Before we get to the celebration — the gritty Detroit Tigers are back at Comerica Park.
Before we get to Spencer Torkelson’s walk-off double on Sunday afternoon.
Let’s go back. Because it started with some hustle.
In the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon, the Tigers were losing 3-1 to the Chicago White Sox when Trey Sweeney hustled down the line and beat out a throw to first, preventing a double play.
That was the first huge play.
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Then, it continued with some fight.
Zach McKinstry battled his way through a 10-pitch walk. And then came another one. Riley Greene walked to load the bases.
And then, Andy Ibáñez walked, setting up the magic.
Torkelson crushed a double for the thrilling game-winner, 4-3.
Jackson Jobe’s first home start
Everything is still a learning experience for Jackson Jobe — the top pitching prospect in baseball.
And there was another lesson learned in his first start in Comerica Park on Sunday.
“Everything is pretty new for Jackson,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Sunday’s game. “He’ll flash incredible stuff, and then he’ll flash incredible execution. And I think what he’s going to learn is, when we can marry those two together, he’s going to have some really incredible outings.”
It wasn’t quite married together early on Sunday afternoon.
Jobe gave up two runs in the first inning, although he didn’t get much help defensively. After Andrew Vaughn singled on a line drive to right field, Andrew Benintendi advanced to third on a fielding error by right fielder Manuel Margot.
Then, Benintendi scored on a Matt Thaiss sacrifice fly to center.
Jobe didn’t help himself in the fourth inning, either. Thaiss hit a dribbler in front of the mound that Jobe fielded and threw wild to first (it was ruled a hit). After a walk and a bunt, Thaiss scored on a sacrifice fly, which felt self-inflicted.
“It’s all a learning process for him,” Hinch said Sunday pregame.
Jobe threw five innings, allowing four hits and three runs — two of which were earned.
But he’s also learning behind the scenes.
“He’s learning Day 2 bullpen versus Day 3 bullpen, as opposed to in the minor leagues,” Hinch said. “Every time, he’s going to learn to adapt a little bit.”
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Swinging early and often
The Tigers tried to use an aggressive approach against lefty Martín Pérez, the White Sox starter.
“He generally doesn’t walk guys,” Hinch said Sunday before facing Pérez. “He comes right at you. He’s a ball-in-play-type guy and gets you out with movement, sequencing and you trying to do too much. So what’s that mean? We’re going to be in the same mode that we always are in, which is be ready to go from pitch one.”
Translation: Swing early and often.
That approach can have a negative — some really short innings. And Pérez threw just four pitches in the first inning.
“It can create sort of a fast-break offense — baseball style,” Hinch said.
But it looked like a fast break that kept ending with botched dunks.
In the third inning, the Tigers had a great scoring opportunity, putting guys on first and second with no outs. But Ibáñez hit into a double play and Torkelson hit a warning track fly ball for an out.
The Tigers only run against Pérez came in the second inning. Kerry Carpenter lifted a long, high fly ball into the right field corner, which allowed Margot to advance to second; and he scored on an Ibáñez single.
Now appearing in center …
Javier Báez has longed to play center field, and he finally got a chance in the seventh inning.
Báez started at short stop and made a fine play — actually, a fine tag — combining with catcher Dillon Dingler to nab a would-be base stealer.
But he moved to center after Trey Sweeney pinch hit for Ryan Kreidler. Sweeney stayed in the game at short and Báez moved out to center for the first time in his 12th season.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff
