit off the bases most of the afternoon. Quantrill would strike out just four Tiger batters, but when the ER column reads 0, he did something right. The Tigers bullpen saw the arms of Alexander, Lange, and Cisnero all striking out at least two batters a piece. The Tiger bullpen gave up no runs and walked just one batter. Cleveland's bullpen made it enjoyable, giving up the same amount of hits in three innings that Quantrill allowed in six. Two solo home runs given up by the Guardian bullpen almost opened the door too wide for Detroit. Clase would have an inning in which he saw the first two batters reach before retiring the next three to secure the win.
Closing
It was nice to see some life put back into this Tigers team. All streaks end, but to only drop this game 3-2 how they did today, I would say they haven't lost too much steam. Detroit falls to 7-10 after their 2-9 beginning, and Cleveland moves back above .500 at 10-9. Detroit has an off day tomorrow before a set with Baltimore.