Daily News 19

Tag: Detroit Tigers

  • Tarik Skubal Confirms Embarrassing Tigers Secret Involving Max Muncy

    Tarik Skubal Confirms Embarrassing Tigers Secret Involving Max Muncy

    The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to solidify their status as premier World Series contenders as the 2026 MLB regular season enters its final stretch. Entering Wednesday night’s matchup against the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles holds an 88-57 record and is chasing a seventh consecutive victory.

    Dodgers Close Gap on National League’s Best Record

    The club sits just 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the top record in the National League. A major factor in their late-season surge has been the seamless integration of one of baseball’s most significant midseason acquisitions. The Dodgers acquired reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers ahead of the trade deadline, and the left-hander has quickly become a cornerstone of their pursuit of a third straight championship.

    Skubal Dominates in Dodgers Debut Stretch

    Since arriving in Los Angeles, Skubal has made seven starts and posted a 2.93 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 43 innings. While his on-field performance has been stellar, a recent off-field revelation highlighted the stark organizational differences between his former and current clubs.

    Travel Logistics Expose Franchise Disparities

    Teammate Max Muncy appeared on the show “Foul Territory” and revealed that Skubal confirmed the Tigers’ old team plane was unable to fly across the country without stopping to refuel. While Detroit has since acquired a new aircraft capable of cross-country flights, the detail underscores the operational gaps for a franchise enduring a disappointing 66-79 season, leaving them well outside the American League playoff picture.

    Dodgers Set Standard with Two-Plane Operation

    For Skubal, the transition has been night and day. Moving from a middle-of-the-pack payroll team to the famously deep-pocketed Dodgers has granted him access to luxuries reserved for the sport’s elite organizations. Notably, Los Angeles is the only team in baseball this season to utilize two separate planes for road trips — one dedicated to players and another for staff. The organization views the arrangement as a competitive advantage, providing players with enhanced comfort, rest, and recovery for what they consider their most valuable assets.

    The differences between Detroit and Los Angeles extend far beyond air travel, but Skubal’s experience offers a vivid illustration of how drastically organizational resources and philosophies can vary across Major League Baseball.

  • Guardians’ Season Saved by Four Swings, Two Dramatic Wins in One Day

    Guardians’ Season Saved by Four Swings, Two Dramatic Wins in One Day

    CLEVELAND — If the Cleveland Guardians nudge their way into the October picture, they will remember Sept. 4 as the day that saved their season. For the first time since Aug. 19, 1984 — when the Clint Eastwood thriller “Tightrope” was the No. 1 movie in the country — Cleveland walked off both ends of a doubleheader, securing two dramatic, must-have victories separated by four hours and 39 minutes.

    Guardians Complete Twin Comebacks Against Tigers

    The Guardians erased deficits in each game against the Detroit Tigers. A day that threatened their grip on the final wild-card berth and their bid to unseat the division-leading Chicago White Sox instead proved about as fruitful as possible. The action began with a 64-minute rain delay and a shaky first inning from starter Logan Allen, forcing the bullpen into action just a couple of outs into a 19-inning day. It ended with rookie Travis Bazzana triumphantly slamming his helmet into the grass and sprinting so far from his pursuing teammates that reliever Hunter Gaddis gasped for air and “put the brakes on.”

    Along the way, Cleveland lost Chase DeLauter to a right wrist sprain, Angel Martínez to a left shoulder contusion, and manager Stephen Vogt to an ejection. Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, and Daniel Espino submitted critical multi-inning efforts to stabilize a bullpen juggling a cascade of moving parts.

    Rocchio and Bazzana Deliver Historic Heroics

    Brayan Rocchio smashed a tying grand slam and a walk-off home run to earn hero status in a 7-6 Game 1 victory.

    We adore you, Brayan Rocchio.#GuardsBall | #GuardiWins

    — Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 4, 2026

    Bazzana belted a two-run shot to erase an eighth-inning deficit, then ripped a walk-off single to secure a 4-3 Game 2 victory. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the first time in the expansion era (since 1961) that a team had a player record a game-winning RBI and a game-tying hit in the same game in both ends of a doubleheader. Cleveland’s middle-infield duo, mired in a second-half slump, provided a pair of long-awaited adrenaline releases.

    Bazzana Breaks Out of Slump in Clutch Fashion

    Bazzana entered Friday’s action with a .559 OPS over his previous 56 games. The rookie and former All-Star carried Cleveland’s lineup at a time when injuries sidelined DeLauter and José Ramírez and when Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo were scuffling. He acknowledged he had been pressing and needed a day like this.

    “It’s that time of year where you have to make stuff happen,” Bazzana said.

    “I’ve been trying to figure it all out,” Bazzana said. “I really haven’t been at my best. I haven’t been the best version of myself. … I think I needed that, those close games, and just (to) get out of my head and compete.”

