Monday night in Kansas City was a wild ride as the Detroit Tigers tried to bolster their odds at the playoffs in the opening round of a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals. Beau Brieske, fresh off the injured list, got the start for the Tigers against distant Cy Young candidate Seth Lugo.
Both pitchers started strong until the bottom of the third inning for Brieske. The Royals loaded the bases off of soft contact, defensive mistakes, and a bunt single. Then, with All-Star and likely future MVP Bobby Witt Jr. at the dish, Brieske floated in a breaking ball that stayed at the top of the zone, at least until Witt caught it and bombed it over the left-field wall for a grand slam and a 4-0 KC lead.
Zach McKinstry tripled for the Tigers in the top of the fourth and scored on a Trey Sweeney sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to three before the Royals scored a run in the bottom of the inning to put the lead back to four. The top of the fifth inning swung the momentum back in the Tigers’ favor, as a Colt Keith two-run homerun capped the three-run frame. However, the Royals answered with what would prove to be their last run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, making the score 6-4 KC.
The Royals may have been done scoring, but the Tigers sure weren’t, as the top of the sixth proved fruitful. Pinch hitter Wenceel Perez delivered a game-tying two-run double before he was knocked in by the birthday boy Matt Vierling, moving the Tigers in front by a run.
The two bullpens locked down their respective opponents, and the Tigers held on for a critical win, 7-6.
Winning is great, but the Twins losing to the Guardians was equally as important, as it gave the Tigers room to move up a game in the standings as the Wild Card race thickens.
