Detroit, MI
Spencer Torkelson homers in 5th straight as Tigers avoid sweep by Reds
Detroit Tigers’ Scott Harris explains Kevin McGonigle contact extension
Detroit Tigers president Scott Harris breaks down contract extension for Kevin McGonigle on April 15, 2026, at Comerica Park in Detroit.
CINCINNATI – The Detroit Tigers were nearly swept by the Cincinnati Reds.
Hao-Yu Lee saved the day.
The 23-year-old hit the first home run of his MLB career – a pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning that carried the Tigers to an 8-3 win over the Reds on Sunday, April 26, in the finale of the three-game series at Great American Ball Park.
The milestone homer from Lee produced the first two of six runs across the seventh and eighth innings. The Tigers (15-14) salvaged the series against the Reds (18-10) while completing a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
Next up, the Tigers will travel to clash with the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series at Truist Park, beginning Tuesday (7:15 p.m., Detroit SportsNet/TBS). The probable pitchers for the series: right-hander Casey Mize (Tuesday), followed by left-handers Tarik Skubal (Wednesday) and Framber Valdez (Thursday).
In Sunday’s game, the Tigers’ four-run seventh inning changed everything.
A fielding error allowed Gleyber Torres – the leadoff hitter – to reach safely, setting up the big inning. Manager A.J. Hinch called for Hao-Yu Lee to pinch-hit for Colt Keith, securing the matchup advantage against left-handed reliever Sam Moll.
The decision paid off.
Lee has a track record of crushing left-handers in the minor leagues, and in this situation, he delivered his first home run in the big leagues. He pushed an up-and-away 90.7 mph fastball the opposite way for a two-run home run, hitting it 402 feet to right-center field with a 105.8 mph exit velocity.
The two-run homer gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
Spencer Torkelson kept the offense firing for a 5-3 lead with a solo home run off right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson, who replaced Moll to get the matchup advantage with Torkelson.
But Torkelson won the battle.
He attacked a middle-up 94.9 mph fastball and pulled it 421 feet to left-center field with a 107.3 mph exit velocity.
It was Torkelson’s fifth game in a row with a home run.
That tied a franchise record, joining Marcus Thames (2008), Willie Horton (1969), Vic Wertz (1950), Hank Greenberg (1940) and Rudy York (1937).
Celebrate 125 seasons of Tigers magic!
Torkelson’s five homers have all come on fastballs – three sinkers and two four-seamers –located on the inner half of the plate.
His swing is on time.
And he keeps doing damage.
The Tigers weren’t done scoring.
A triple from Kerry Carpenter and a sacrifice fly from Matt Vierling extended the Tigers’ lead to 6-3 in the seventh, then a walk from Kevin McGonigle and a two-run home run from Gleyber Torres extended the margin to 8-3 in the eighth inning.
Torres hit an elevated 94.6 mph fastball from right-handed reliever Jose Franco for his second homer in 27 games.
It was another opposite-field home run.
To get to the finish line, the Tigers turned to four relievers out of the bullpen for the final four innings: left-hander Brant Hurter in the sixth, right-hander Will Vest in the seventh, right-hander Kyle Finnegan in the eighth and right-hander Brenan Hanifee in the ninth.
The Tigers recalled Hanifee from Triple-A Toledo before Sunday’s game, replacing right-handed reliever Connor Seabold (placed on the 15-day injured list with left ankle inflammation).
Hanifee worked around a one-out single to end the game.
Striking early
The Tigers struck first for a 2-0 lead in the first inning, facing right-hander Rhett Lowder.
It began with a one-out single from Torres.
With two outs, three consecutive baserunners reached safely with Riley Greene’s single and Torkelson’s walk to load the bases, followed by a two-run double from Carpenter off Lowder’s changeup at the bottom of the strike zone.
After Carpenter’s double, Vierling lined out to end the first inning, stranding two runners in scoring position. In the second inning, Colt Keith grounded out to strand two runners after back-to-back singles from McGonigle and Torres with two outs.
From there, Lowder settled in against the Tigers.
Lowder allowed two runs on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across five innings, throwing 94 pitches. The 24-year-old has a 3.18 ERA through six starts.
The Reds responded to the Tigers with one run apiece in the second, fourth and fifth innings, facing right-hander Keider Montero.
In the second, Nathaniel Lowe battled for eight pitches before hitting Montero’s hanging curveball in a full count for a solo home run to right-center field. His fourth homer of the series (and his fourth of the season) cut the Reds’ deficit to 2-1.
In the fourth, JJ Bleday stepped to the plate with two outs and worked a full count before hitting Montero’s elevated fastball for a solo home run to center field. His first homer of the season tied the game, 2-2.
In the fifth, Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a triple to right field off Montero’s first-pitch sinker, then scored on Matt McLain’s double off Montero’s two-strike slider at the bottom of the zone. Those swings put the Reds ahead, 3-2.
Montero allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts across five innings, throwing 86 pitches. All five hits were extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs from left-handed hitters.
The 25-year-old owns a 4.00 ERA through five starts.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Detroit, MI
Detroit Pistons release injury report ahead of Game 7 vs. Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons forced Game 7 with a 115-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 in Cleveland on Friday.
Pistons forced Game 7 with a 115-94 win over the Cavaliers in Game 6 in Cleveland on Friday.
Detroit — After staving off elimination Friday night at Rocket Arena, the Detroit Pistons will face the Cleveland Cavaliers at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday night, with the series tied 3-3. If the Pistons win Game 7, they will reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2008 and will compete against the New York Knicks.
In preparation, the Pistons released their final injury report for the series, which lists Kevin Huerter, Caris LeVert, and Duncan Robinson as questionable for Game 7. LeVert (right heel contusion) and Robinson (lower back soreness) were listed as questionable ahead of the Pistons’ 115-94 Game 6 victory but played vital roles in the win.
Robinson returned to the lineup after missing Game 5 Wednesday night, finishing with 14 points while shooting 4-of-7 from behind the arc in 20 minutes. However, he returned from the injury by coming off the bench for the first time this season. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff chose to keep Daniss Jenkins in the starting lineup to assess Robinson’s condition.
Huerter has been listed as questionable for the third time since his return for a left adductor strain that forced him to miss seven consecutive games. He sustained the injury during the Pistons’ first-round series against the Orlando Magic. He played for three minutes in his comeback on Wednesday night but left the game shortly thereafter. Despite being available, Huerter did not play in Game 6.
However, the most significant reveal from the Pistons’ injury report was the noticeable absence of Jalen Duren. The All-Star center rolled his left ankle midway through the third quarter of Game 6 after colliding with Cavaliers guard James Harden.
Bickerstaff substituted Duren immediately for Paul Reed. He made a couple of trips to the locker room, but returned at the start of the fourth quarter. As a result, Duren had his most impactful game of the series, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds and two blocks.
NBA Playoffs, second round: No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 4 Cavaliers
Series tied 3-3
Game 1: Pistons 111, Cavaliers 101
Game 2: Pistons 107, Cavaliers 97
Game 3: Cavaliers 116, Pistons 109
Game 4: Cavaliers 112, Pistons 103
Game 5: Cavaliers 117, Pistons 113 (OT)
Game 6: Pistons 115, Cavaliers 94
Game 7: at Detroit, Sunday, 8 p.m. (Amazon Prime)
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
Detroit, MI
How many division wins will the Detroit Lions tally in 2026?
Every year, the NFL schedule bring upon something new for the Detroit Lions. This year, it’s a trip to Germany, a rare “Sunday Night Football” game at Carolina, and an early bye week. Oh wait, scratch that last one. It happens all that time.
Another constant on the Lions’ schedule is their divisional opponents. Like every other team, Detroit’s six divisional games make up over a third of their entire schedule. That means Detroit’s record within the NFC North will likely be crucial toward their regular season success. And with all three of their road divisional games crammed into the final four weeks of the season, how Detroit fares in those contests will almost certainly decide where they land in the postseason picture.