    He went 2-for-3 in the opener and replaced DeLauter in the nightcap, collecting two more hits. When he made contact in the eighth inning, he delivered a stone-cold stare to his dugout as the baseball sailed over the fence in right-center. He was far more animated during his walk-off single, spiking his helmet before Rocchio even reached home plate. (Somewhere, former Browns linebacker Dwayne Rudd, inventor of the premature celebratory helmet toss, pointed at his TV screen like Leonardo DiCaprio.)

    “You have to find a way to be mentally consistent and mentally bring out the best in yourself,” Bazzana said. “I think sometimes the moment does that for you. I think the best in the world are able to do that when the moment doesn’t give it to you.”

    Rocchio Continues “Rocctober” Legacy

    For Rocchio, the narrative was strikingly similar. Before the doubleheader, he owned a .177/.218/.252 slash line since the All-Star break. On Thursday afternoon, he struck out with runners on the corners, smacked his bat, and slammed it into the ground in frustration. He later sought guidance from veteran teammates Austin Hedges and Nathaniel Lowe, who assured him his fortunes would change.

    They did. Rocchio became the sixth player in league history, per Elias, to hit a walk-off home run after hitting a grand slam earlier in the same game. In his three years in the big leagues, Rocchio has developed a penchant for supplying pivotal doses of power when the crisp autumn air arrives, earning the personas of “Rocctember,” “Rocctober,” and “Playoff Rocchio” from fans and teammates.

    “I think he’s just got the gene,” Guardians pitcher Slade Cecconi said.

    Rocchio yanked the tying grand slam over the fence in right field and clubbed the game-winner over the 19-foot wall in left. As he took off on his trot with teammates spilling out of the home dugout, he flung his bat as high as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels jets that spent the day zooming and twirling overhead, forcing catchers to re-enter their PitchCom selections.

    “That’s a big moment for me,” Rocchio said.

    Wild-Card Implications and Upcoming Schedule

    The day was full of such moments for the Guardians, who have left themselves little margin for error this month as they vie for one of two entryways into the October bracket. They are trying to stave off the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Texas Rangers in the wild-card race. Cleveland does not own the tiebreaker against Toronto or Texas, and they head to Baltimore for a three-game set starting Monday. They also can still catch the White Sox, but they will need to conquer them at Progressive Field in a week and a half.

    All of that seemed flimsy throughout the day Friday, until four mighty swings from the two players who needed them most.

    “Good players step up,” Vogt said. “It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been doing the last week, two weeks. All that matters is today.”

  • Dave Roberts Risks Spoiling Tarik Skubal’s Emotional Return to Detroit and Pushing Away Dodgers Pitcher

    Dave Roberts Risks Spoiling Tarik Skubal’s Emotional Return to Detroit and Pushing Away Dodgers Pitcher

    Tarik Skubal’s first start in Detroit as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers was always going to be an emotional occasion for the reigning Cy Young winner.

    The left-hander delivered an impressive performance against his former team, holding the Detroit Tigers to four hits and one run over six innings while striking out seven batters. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Skubal after only 83 pitches, preventing him from pitching deeper into the game.

    Dave Roberts takes cautious approach with Tarik Skubal

    Television cameras later captured Roberts and Skubal discussing the decision in the dugout. Skubal was visibly disappointed, although the exchange did not appear heated. He had hoped to remain in the game as long as possible during his emotional return to Detroit.

    After the game, Skubal discussed the situation briefly and explained that Roberts told him the Dodgers would need him over the long haul. Los Angeles is focused on winning another World Series, and keeping Skubal healthy will be crucial to those ambitions.

    Roberts’ decision ultimately worked. The Dodgers’ bullpen shut out the Tigers over the final three innings, while Freddie Freeman delivered the game-winning hit in the eighth inning.

    Source: www.marca.com

  • John Peck, Tigers’ No. 20 Prospect, Called Up

    John Peck, Tigers’ No. 20 Prospect, Called Up

    The Detroit Tigers have promoted infield prospect John Peck from Triple-A Toledo, adding another promising player from their farm system to the Major League roster. Peck was in the dugout Monday for the Tigers’ game against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.

    Manager A.J. Hinch said Peck, ranked Detroit’s No. 20 prospect by MLB Pipeline, would not start Monday. However, he is expected to start at shortstop Tuesday and Wednesday at Target Field.

    “We obviously really like him defensively, and we liked how he’s developed offensively over the last couple of seasons,” Hinch said.

    To create room for Peck on the Major League roster, Detroit optioned outfielder Corey Julks to Triple-A Toledo.

    John Peck’s path to the Tigers

    The Tigers selected Peck in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Pepperdine. He played under former Tigers shortstop and then-Waves assistant coach Danny Worth, who played an important role in preparing him for a professional baseball career.

    Peck now follows Worth into Detroit’s infield after putting together two impressive seasons in the Tigers’ farm system. His 2025 campaign has been particularly notable despite being shortened by an injury.

    “He’s a mature guy with just the way he goes about his actions and his business,” Hinch said. “I just told him today he doesn’t have to be perfect. He’s seen some of his former teammates come up and survive the transition. So it should make him believe before he has to go out and do it.

    “And I told him he’s here to stay. I want him to get some time on the field and coming off the bench in some games, just get himself used to this level because he has the skills to play reliable defense, show a little bit of power, and see where this opportunity takes him.”

    Peck’s minor-league performance

    Peck made a strong impression during Spring Training as a non-roster invitee to the Tigers’ Major League camp. He carried that momentum into Double-A Erie, where he posted a .285/.328/.511 slash line with 10 home runs, 17 doubles, three triples, 44 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 58 games.

    Detroit promoted Peck to Triple-A Toledo on June 23, but he played in only two games for the Mud Hens before landing on the injured list. He returned to Toledo earlier this week after a rehabilitation assignment and went 7-for-14 with one double, one RBI, three walks and three stolen bases.

    Peck has played primarily at shortstop, including all four of his games with Toledo this past week, but he is capable of playing throughout the infield. His reliable infield defense could place him alongside fellow 2023 draftee Kevin McGonigle and Javier Báez in Detroit’s shortstop mix.

    Tigers continue promoting prospects

    The Tigers have added several prospects to their Major League roster this summer, including top prospect Max Clark, infielder Hao-Yu Lee, outfielders Ben Malgeri and Brett Callahan, and catcher Eduardo Valencia.

    Clark and McGonigle were first-round picks, Peck was selected in the seventh round, and Callahan was taken in the 13th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Pitching call-up Andrew Sears, selected in the 10th round, was also part of that draft class.

  • Spencer Torkelson’s Home Run Helps Tigers Defeat Twins in 12-Inning Thriller

    Spencer Torkelson’s Home Run Helps Tigers Defeat Twins in 12-Inning Thriller

    The Detroit Tigers outlasted the Minnesota Twins in a 12-inning battle Wednesday, winning 11-6 at Target Field after Spencer Torkelson delivered a decisive two-run home run in the 12th inning.

    With the score tied 6-6, Torkelson led off the inning by launching the second pitch from Tommy Nance into the left-field bleachers for his 21st home run of the season. The Tigers then loaded the bases with two outs before Javier Báez cleared them with a double down the right-field line.

    Torkelson’s homer lifts Tigers in extra innings

    Detroit’s victory came after Kyle Finnegan allowed the tying run to score in the 11th inning. Finnegan stranded the potential winning run at third by striking out Kody Clemens and inducing Ryan Jeffers to ground out to end the frame.

    The Tigers had taken a 5-2 lead before their bullpen surrendered the advantage in the eighth inning. Five of the first six Minnesota batters reached base against Drew Sommers and Kenley Jansen. Royce Lewis followed with a two-run single to tie the game, but Jansen and Tyler Holton each struck out a batter to leave two runners in scoring position.

    After Max Clark opened the 11th with a double that scored automatic runner Ben Malgeri from second, the Twins responded in the bottom half of the inning with Luke Keaschall’s RBI single.

    Detroit gets key contributions from rookies

    Starter Drew Anderson allowed one earned run over 5 2/3 innings, while John Peck, Detroit’s No. 20 prospect, recorded his first two Major League hits and drove in three runs. Clark doubled three times and scored three runs.

    Anderson faced early trouble when he clipped the jersey of Twins leadoff hitter Keaschall. Two batters later, first baseman Colt Keith could not handle a Clemens grounder, putting runners on first and second with one out.

    That brought Jeffers to the plate after he had hit three home runs against the Tigers over the previous two nights. Anderson won the matchup by getting Jeffers to ground a changeup to shortstop, where Peck started an inning-ending double play.

    Peck then made an impact offensively in the second inning. Eduardo Valencia led off with a single, and Clark doubled one out later. Peck crushed a Dean Kremer cutter to the base of the wall in left-center field for a two-run double.

    The Tigers added two more runs in the fifth before Peck provided additional insurance with a single that scored Clark, who had doubled to lead off the sixth.

    Twins rally but fall short

    Anderson ran into another threat in the fourth inning after walking Clemens to begin the frame. Jeffers followed immediately with an RBI double, putting the tying run on second base with nobody out. Anderson retired the next three hitters, striking out two of them, to end the danger.

    Minnesota cut the deficit to 5-2 in the sixth when Kevin McGonigle’s two-out throwing error allowed an unearned run to score. The Twins later tied the game in the eighth but could not produce another big hit with runners on base.

