Connect with us

Minnesota

Detroit Tigers come alive in 8th inning for 4-3 win over Minnesota Twins to split series

Published

on

Detroit Tigers come alive in 8th inning for 4-3 win over Minnesota Twins to split series


Another game, another comeback win.

The Detroit Tigers continue to struggle in the run-scoring department, especially throughout the early innings, but the ongoing issue hasn’t deterred the never-quit effort from the hitters throughout the lineup. It was on display again in Sunday’s eighth inning, as the Tigers scored four runs to suddenly take the lead.

Those four runs were just enough for the Tigers to beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-3, in Sunday’s series finale at Comerica Park. Spencer Torkelson drove in the game-winning run with a bloop single to shallow right-center field.

Advertisement

The Tigers and Twins, projected to finish at the top of the American League Central, split the four-game set.

JEFF SEIDEL: Tigers reaffirm biggest problem with season: They must play perfect to be good

The Tigers (9-6) once again received a solid performance from their starting pitcher, a positive trend this season. Right-hander Jack Flaherty allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts across 6⅓ innings, throwing 100 pitches.

Flaherty threw 47 pitches in the first two innings, in which he gave up two of the three runs, then he settled down to throw just 53 pitches over his final 4⅓ innings.

Advertisement

The Tigers never had a breakthrough on offense against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober, who tossed six-plus scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He allowed just three hits and didn’t walk any batters in his 84-pitch outing.

The breakthrough happened in the eighth inning, beginning with Javier Báez’s solo home run off left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar to put the Tigers on the scoreboard.

The homer to left field marked Báez’s first of the season.

Back-to-back singles from Carson Kelly and Riley Greene kept the pressure on the Twins and led to a pitching change. Mark Canha met right-handed reliever Griffin Jax with a two-run double that deflected off third baseman Kyle Famer, and because of the deflection, the ball rolled into the left-field corner.

Advertisement

It should have been ruled an error.

Still, Canha’s double knotted the score at 3-3, and he advanced to third base on the unnecessary throw home from the left fielder.

Torkelson put the Tigers in front, 4-3, with his single off Jax’s down-and-away sweeper. The sweeper ended up outside of the strike zone, but Torkelson made contact. He hit the ball with a 62.1 mph exit velocity, and once the ball dropped in for a bloop single, Canha scored from third base.

Right-handed reliever Jason Foley walked Matt Wallner and Edouard Julien with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but he dispatched Ryan Jeffers to finish the game.

Foley notched his fourth save in as many chances.

Advertisement

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Jack Flaherty battles

Flaherty wasn’t perfect.

But he was pretty good in his third start of the season.

He worked around two singles in the first inning, but he didn’t have the same luck in the second inning. He opened the second inning with a leadoff walk to Carlos Santana, and with two outs, Famer singled and Julien walked. Those three batters loaded the bases for Jeffers.

Jeffers delivered a two-run single for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Advertisement

SUNDAY’S NOTEBOOK: Tigers’ Andy Ibáñez on road to health; Spencer Torkelson’s decisions at first base

Flaherty retired all three batters in the third inning, and he sent down three of four batters in the fourth inning. The only blemish in those innings: Christian Vázquez hit a hanging slider to left-center field for a solo home run.

The homer put the Twins ahead, 3-0.

Flaherty hit the first batter he faced in the seventh inning, and after striking out Julien, the Tigers replaced him with right-handed reliever Will Vest. The runner was stranded by Vest with back-to-back outs to complete the seventh.

As for Flaherty, he generated 16 whiffs (on 45 swings) with five fastballs, seven sliders and four knuckle curves. His fastball averaged 94.1 mph and maxed out at 96.9 mph.

Advertisement

Before the comeback

Before the eighth inning, the Tigers showed signs of life in the seventh inning.

Torkelson, who still hasn’t hit a home run, hammered Ober’s 10th pitch — an up-and-in fastball — for a double to left field. The leadoff extra-base hit chased Ober. Right-handed reliever Brock Stewart replaced Ober, only to walk Kerry Carpenter on five pitches.

The next batter, Colt Keith, grounded into a force out, leaving runners at first base and second base with one out. The Tigers failed to score a single run because Gio Urshela grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Urshela hit a bouncer back to Stewart.

Before the seventh, Greene hit a leadoff double in the first inning and Urshela hit a single in the second inning. After that, the Tigers didn’t get another baserunner until Torkelson’s double.

Advertisement

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.





Source link

Minnesota

East Range Police Department officer passes away

Published

on

East Range Police Department officer passes away


A police officer in northern Minnesota unexpectedly passed away earlier this week.

The East Range Police Department said that Sgt. Cody Siebert passed away on Friday, less than 24 hours after being diagnosed with a brain infection.

The department said that Siebert was known for his happy-go-lucky personality and that “if you couldn’t get along with Cody, it was your fault.”

Siebert started at the K9 program in Babbitt with K9 Taconite (Tac) before going to the East Range Police Department.

Advertisement

“The hole left by Sgt. Siebert’s passing will be impossible to fill,” East Range police said. “We at ERPD love you and will miss you always. We have it from here.”

Mesabi East Schools also stated that the district was “truly blessed to have him walking our halls, greeting students, encouraging staff, and building relationships that went far beyond the badge.”

Click here for a GoFundMe to support Siebert’s family.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Minnesota

How ICE’s presence is affecting child care in Minnesota

Published

on

How ICE’s presence is affecting child care in Minnesota


What happens to day care providers when families decide to stay home? Coming up at 9 a.m. on Monday, MPR News host Angela Davis is joined by early childhood education reporter Kyra Miles to talk about how the the increase of federal immigration agents is affecting the child care industry and children, families and child care workers.



Source link

Continue Reading

Minnesota

Utah Mammoth take down Minnesota 5-2 to end the Wild’s winning streak at 6

Published

on

Utah Mammoth take down Minnesota 5-2 to end the Wild’s winning streak at 6



The Wild were taken down by the Utah Mammoth 5-2 on Friday night to end Minnesota’s winning streak at six games. 

Lawson Crouse scored twice and U.S. Olympian Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists for Utah.

Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves to help the Mammoth rebound from a 4-2 home loss to NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. Utah began the night in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Advertisement

U.S. Olympian Matt Boldy scored and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov’s goal for Minnesota. Second behind Central Division-rival Colorado in the West, the Wild are 9-2-1 in their last 12. They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night in Denver.

Cooley opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 6:37 left in the first period. The former University of Minnesota star got the puck on the right side off a deflection and put a shot between Wallstedt’s legs for his 15th goal.

Keller scored his 18th at 4:26 of the second. Nick Schmaltz forced a turnover on a forecheck and fed Keller on the right side.

Crouse made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second. He came down the middle, took a pass from Keller and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.

Kaprizov countered for Minnesota on a power play with 5:57 left in the second. He has 33 goals this season.

Advertisement

Hayton made it 4-1 on a power play at 1:19 of the third, and Crouse added his 16th of the season on a tip with 7:12 to go.

Boldy got his 35th of the season with 5:57 remaining.

Up next

Wild: Host St. Louis on Sunday.

Mammoth: Host Chicago on Sunday.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending