Can the Detroit Tigers catch up with the struggling Minnesota Twins?
Minnesota Star Tribune sportswriter Bobby Nightengale joins Days of Roar to discuss how the struggling Minnesota Twins are helping the Detroit Tigers.
BALTIMORE – A fly ball that should have been caught by the Detroit Tigers fell between center fielder Parker Meadows and right fielder Kerry Carpenter in the first inning, resulting in a leadoff double for Gunnar Henderson.
The rare mistake set the tone for the Tigers.
“It’s on me,” Meadows said.
The Tigers lost the first of three games in the series 7-1 to the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, ending their four-game winning streak.
In the race for the postseason, the Tigers (80-74) are half a game behind the Minnesota Twins in the battle for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League, with the Twins still playing the Boston Red Sox late Friday night.
The Tigers still have eight games left.
“Playoff atmosphere, for sure,” Meadows said. “They came into the game with momentum. It’s a three-game series for a reason, so we’re going to go out there tomorrow and give it everything we’ve got.”
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The Orioles hit a season-record five home runs, including a two-run home run by Anthony Santander against left-hander Tyler Holton, a traditional reliever who was used as an opener, with two strikes and two outs in the first inning.
Santander’s home run would not have happened if it hadn’t been for a miscommunication between Meadows and Carpenter in the outfield. On the play, Carpenter appeared to call for the ball, but then retreated too late. With two outs, Santander made the Tigers pay by hitting a 420-foot, two-run home run to left-center field.
“I thought I saw him waving his hands,” Meadows said, “but I just have to take the lead out there and want every ball.”
Manager AJ Hinch explained the miscommunication.
“Parker thought he saw Carp waving his hand at him,” Hinch said, “which is what you call the ball when it’s really loud, and Carp never actually did that.”
In the second inning, right-hander Keider Montero — who had started 15 of 16 games in his MLB career before Friday’s game — replaced Holton as the primary relief pitcher. His first pitch, a fastball to Colton Cowser, resulted in a solo home run to center, making the game 3-0.
Montero hit a total of four home runs.
“I kept my routine as if I were a starter,” Montero said. “I did my entire pregame routine. I didn’t change my mindset, my preparation or my plan on the field. It didn’t affect me at all because I did everything as if I were a starter.”
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After Cowser’s hit, Montero allowed a two-run home run to James McCann in the fourth inning, a solo home run to Cowser in the sixth inning, and a solo home run to McCann in the sixth inning. Both Cowser and McCann had multiple home run games.
Montero, who was eliminated with a 7-0 deficit against the Orioles, allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk, had seven strikeouts in 4⅔ innings and threw 82 pitches. The 24-year-old showed a nasty changeup despite his difficulties.
“He’s been making more swings and misses,” Hinch said. “Five days ago he played against these guys. He got seven punchouts, last week he only got one. I told him on the mound, ‘Cheer up. In five or six days you’re going to get the ball back and help us win.'”
The five home runs combined to reach a distance of 2,060 feet.
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Corbin Burnes cooks
For the second time in seven days, the Tigers faced right-hander Corbin Burnes, and for the second time in seven days, the Tigers were knocked out by Burnes.
This time, the former National League Cy Young Award winner threw seven scoreless innings with three hits and three walks, along with eight strikeouts, and threw 91 pitches. (Last time, he threw seven scoreless innings with two hits and one walk, along with seven strikeouts.)
“His arsenal was pretty similar to last time,” Meadows said. “He found the boundaries. He was in good form.”
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In the second game, the Tigers got at least one runner on base in four of the seven innings. The best scoring opportunity came in the sixth inning when Carpenter hit a double and Matt Vierling walked with two outs, but Riley Greene suffered a groundout.
The Tigers also had a good chance to score in the third inning when Trey Sweeney hit a single and Parker Meadows walked, but Carpenter stopped the runners with a groundout.
Burnes has a 2.95 ERA in 31 starts.
“He’s really good,” Hinch said. “He was the starter in the All-Star game for a reason. He’s really tough on us. Over the course of the two games, we barely got any good shots from him. He dominated the day.”
The Tigers scored their only run on Sweeney’s RBI single against right-handed reliever Jacob Webb with two outs in the ninth inning.
Kenta Maeda cleans up
Bringing on right-handed reliever Kenta Maeda is generally a sign of surrender.
The Tigers did just that with two outs in the sixth inning after McCann hit his second home run. But Maeda, who has played in 27 postseason games in his eight-year career, threw 2⅓ scoreless innings with five strikeouts, throwing 18 of 23 pitches for strikes.
Maeda took out all seven batters.
He struck out the team in the eighth inning with ten pitches, missing a flawless inning by one pitch.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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