Day baseball in Detroit, what’s better? Day baseball in Detroit with playoff possibilities, that’s what. The playoffs? In September? Going into the game Thursday, the Detroit Tigers were sitting 3.0 games out of the last playoff spot.
Tarik Skubal, the top contender for the AL Cy Young, started the game today for the Tigers. Starting opposite Skubal, the visiting Colorado Rockies sent Ryan Feltner out to face the suddenly relevant Tigers.
After the Tigers outscored the Rockies 18-4 in the first two games of the series, this game started pretty slow. In the top of the third, Skubal left a curveball elevated in the strike zone, and Jordan Beck of the Rockies sent it into the left-field seats to give the Rockies their first lead of the series, albeit only 1-0.
Not for long, said Spencer Torkelson. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with Ryan Feltner still the pitcher for Colorado, Riley Greene started the party for the Tigers with a hard single to right. Jace Jung walked later in the inning, bringing Torkelson to the plate in a run-scoring opportunity. And he did not disappoint, fouling off a slew of tough pitches before lacing a two-run double to put the Tigers in front 2-1.
Skubal cruised through six complete innings, and the early solo home run was the only run he allowed. The bullpen, usually a strength, was iffy for the Tigers. Colorado produced a run in the seventh and two more in the ninth off of a passed ball and a lot of soft contact. Conversely, the Tigers hit the ball well, but the spacious outfield of Comerica Park worked against the Tigers today.
A home series win either way, but a series sweep over the struggling Rockies would’ve been a morale boost and key for the division standings. However, baseball is sometimes an unfair game.
