The Miami Marlins are the worst team in baseball. The Detroit Tigers nearly lost to them, but Spencer Torkelson saved his team by knocking down a hanging slider for a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, providing a 6-5 victory over the Marlins in the opener. on Monday three games. series at Comerica Park.
“It felt really good to help the team,” Torkelson said.
Torkelson, who extended his hitting streak to eight games, hit the ball 446 feet to left-center field for his second home run of the season. The longest home run of his career gave him the longest hitting streak of his career.
Meanwhile, the Tigers (21-20) avoided falling below .500 for the first time this season.
![Spencer Torkelson’s home run leads Detroit Tigers to 6-5 victory over Miami Marlins Spencer Torkelson’s home run leads Detroit Tigers to 6-5 victory over Miami Marlins](https://i0.wp.com/keynoteusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Spencer-Torkelsons-home-run-leads-Detroit-Tigers-to-6-5-victory.jpg?resize=660%2C372&ssl=1)
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Right-handed reliever Alex Faedo allowed a two-run homer to Otto Lopez in the top of the eighth, but the Tigers responded with three runs in the bottom of the eighth, capped by Torkelson’s second home run in as many days (after none in the Tigers’ first 39 games).
“To get that feeling, you just have to feel it once,” Torkelson said. “Like many things in life, you feel it and then it’s repeatable, repeatable, repeatable. It’s just about getting the first one.”
But first, the Tigers reduced their deficit to 5-4 with Wenceel Pérez’s double to right field and Andy Ibáñez’s RBI single.
The Tigers were down to two outs and two strikes in the eighth when Torkelson unleashed a meatball (a middle-middle slider from right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado) for a two-run home run, putting the Tigers ahead, 6-5.
TORK LEAVES THE YARD 💣 pic.twitter.com/UpE3hS0Lu0
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 14, 2024
“This was a big deal,” manager AJ Hinch said. “I’m very happy for him. You could see the excitement when he hit it. It’s been a long stretch for him, and coming up big at a big time with a big swing is is literally a game-changer. Very rewarding for a lot of work for him and the people around him.”
Right-handed reliever Jason Foley then recorded his 10th save when he put the Marlins down in order in the bottom of the ninth inning, striking out the first two batters.
![Spencer Torkelson's home run leads Detroit Tigers to 6-5 victory over Miami Marlins Detroit Tigers first base Spencer Torkelson (20) hits a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, May 13, 2024.](https://i0.wp.com/www.freep.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/05/14/PDTF/73680074007-usatsi-23266598.jpg?resize=660%2C440&ssl=1)
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Matt Manning returns
Right-hander Matt Manning dealt with at least one runner on base in every inning in his return from Triple-A Toledo, replacing Kenta Maeda in the rotation. He allowed three runs, nine hits,, and one walk with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, throwing 81 pitches.
“It was fun,” Manning said. “I had a good time. I like it here. You can’t take a day in the big leagues for granted. I’m glad we won the game and I just tried to do my part.”
Manning avoided mini-threats in the first, second, third,, and fourth innings, but putting runners on base caught up with him in the fifth inning. The Marlins tied the game, 3-3, with three runs in the inning, which began with a single by Vidal Bruján.
After two outs, the Marlins accumulated three hits in a row for three runs: Bryan De La Cruz (RBI single), Josh Bell (RBI double) and Jesús Sánchez (RBI single).
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Bruján hit a fastball, De La Cruz hit a sweeper and then both Bell and Sánchez threw curveballs. The Marlins produced strong contact throughout Manning’s five-plus innings, but primarily in the three-run fifth inning.
Manning returned for the sixth inning.
![Spencer Torkelson's home run leads Detroit Tigers to 6-5 victory over Miami Marlins Detroit Tigers pitcher Matt Manning (25) pitches in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday, May 13, 2024.](https://i0.wp.com/www.freep.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2024/05/13/PDTF/73679351007-usa-20240513-ams-aa-1-0004-jpg.jpg?resize=660%2C440&ssl=1)
He recorded two straight outs before Bruján’s double chased him in his fourth start of the season (and just his first start as a member of the 26-man roster). Manning, who has a 4.37 ERA, made his previous three starts as the 27th player in doubleheaders.
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Faedo picked up Manning by striking out Christian Bethancourt on three pitches (82.5 mph slider, 83.3 mph slider, 94.3 mph fastball) to end the sixth inning.
The #Tigers take a 1-0 lead in the second inning, thanks to Zach McKinstry breaking up what could’ve been a double play with a side into Marlins shortstop Vidal Bruján. pic.twitter.com/eaN9ULxSco
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) May 13, 2024
“He was unbelievable,” Hinch said of Faedo, who gave up the two-run homer in the eighth inning despite a brilliant performance. “He needs to know that.”
As for Manning, he generated 12 strikeouts in 43 swings (a 27.9% strikeout rate) with six fastballs, two sweeps, and four curveballs. His fastball averaged 94.1 mph.
His curveball was solid until the Marlins hit it in the fifth inning.
“It’s tough,” Manning said. “I think that’s part of the game where it’s like having them adjust, or making the adjustment first, and it worked.”
A 3-0 lead
Just as the Marlins scored their first three runs in the fifth, the Tigers scored their first three runs in the second inning, which began when Kerry Carpenter delivered a single.
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Joey Cora sent Zach McKinstry when Jazz Chisholm Jr. booted the ball that sailed into center field. McKinstry was thrown out at home plate to end the fourth inning.
Here’s when Cora decided to send McKinstry: pic.twitter.com/QH0ScAqAHW
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) May 13, 2024
A missed catch error that followed benefited the Tigers.
After Zach McKinstry’s walk, the Tigers took a 1-0 lead when McKinstry broke what could have been a double play that ended the inning with a lateral to Bruján.
“That was dangerous,” Hinch said. “That was a tough play. I was waiting for (the refs) to get together and see what the slide was about, or if they were going to review it. We got a little bit out of the gray area on that Avoid Tag, Change Your Line rule. base and then slide into nothing. I mean, he didn’t touch the base. It was a big play where you can’t just get caught there and let him throw to first, but I didn’t know what that play was going to be like. a coin toss.”
The Tigers added additional runs against right-hander Sixto Sánchez, taking a 3-0 lead, with consecutive RBI singles by Carson Kelly and Riley Greene.
Sánchez allowed three runs (zero earned runs) on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 4⅔ innings, throwing 81 pitches.
The Tigers were eliminated at home plate in the fourth inning when McKinstry stole second base with two outs and two strikes. The throw to second sailed toward center field. The ball was kicked by center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., and once that happened, third base coach Joey Cora motioned for McKinstry to come back, even though McKinstry wasn’t even halfway to the ball. Third base.
It was too aggressive a shipment.
McKinstry was ejected at home to end the inning.
“The ball to center on the stolen base, it jumps and there was a bad play in the middle,” Hinch said, “so Joey is moving it just as McKinstry was slowing down, so McKinstry had a little bit of a late read. Obviousl,y it’s There are also two outs, and I think there were also two strikes on the batter. The wires got crossed a little bit just because the timing of the bad play inthe center caught McKinstry at a bad time and Joey at a bad time. .
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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