The Tigers must have breathed a sigh of relief leaving Minnesota behind after a tough series against the Twins. Back in Detroit, the chilly weather seemed to follow them, but so did an old acquaintance.
The Tigers kicked off their weekend series against the Marlins, facing off against Chris Paddack, who had a brief run with the Tigers last season. On the mound for Detroit was Keider Montero, looking to bounce back after a rocky start to his season.
The Tigers were missing Parker Meadows, who hit the injured list, making way for Wenceel Perez’s call-up.
The game got off to a lively start. In the top of the first, Xavier Edwards smacked a triple to right, giving the Marlins an early scoring chance.
However, they couldn’t capitalize. The Tigers’ half began with a Pitch Com delay, but once underway, Kevin McGonigle won an ABS challenge and followed it up with a single.
A wild pitch moved McGonigle to second, but the Tigers couldn’t bring him home.
A quick side note: the Tigers’ solid orange jerseys were quite the sight against the Marlins. Those new Friday home jerseys are sharp, though.
In the second, Owen Caissie drew a one-out walk for the Marlins, but the inning wrapped up without any fireworks. Dillon Dingler led off the Tigers’ half with a single, followed by Kerry Carpenter’s single that advanced Dingler to third.
Spencer Torkelson then stepped up, delivering a single that brought Dingler home, putting the Tigers on the scoreboard.
Despite a spirited at-bat that resulted in a walk for McGonigle, the Tigers couldn’t add more to their tally.
Montero found his rhythm in the third, dispatching the Marlins in order. Colt Keith led off the Tigers’ half with a single, but a flyout and double play ended the inning with just one run on the board.
In the fourth, McGonigle made a spectacular defensive play, snagging what looked like a sure hit and firing it to first. Montero continued his groove, and the Tigers went down in order in their half.
The Marlins managed a one-out single in the fifth, courtesy of Connor Norby, but couldn’t advance him. Javier Baez wasted no time in the home half, launching a solo shot to left, extending the Tigers’ lead. Keith added another single but was left stranded.
Montero kept dealing in the sixth, and the Marlins’ last ABS challenge failed on a called strike. Montero wrapped up his night with an impressive line: 6 innings, 2 hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts on 80 pitches. The Tigers went quietly in their half, but the bullpen was ready to take over.
Brant Hurter took the mound in the seventh, efficiently retiring the Marlins in order. The Marlins switched pitchers, bringing in Lake Bachar, who drew comparisons to Blake Snell with a wig, as he swiftly shut down the Tigers.
Kyle Finnegan took over for Hurter in the eighth, issuing a leadoff walk to Norby. However, Graham Pauley lined into an unassisted double play, and a groundout ended the inning.
In the bottom half, Riley Greene singled with two outs, and Dingler was hit by a pitch after a tough at-bat. Despite what looked like catcher interference, the call stood, but the Tigers couldn’t capitalize.
Kenley Jansen came on in the ninth, doing exactly what he was brought in to do. He shut down the Marlins in order, securing the save. This marked Jansen’s 478th career save, tying him for third most all-time.