Spencer Torkelson delivers winning RBI in 10th for Detroit Tigers' 8-6 win over Rockies
DENVER — It sounded like somebody moved the Motor City to the Rocky Mountains.
A large group of fans in Coors Field chanted: “Let’s go, Tigers!” And longtime Detroit Tigers fan Jack White appeared on the scoreboard and received a loud ovation.
And in the 10th inning, with those fans giving the Tigers nonstop encouragement against the Colorado Rockies, Spencer Torkelson hit a double, bringing in Riley Greene from second. Then, Trey Sweeney hit a broken bat blooper, which was eventually ruled an error, bringing in Torkelson for another run and giving the Tigers a two-run lead.
Things still got scary in the bottom of the 10th as Will Vest walked the leadoff batter. But Zach McKinstry started a nifty double play at third base before throwing to first. And Vest got Adael Amador to fly out, as the Tigers pulled out an 8-6 win, beating a bad baseball team.
And those Tigers fans erupted into cheers.
The Rockies entered May 7 with the worst record in baseball (6-28) and had been outscored by 89 runs, losing three straight. The Rockies haven’t just been bad — they have been historically bad. The Rockies’ .176 winning percentage was tied for the third-worst through the first 34 games of a season in the modern era.
Meanwhile, the Tigers (now 23-13) came into this series with the best record in the American League after winning seven of their last 10 and outscoring their opponents by 63.
The Tigers will conclude this three-game series with a straight doubleheader on May 8, beginning at 3:10 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).
IMPORTANT FOR THIS TEAM: Detroit Tigers made a huge statement by cutting Kenta Maeda, eating his salary
Pitching at altitude
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had some specific advice for rookie right-handed starter Jackson Jobe, who was pitching in Coors Field for the first time.
“I think it means that you have to pound the strike zone here,” Hinch said before the game. “If it’s a good hitters park — and it is — it becomes a better hitters park when you’re behind the count. So getting into good counts, get to leverage.”
But in the first inning, Jobe fell behind Ryan McMahon. On a 2-1 count, McMahon crushed a slider 436 feet, giving the Rockies an early 2-0 lead.
“The message remains the same,” Hinch said. “Make quality pitches.”
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But Jobe didn’t do that enough. In the third inning, Jobe threw a slider which didn’t do a lot of sliding, and Michael Toglia banged it off the foul pole, giving the Rockies a 5-3 lead.
Jobe lasted 3⅔ innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Hurter to the rescue
Hinch turned to lefty Brant Hurter to eat some innings and he did his job nicely. Hurter threw 2⅓ scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts.
Then, Hinch turned to Brenan Hanifee, who took over in the seventh in a 6-6 game. Hanifee gave up a double but stranded McMahon at second.
Tommy Kahnle, who reached 10 years of MLB service time on May 6, pitched the eighth. He got into trouble, loading the bases after a double and a pair of walks. But he got Brenton Doyle to line out to McKinstry at third to end the inning. That prompted the Tigers fans to erupt into cheers.
In the bottom of the ninth, Vest entered in a still-tied game. But McMahon hit a double, his second of the game. Vest then got out of it with a pair of strikeouts, pumping his fist coming off the mound.
When caught stealing is a good thing
Hinch used some old-old school strategy, keeping one of his best hitters at the plate.
In the sixth inning, with two outs and Gleyber Torres down 0-2, Hinch sent Sweeney on a steal. Sweeney was thrown out, which allowed Torres to lead off the seventh.
But the Tigers failed to capitalize on it. The Rockies brought in lefty Scott Alexander (presumably to face Colt Keith and Riley Greene) and Torres promptly doubled. The Rockies countered with righty Seth Halvorsen who walked McKinstry and then struck out Dillon Dingler with the bases loaded to end the threat.
Preparing for thin air
To prepare for playing at the mile-high altitude, the Tigers offered their players a chance to visit a hyperbaric chamber.
Greene spent an hour in it and fell asleep.
“I just wanted to try it out,” he said. “It’s comfortable. You’re pretty much in a bed and you’re in a tube.”
McKinstry also tried it. He read a little, listened to music and prayed.
“I’ve done that before,” he said. “I think the more you do it, the more consistent that you’re doing it, the better recovery.”
Comings and goings
Manuel Margot has returned from rehab, activated off of the 10-day injured list and assigned outright to Triple-A Toledo. Detroit’s 40-man roster now stands at 38 players.
Kenta Maeda has been placed on unconditional release waivers.
Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers open series in Denver with 8-6 (10) win over Rockies
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