The Tigers limped their way into Seattle after a dismal three-game series in Los Angeles to open the season against the Dodgers. Here’s the thing, that Dodgers team is brutal, it wasn’t surprising that the Tigers lost. What should be taken from that series was just how close games one and two were, all things considered.
They were hungry for a win, though, and the Mariners seemed poised to give it to them, as rookie Jackson Jobe got the nod for the Tigers, making his big starting debut, and the Mariners turned to Emerson Hancock.
Hancock struggled right out of the gate against the Tigers, and knowing the value of a strong lead (and also desperate to end their terrible 4-32 RISP numbers from LA). Justyn-Henry Malloy who just got the call up this morning, started things with a bang, doubling to right. Kerry Carpenter followed that up with an RBI single to put the Tigers on the board while the game was still just starting. Carpenter got caught stealing (well, really, he got caught with a hilariously wide lead off first that he just sort of legged into a steal attempt when he knew he was busted, but this was all worth it to lead to a TOOTBLAN discussion). That didn’t slow the Tigers down any. Riley Greene hit a solo home run.
Spencer Torkelson singled, then Colt Keith drew a walk. Zach McKinstry then got a two-out single to score Torkelson (with a lot of thanks to outfielder Randy Arozarena who couldn’t seem to find a ball if they paid him, which they do…). Trey Sweeney singled to score Keith, and then Javier Baez doubled to score two more. With six runs in, Hancock was done for the day, having really Hancocked things up. He was replaced by Tayler Saucedo, after the Tigers had already batted around. Malloy, in his second at-bat of the first inning, drew a walk. Carpenter grounded out, finally ending the top of the first, after 50 combined pitches. In the home half, Jackson Jobe might have been forced to sit a while, but that didn’t dull his edge, as he collected three consecutive outs and his first strikeout of the game.
The second inning got underway and the Tigers were still looking to pad their lead. Torkelson got a one-out single. Seriously, who is this guy? Incredible. Colt Keith got his second walk of the night, but two outs followed, a little classic LOBster scenario. Bottom of the second and Randy Arozarena absolutely clobbered a home run on the first pitch he saw. The M’s were looking at swinging hard early after seeing Jobe’s first inning. Luke Raley got a one-out walk. The fastball just wasn’t working for him, and the Mariners knew it. He did get the final two outs of the inning, though, no major damage done.
Collin Snider was next out of the Mariners’ pen. Trey Sweeney legged out an infield single, only to be eliminated by a double play off the bat of Javier Baez. Malloy walked, and the Kerry Carpenter doubled to center, giving Malloy enough time to get all the way home. The Tigers left Carpenter stranded, but getting Malloy home did extend the lead 7-1.
In the home half Jobe definitely started to show signs of struggle. J.P. Crawford walked, then Victor Robles doubled. Julio Rodriguez grounded out to score Crawford, though huge props to Baez for getting int the way of the liner, because had it gotten through it definitely would have scored another run. Cal Raleigh lined out wide of first and Torkelson did a great job stopping the ball, then committed an error by throwing it into left field. It let Robles advance to third, but thankfully the ball was kept from getting away and scoring additional runs. Arozarena walked, which I’ll take any day over a home run. Jobe got the final out of the inning by tagging Polanco out at first on a dribbling little infield hit back to the mound.
The top of the fourth proved that Torkelson can, in fact, be out this season. But then Colt Keith doubled (no, I didn’t spell “walked” wrong). That was enough for the Mariners to dip back into the pen and bring out Carlos Vargas. Calling it now, we’re going to get a position player pitching before this is over. Dillon Dingler then singled to score Keith. In the bottom of the inning, Jobe once again gave up a leadoff homer on the first pitch, this time to Luke Raley. Ryan Bliss got a one-out walk. J.P. Crawford popped out to Dingler for the second out. A strikeout to Robles ended the inning. Jobe did seem to be settling a bit more towards the end of the inning, but you can tell he’s still young and untested. It did appear like four would be it for him, ending the game 4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 HR on 79 pitches. An uneven outing, but lots to like.
The Tigers went 1-2-3 for the first time all night in the top of the fifth. Brenan Hanifee came in for the Tigers and Julio Rodriguez tripled to deep right where McKinstry tried hard and almost caught it, and a visiting Tigers fan pointing to the hidden under the wall padding might have saved it from being an inside-the-park home run, honestly. Jorge Polanco hit a two-out single to right, back to poor McKinstry, and scored Rodriguez, bringing the score to 8-4 and suddenly making all those early game runs feel much more essential. That was it for Hanifee, who was replaced by Tyler Holton. Luke Raley walked, but the Mariners were not able to bring in any more runs because nothing else was hit towards McKinstry.
In the sixth, the Tigers once again went 1-2-3. In the home half J.P. Crawford walked, the first time in a long time Holton had two walks in one game. With two outs in the inning Holton got pulled and Will Vest came on to replace him as Julio Rodriguez came up to the plate. He did get Rodriguez out in fine form.
Dillon Dingler singled to start the seventh, the first three-hit game of his career. Baez then hit a little blooper into center that three different outfielders simply failed to catch. Dingler advanced to third. Malloy hit an infield single to score Dingler. Perfect. Brant Hurter was the next reliever out of the Tigers’ pen. Arozarena hit a double to deep right, but it was the only opportunity the Mariners would get as Hurter shut the inning down on the next at-bat.
Eduard Bazardo to pitch for the Mariners, and got two quick outs before Colt Keith singled. The Tigers left him stranded, though. The Mariners went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
Trey Sweeney got a one-out single in the top of the ninth. Baez then followed up with a single. Baez then seemed to tease Gleyber Torres in the dugout by miming how not to get injured while running the bases. The baserunners were once again left stranded, though, and the game headed into the bottom of the ninth. Hurter continued into the ninth and got one out before Rodriguez singled and then Raleigh hit a home run to bring the score to 9-6. Those insurance runs are paying off now… But the Tigers shut it down and collected their first win of the season.
Final: Tigers 9, Mariners 6
