Talk about opening a series in style as the Tigers beat the Phillies 10-2 to open the last weekend series of the first half.
For the last weekend series before the All-Star Break, the Tigers were squaring off against the club that would be hosting the All-Star Game in the Phillies. They were hoping to ride the high of their series sweep against the A’s and keep it up right into the break. To get there, they’d have Jack Flaherty on the mound up against Aaron Nola for the Phillies. Now to see if the Tigers’ luck versus .500+ teams would be tested as the Phillies have the second-best record in the NL East.
Kyle Schwarber got a one-out single in the top of the first, but Flaherty quickly brought things around to get the final two outs of the inning. In the home half, Riley Greene got a two-out walk, but the Tigers left him stranded.
In the second, the Phillies went 1-2-3, and the Tigers did the same in the home half. Early to tell, yet, but looks like it could be a set-up for a pitchers’ duel.
The Phillies drew first blood in the top of the third with a solo home run from Derek Hill. The next three batters went down in order. In the home half, Jake Rogers took a one-out walk. Then Kevin McGonigle homered, pushing the Tigers nicely into the lead.
With two outs, Riley Greene doubled, but once again the Tigers left him stranded.
Bryce Harper took a leadoff walk in the fourth, then with one out, Flaherty hit Alec Bohm with a pitch. I can safely say any concerns I had about a pitchers’ duel were not founded. Bryson Stott then walked to load the bases. Hill singled into right, driving in a run. Flaherty did manage to get the final out of the inning, avoiding the worst damage, but the game was still tied 2-2. The Tigers went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the inning.
Jack Flaherty needs to send a thank you fruit basket to Riley Greene for nabbing the first two outs of the inning.
It was also pouring buckets at this point. Flaherty got the final out of the inning, thankfully making it very speedy, but with the rain it was hard to say whether things would continue in the bottom half. The game did resume for the bottom half with a slight delay to help absorb some of the rainwater and reset the mound. Jake Rogers got a one-out single, but unfortunately the Tigers weren’t able to bring him home.
The Phillies went 1-2-3 in the sixth and the rain was certainly lighter now. Aaron Nola’s day was done after the fifth and he was replaced by Tim Mayza. Riley Greene worked a walk, despite the Phillies challenging the final pitch call, he made his way to first (and it was quite the epic at-bat). With one out, a pinch-hitting Matt Vierling drew a walk. Eduardo Valencia got to play the hero in back-to-back games as he hit a line drive to left to break up the tie and score Greene.
Zach McKinstry hit a sac bunt to score Vierling, but a throwing error from Mayza left McKinstry safe on first. James Outman then tripled to score two more runs. Then, because this inning is just that unhinged, Mayza got called for a balk, scoring Outman. The next two at-bats were outs, but it was safe to say the Tigers made the most of the inning.
With a nice buffer now on the scoreboard, Jack Flaherty’s day was done with a final line of 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, on 86 pitches. Not his best outing, a little uneven, but the results were pretty solid. Jacob Waguespack came out of the pen to replace him. Derek Hill continued to have himself a night with a one-out single. With two outs, Trea Turner was able to reach on a fielding error by McKinstry. The error gods giveth, and the error gods taketh away. Drew Sommers replaced Waguespack and got the final out of the inning, a big one against the Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. Max Lazar was the new Phillies pitcher in the home half, and Colt Keith got in on the action with a leadoff home run.
Riley Greene walked, and then right behind him, Spencer Torkelson homered.
With one out, Valencia singled, but two outs followed to end the inning, leaving him on base.
Beau Brieske came in for the top of the eighth. With one out, Brandon Marsh singled. But they got the final outs of the inning with no runs scored. Garrett Stubbs, a position player, came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and got the Tigers out in order. Love it when that happens.
The Tigers worked through the side in the top of the ninth and clinched their win. Great way to open a series.
