The Detroit Tigers got a 7-2 win against the Yankees to end the weekend. The game was broadcast on MLB Network. Missed the game? No worries, here is the complete recap of Sunday’s action.
The Tigers drew first blood in the top of 1st inning courtesy of Andy Ibanez’s third home run of the spring. It’s been a great start to spring for one of the Tigers options to primarily play third base this season. If Ibanez keeps it up at this pace, he might find himself in the starting lineup at third on opening day.
The Tigers’ lead didn’t last long as new Yankees slugger Juan Soto blasted his third home run of spring. A no doubt shot over the wall in right-center field. Other than the Soto at-bat, Manning had a great inning. He was also throwing with more velocity.
Both pitchers continued to rebound nicely in the 2nd and 3rd innings after each of them gave up a solo home run in the 1st inning. Manning and Yankees starter Nestor Cortes had quick 1-2-3 innings in the 2nd & 3rd.
Veteran and new addition to the Tigers’ lineup Mark Canha was the only batter to reach in the top of the 4th as Yankees’ shortstop Jeter Downs robbed former Yankee Gio Urshela of a hit with a fantastic play and throw from the grass in very shallow left field.
Casey Mize replaced Matt Manning in the 4th inning and survived some traffic on the bases to keep the score tied 1-1. There’s a chance that Mize will have a piggyback partner to start the regular season and it could be Manning.
Caleb Ferguson took over for Nestor Cortes in the 5th and got into some early trouble. With two out and two runners in scoring position, Ferguson was replaced by Alex Mauricio. Matt Vierling greeted Mauricio with a 2-RBI double to left that gave Detroit a 3-1 lead.
Ibanez added to his stat sheet with a two-out walk moving a runner into scoring position and once again putting two on with two out for Mauricio. Ibanez, who started the game at first base, was replaced by Keston Hiura. Vierling’s replacement was picked off at second base to end the Tigers’ threat and stop the bleeding in the 5th.
After a leadoff double Casey Mize put it in cruise control, retiring the next three batters and maintaining a Tigers 3-1 lead.
Mark Canha led off the 6th inning with a single, and after a rough at-bat for Javier Baez that ended in a strikeout, Gio Urshela was able to collect a base hit to left field. Jace Jung replaced Urshela as the baserunner at first base. Cody Poteet ended up striking out Buddy Kennedy to end the Tigers’ threat in the 6th inning.
Alex Lange, the Tigers closer a year ago, came in in the bottom of the 6th inning and was greeted by Juan Soto with a base hit to right. It was Soto’s 2nd hit of the game and got him to 6-for-8 in spring training. Greg Allen was the pinch runner, and moments after replacing Soto, Allen got a big jump and stole second base, leading to Anthony Rizzo cutting Detroit’s lead in half with an RBI double to right field.
Lange got out of the inning with the Tigers still in the lead 3-2.
Cody Poteet had a 1-2-3 inning in the top half of the 7th.
Jack Anderson stranded two runners in the bottom of the 7th to maintain the Tigers 3-2 lead.
Jace Jung got a golden opportunity in the top of the 8th with the bases loaded and no outs and he cashed in with a base hit to right and extended the Tigers lead to 4-2.
Marinaccio’s disastrous 8th inning continued with a bases-loaded to TJ Hopkins, allowing another run to score and giving Detroit a 5-2 lead. Jack Neely then replaced Marinaccio with the bases still loaded. Neely immediately walked Buddy Kennedy, and the Tigers added another run, giving them a 6-2 lead. A pair of promising Tigers prospects made it 7-2 Tigers after Dillon Dingler hit a sac-fly to center scoring Jace Jung. It didn’t take long for the Tigers to once again load the bases after Ryan Vilade drew a walk. Wenceel Pérez worked the count full before striking out, leaving it up to Keston Hiura to keep the inning alive. Jack Neely would also strike Hiura out to end the 8th, but damage had been done.
Devin Sweet got through a somewhat rocky 8th inning by stranding two runners to keep the score 7-3.
Bligh Madris started off the 9th inning with a deep fly ball to right-center field that died on the warning track. Jace Jung was able to reach on a walk getting two on for the Tigers but they couldn’t score.
in the bottom of the 9th, it was reliever Trey Wingenter capping off a 7-2 victory for the Tigers. It was George Lombard Jr., son of Tigers’ bench coach George Lombard Sr, who grounded into the game-ending double play.
