The first game of the season was a smashing success: rookies mashing, pitchers dazzling, and a can of whoop-butt was opened right off the hop. Would the Tigers be able to duplicate their early success in San Diego on Friday night too? Well, it took a few innings to come to fruition, but just like we’ve seen in the past couple of years, these Tigers seem to have a taste for late-in-the-game comebacks at their best, with a clutch hit from a rookie being the fatal blow in a 5-2 Tigers win.
Making his regular-season Tigers debut was Framber Valdez, the biggest offseason pickup for Detroit. After eight solid seasons in Houston, the last four of which were very good, he came north to reunite with his former manager and maybe pick up a little more hardware, hopefully? In that four-year stretch he averaged a 3.21 ERA (127 ERA+, 3.29 FIP), 1.159 WHIP, a bit below 192 IP, 8.8 K/9IP and 2.3 BB/9IP. He’s also been great at keeping the ball in the park, averaging a scant 0.7 HR/9IP, even pitching half his games in whatever that park in Houston’s called these days, which has tended to favour the hitters a bit.
Facing Valdez tonight was Michael King, who’s in his third year in the Padres’ rotation after a few years spent mostly in the Yankees’ bullpen. He’s been no slouch lately either; in two seasons in a brown uniform he’s sported a 3.10 ERA (134 ERA+, 3.65 FIP). He’s also averaged just over 10 K/9IP, so let’s just say he’s been a solid acquisition for the Padres.
In the top of the second Kevin McGonigle hit a rocket to centre, but Jackson Merrill climbed the wall and took the rookie’s first major-league home run away.
I mean, that’s a pretty short wall, but you gotta tip your cap to any dinger-robbery. Merrill, of course, came up first in the bottom of the second and bashed a double to right, but a pair of lineouts and Valdez’s first strikeout got him out of the inning. He was giving up some solid contact, which isn’t exactly what you want to see.
The Padres got on the board in the fourth: Machado doubled to left, Merrill pushed him up to third with an infield single, and another infield single by Miguel Andujar scored him. A flyout put runners on second and third with one out, and Valdez was in his first jam of the night. Merrill took off from third on a grounder to Javier Báez and got cut down at the plate, leaving runners at the corners; Jake Cronenworth then struck out on a curveball in the dirt, ending the threat and the inning with limited damage.
In the top of the fifth the Tigers had two runners on with none out via a walk and a hit-batter. But then Parker Meadows struck out, Báez grounded out, and Kerry Carpenter struck out on some nasty changeups from King, and that was that.
Gleyber Torres walked to lead off the sixth, which was the end of King’s night. The very-tough Adam Morejon came on, and pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones grounded into what looked like a sure double-play, except a bobble by Machado put two runners on. But then Riley Greene actually did ground into the ol’ twin-killing, leaving Torres on third with two outs. Would the Tigers squander yet another opportunity? They actually would not, as Spencer Torkelson laced a single to left-centre to score Torres and tie the game.
But then Torkelson was thrown out trying to steal — you gotta be aggressive, I guess — and that ended the inning.
Colt Keith, who came into the game in the bottom of the sixth, made a nifty diving play on the first batter he saw on a screaming, 100-mph liner to third. With two outs and Merrill on first, Dillon Dingler tried to back-pick him after he stumbled, but Dingler airmailed the throw into right field; Merrill advanced to second and scored on a double by Ramón Laureano, the Padres retaking the lead 2-1. Ty France then struck out to end the inning, so yet again Valdez limited the damage after a run had scored with more quite possible.
Enmanuel De Jesus, who had a great WBC with Venezuela, took over for Valdez in the seventh, and gave up yet another Padres infield single. But then De Jesus got a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to right, and hey, that was a pretty nice return to the Major Leagues by EDJ after spending two years in South Korea. I’m going to call him EDJ whenever I can, and I hope it catches on.
Jeremiah Estrada, the second normally-lethal arm out of the Padres’ pen, came on in the eighth and with one out walked Carpenter, Torres and Keith to load the bases; his command was clearly off. That brought up Greene, who softly singled to shortstop — holy moly, how many infield singles can a game have?! — to bring home Carpenter and tie the game. Torkelson struck out, Estrada was dispatched in favour of Wandy Peralta, and McGonigle came to the plate for a lefty-lefty showdown. Peralta kept pouring fastballs inside and then a nasty slider down and away, but McGonigle kept fouling them off, one after another. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat he singled to right, driving in Torres and Keith to put the Tigers up 4-2.
What an epic at-bat by McGonigle in a clutch situation; this is his second game amongst the tall buildings, let’s not forget. Dingler then promptly atoned for his previous miscue by also singling to right, scoring Greene for a 5-2 lead. Vierling popped out to third to end the inning, but it’s worth noting that the Padres’ new manager, Craig Stammen, went to Peralta rather than the always-nasty Mason Miller. Who knows how that inning would’ve turned out if Miller was on the mound? Luckily, second-guessing managers is fun and absolutely free, so have at it, folks.
Kyle Finnegan was called upon for the bottom of the eighth, and Machado walked. But Merrill popped out to second, Andujar and Laureano struck out, and just think what a solid Finnegan could do for this Tigers bullpen. A fan can dream.
Kenley Jansen and his Fabulous Cutters made their Tigers debut tonight, to pitch the ninth and earn the save. What’d he do? Struck out Gavin Sheets, struck out Cronenworth, struck out Old Friend™ Nick Castellanos. I could get used to this.
Final score: Tigers 5, Padres 2
That McGonigle At-Bat
Let’s take a look at that.
Follow that pitch sequence: up and down, in and out. Six foul balls. One mistake in the zone, kaboom, game-changing hit. Plus, take a look at that video clip above; his swing is powerful but both controlled and balanced. I’m in luuuuurve, everyone.
Notes and Numbers
- Wenceel Pérez, who didn’t make the Tigers out of Spring Training, hit a home run in Toledo tonight. Where was that earlier in March? Sheesh.
- Did you see Mike Trout clubbed a monster home run on Thursday night, and crushed a screaming line-drive homer on Friday night? Did you know Mike Trout is still playing? I didn’t, but I’m glad he is. From 2012 through 2016, he averaged 9.4 WAR per season. That’s just absolutely bananas.
- On this day in 1845, Wilhelm Röntgen was born in what is now northern Germany (but was part of Prussia back then). You may know him as the discoverer of X-rays in 1895. Quite a handy guy to have around, I’d think.