Last year, Detroit was swept by both the Vikings and Packers, and even though they ended up sweeping the division-winning Chicago Bears, it wasn’t enough to punch their ticket to the playoffs. So today’s Question of the Day is:
How many division wins will the Lions pick up on their 2026 schedule?
My answer: I’m going with three.
First off, let’s get this straight. There is no universe where getting swept by the Vikings again in 2026 is acceptable. I understand their defense is a very tough matchup for an offense-heavy team like the Lions, but Minnesota’s roster just doesn’t compare to the rest of the division right now—especially with the questions at quarterback. Because the Vikings still always play the Lions tough, I’ll give them a split of the series.
And I’m going to be boring with the other two teams, too. I expect a split with each series. I think Ben Johnson will have a chip on his shoulder after getting swept by Dan Campbell last year and find a way to win one of those games. And while I’m really tempted to predict a sweep of the Packers, I’m just having a hard time seeing it given how well they tend to play against Detroit. The Lions will have the benefit of the bye week going into their first matchup, but a Week 18 game in Lambeau will be tough, even if the Lions managed to beat them in that exact scenario during the 2022 season.
How many division wins do you think the Lions pick up this year? Vote in the poll below and share your reasoning in the comment section.
Detroit, MI
What time is Pistons Game 7 vs Cavs? Date, tickets in Detroit
The Detroit Pistons won their fourth must-win game of the postseason, and they’ll have to win one more if they want to advance to the NBA’s final four in the 2026 playoffs.
The 1-seed Pistons will face the 4-seed Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, May 17. The game will be streamed exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, with a start time of either 5 p.m. ET or 8 p.m. ET.
The Pistons reached Game 7 for a second consecutive series after beating the Cavaliers 115-94 in Game 6 on Friday night in Cleveland. The Pistons were down 3-2 in the series after losing three consecutive games, including an overtime loss in Game 5 at LCA on Wednesday.
Pistons-Cavs Game 7 tickets
The winner of Game 7 will face the 3-seed New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, with the Pistons aiming to avenge a first-round loss to the Knicks in the 2025 playoffs. The Pistons went 3-0 in the regular season against New York.
Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s Game 7 between the Cavs and Pistons:
Pistons vs Cavs Game 7 time
- Date: Sunday, May 17.
- Time: 5 or 8 p.m. ET.
- Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
Sunday’s Game 7 between the Pistons and Cavs will take place Sunday evening at Little Caesars Arena.
Pistons vs Cavs Game 7 channel
Pistons vs Cavs stream for Game 7
Sunday’s Game 7 between the Pistons and Cavs will not be on a traditional TV channel, but instead will stream exclusively on Prime Video. That means you’ll need a smart device with a Prime subscription to watch it.
Watch Pistons-Cavs Game 7 on Prime Video
Pistons tickets for Game 7 vs Cavaliers
Tickets for Game 7 of Cavaliers vs. Pistons on Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit are going on StubHub.
Pistons vs Cavaliers schedule, scores in playoff series
Here are the Pistons vs. Cavs scores and schedule for the playoff series in the first round:
>>Follow the best Pistons coverage all year round at freep.com/sports/pistons.
Need to catch up on the news during your lunch break? Sign up for our Sports Briefing newsletter to get daily summaries of Detroit sports!
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
-
Boston, MA19 seconds agoFor kids in public housing, access to higher-income neighbors spurs future economic gains – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO6 minutes agoMatch Report: Orlando Pride drops 3-1 decision to Denver Summit FC | Orlando Pride
-
Seattle, WA12 minutes agoWhere to watch San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 17
-
San Diego, CA18 minutes agoGuide to San Diego County’s community gardens
-
Milwaukee, WI24 minutes agoMilwaukee shootings Saturday, 4 people wounded
-
Atlanta, GA30 minutes ago
Atlanta Dream are more than a team. We’re a platform for connection, change.
-
Minneapolis, MN36 minutes ago5 years after her killing, Aniya Allen’s grandfather is returning to peace activism
-
Indianapolis, IN42 minutes ago
Who won Indianapolis 500 pole position? Qualifying, time trials schedule, format, starting grid