    After dropping the first two games of the series by a combined 26-3 score, Detroit secured a much-needed win and gained momentum heading into a four-game weekend series against the Cleveland Guardians.

    Source: www.mlb.com

  • Tigers Salvage Win to Avoid Sweep Against Twins

    The Detroit Tigers survived another late collapse before breaking through in the 12th inning for an 11-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The win ended Detroit’s three-game losing streak and salvaged the series.

    Spencer Torkelson delivered the decisive blow with his 21st home run, a two-run shot into the second deck in left field. His homer sparked a five-run inning and marked his first home run since July 29, when he hit an 11th-inning walk-off against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park.

    Twins right-hander Tommy Nance unraveled after Torkelson’s homer. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs on a single, an intentional walk and a hit batter, with John Peck taking a pitch off his helmet. Javier Báez then cleared the bases with a three-run bloop double.

    Tigers squander late lead before winning in extra innings

    Detroit carried a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning, but Minnesota rallied to tie the game. The Twins used a walk and a hit batter to score three runs and send the game to extra innings.

    The Tigers regained the lead in the 11th when Max Clark lined a bloop double down the left-field line to score automatic runner Ben Malgeri. Clark had already doubled twice earlier in the game, but Detroit could not advance him with no outs, leaving little margin for Kyle Finnegan, who had thrown 25 pitches Tuesday night.

    Luke Keaschall tied the game again with a line-drive single to right that scored Minnesota’s automatic runner. Finnegan then managed to get through the inning, despite the pressure, and pitched a clean 12th to secure the victory.

    The Tigers were running short on pitchers. Kenley Jansen and Tyler Holton handled the eighth and ninth innings, while Jacob Waguespack, who threw 21 pitches Tuesday night, recorded the final out of the ninth. He stranded the automatic runner at second by striking out Royce Lewis and getting Kaelen Culpepper to fly out near the right-field wall.

    Detroit’s bullpen faced another challenge in the eighth. Left-hander Drew Sommers loaded the bases after singles by Brooks Lee and Josh Bell and a hit batter, Kody Clemens. Jansen entered and walked pinch-hitter Victor Caratini to force in a run.

    Lewis followed with a 97.9-mph ground ball that shortstop John Peck could not field, allowing two runs to score and eliminating the Tigers’ lead. It was Detroit’s MLB-leading 29th blown save.

    Tigers rookies power offensive breakout

    Detroit’s young players helped put the team in position for a much-needed win after two brutal losses to open the series.

    Peck, 24, making his second start, recorded his first major-league hit with a scorched two-run double to left-center in the second inning. The ball left his bat at 109.9 mph and traveled 400 feet to the wall. Peck added an RBI single in the sixth.

    Clark, 21, doubled three times and scored twice. Catcher Eduardo Valencia, 26, singled, doubled and scored. His single had a 106-mph exit velocity and bounced off the wall too hard for him to reach second, while his 103.8-mph double missed a home run by only a few feet.

    Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee, 23, singled home third baseman Kevin McGonigle, 22. Malgeri, 26, had two singles and scored twice. All of them are rookies who debuted this season.

    Riley Greene, 25, also contributed with an RBI double. The offensive performance came after manager AJ Hinch rested veteran catcher Dillon Dingler, Gleyber Torres and Báez at the start of the game.

    “I think the young guys are holding up fine,” manager AJ Hinch said.

    Dingler, who had a rare night off, agreed.

    “A lot of these guys are really mature,” he said. “They go about their business the right way. There’s no real governing we need to do.”

    Hinch explained the lineup changes before the game following Detroit’s combined 26-3 defeat in the first two games of the series.

    “We’re looking for better performance,” Hinch said before the game. “We’ve got to play better if we want to win, and we do want to win. These guys are working hard, but it doesn’t feel good to get blown out like that.”

    Drew Anderson keeps Twins off balance

    After Minnesota battered young Detroit starters Jackson Jobe and Troy Melton in the first two games, Hinch turned to veteran Drew Anderson.

    Making his sixth start since moving from the bullpen, Anderson kept the Twins off balance with a mix of changeups and curveballs built around well-located 94-95 mph four-seam fastballs.

    Anderson worked around several walks and hit Keaschall twice, but he allowed only one run through five innings. The run came on an RBI double by Ryan Jeffers, who continued to damage Tigers pitching in the series. Jeffers finished the series 5-for-12 with three home runs and seven RBIs.

    Anderson’s changeup was particularly effective, generating eight swings and misses on 22 swings along with six called strikes.

    He appeared ready to complete a clean sixth inning, but with two outs, McGonigle made an errant throw to first on a routine ground ball. Bell followed with a single, and Trevor Larnach’s RBI double chased Anderson from the game.

    Veteran right-hander Tyler Kinley, working with a sharp slider, stranded two runners in the sixth and pitched a scoreless seventh.