Aggressive Justyn-Henry Malloy drives Detroit Tigers to 9-9 tie with Tampa Bay Rays

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers tied the Tampa Bay Rays, 9-9, at Charlotte Sports Park on Sunday in their first road game of the 2024 Grapefruit League season.

The Tigers built a 9-3 lead in the seventh inning, but the Rays came back after the Tigers emptied their bench. Tampa Bay tied it with a couple of homers — including an inside-the-park shot off a bloop hit — and three doubles, scoring six unanswered runs.

There were 5,130 in attendance.

What happened

Despite letting a victory slip away, the Tigers’ youngsters made a statement on Sunday afternoon.

Justyn-Henry Malloy, who is fighting for a bench spot, came out aggressive at the plate — a change the Tigers want — and he picked up a pair of hits, including a homer.

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Justice Bigbie, a former 19th-round pick and one of the most intriguing players in camp because of how he has soared through the system, got his first Grapefruit League start in left field. Bigbie had some tremendous at-bats, picked up two singles, added an RBI and flew out to the warning track in center.

And Andre Lipcius, who hit .286 in 13 games in Detroit in 2023, picked up an RBI.

“He’s got himself in good shape,” manager A.J. Hinch said before the game. “He’s been a reliable baseball player and that has value.”

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Starting off

Alex Faedo, who went on the injured list in September with a blister on his middle finger, got the start for the Tigers. After pitching two innings, he looked at his hand outside the Tigers clubhouse. “No blister!” he reported.

So that’s the first hurdle.

Faedo struck out three with no walks. But a single by Josh Lowe and a double by Harold Ramirez tied the game, 1-1. And Yu Chang, the Rays’ non-roster-invitee shortstop, hit an opposite field homer in the second inning.

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“I feel happy with where my stuff is,” Faedo said. “I felt confident and comfortable on the mound. I was able to get to two innings, which in the past, your first time going two innings, coming back from rehabbing, in that second inning you feel kinda crappy. I felt like 100% fresh, so that was really reassuring.”

And Keider Montero was impressive, throwing two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out one.

The one oddity? Kameron Misner hit an inside the park home run for the Rays when a pop-up landed between four Tigers and it got kicked into the outfield.

Wilmer Flores gave up four earned runs and Calvin Coker gave up two.

At the plate

The Tigers came out swinging.

The Tigers want Malloy to be more aggressive at the plate, and he was certainly that on Sunday. In the first, Malloy swung on a 3-0 count and singled over short. In the third inning, he crushed a first-pitch fastball to right-center.

“He has an incredible routine,” Hinch said before the game. “If anything, offensively, he can take his shot a little bit more often.”

And that’s what he did.

Zach McKinstry, who is also fighting for a spot on the bench, did a little bit of everything. He crushed a ball to deep left-center for a ground-rule double.

McKinstry also made a fine play at third base — against an old Tiger, Isaac Paredes — to end a Rays rally in the first inning.

And he had a walk in the third inning.

Eddys Leonard, picked up in a trade deadline deal from the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, played short and showed tremendous range to his left, throwing out Osleivis Basabe at first. He also showed off his bat Saturday in the first game of spring, driving in the final two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded double to finish 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

“Super fun personality,” Hinch said. “I asked him of all the positions that he’s played, what’s his favorite position? And he said ‘lineup’ and he meant it.”

Finally, Carson Kelly had a fantastic day at the plate. In the third inning, he hit an RBI single and he slammed a two-run homer to left in the fourth.

Three stars

1. Malloy, 2. Kelly, 3. McKinstry.

Next up

Monday vs. Houston Astros at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.

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Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.