The final game of the four-game series between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox gave the fans a little bit of a treat with some bonus baseball, getting to a 10th inning. It was a close battle, with the game being tied late until first baseman Tim Elko was able to hit a seeing-eye single into left, scoring the walk-off run in the bottom of the 10th. Pitcher Beau Brieske for the Tigers was given the loss, walking one batter and getting one out before giving up the game-winning hit. Chicago reliever Steven Wilson was credited with the win.
Tigers’ starter Casey Mize looked solid for the first three innings, holding the White Sox scoreless despite loading the bases in the bottom of the 1st. Pitching himself out of that jam appeared to give Mize some confidence as he pitched well until the 4th, however, after putting men on second and third, right fielder Mike Tauchman sent a sacrifice fly to left, and shortstop Chase Meidroth hit a single to right to put the Sox up 2-0.
The Tigers’ hitters put up a fight against the White Sox pitching; however, they had nothing but hits to show for it most of the game. It was not until the top of the 7th when the Tigers’ offense was able to get men across the plate. A timely home run by Tigers’ right fielder Wenceel Perez got the Tigers on the board after being scoreless most of the game. A few batters later, there was a catcher’s swap as Dillon Dingler pinch-hit for Jake Rogers. The decision paid dividends as Dingler was able to get to first on an infield single, helping to put the tying run on the board.
However, on that same play, Colt Keith was caught in a rundown between third and home, attempting to put the Tigers ahead for the first time yesterday afternoon.
The Tigers had another sign of life one inning later when they were able to get men on base against Chicago reliever Cam Booser. Two walks managed to put two men on base; however, before the Torkelson intentional walk, it could be argued that a questionable decision was made.
Designated Hitter Kerry Carpenter, 1-3 on the day, with a single in the top of the 1st, was pulled from the game in favor of infielder Andy Ibanez. Ibanez went 0-2 with a strikeout, happening in between the walks mentioned earlier. Ibanez is a .213 hitter this season, and while a favored player amongst management and coaches, swapping Carpenter’s bat for his when Booser was having issues during his appearance made little sense. Amidst the sporadic appearance, Booser had been well off the mark, throwing a wild pitch that advanced a runner, and a big bat like Carpenter’s in a high-pressure situation would have done well to keep Booser off-balance.
The entire sequence of the inning would be ended by a RF Perez fielder’s choice grounder to short, which would be the last offensive gasp the Tigers would show.
The late innings of this tilt showed two strong bullpens squaring off until the 10th inning, when the White Sox were able to jump on reliever Beau Brieske quickly. After Brieske walked Sox’ hitter Andrew Benintendi, pinch hitter Austin Slater laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the ghost runner at second. Moments later, Elko scored the walk-off to get the series split with one of the best teams in baseball.
The Tigers have looked mortal this past week, the offense not putting up as many runs as many expect. In this series against the White Sox, Detroit outscored Chicago by only five runs, 21 runs against 16 runs. It certainly was an odd series these past four days, with two blowouts by either team followed by two tightly contested games.
That said, it may be time to have discussions about some of the hitters in the lineup. Andy Ibanez is having some troubles this year, as indicated by his batting average, just 13 points over the Mendoza line. He has been with the organization since 2016, so he has earned the loyalty of management. It is unknown if he is not seeing the ball well at this level, as he is a competent hitter in Toledo, but putting his bat in place of Kerry Carpenter’s is questionable at best.
Another bat to talk about is Jake Rogers. Rogers, one of the players moved in the Detroit/Houston trade that dealt Justin Verlander to the Astros, has earned the loyalty of management. He is an excellent pitch caller, having essentially grown up with the Tigers’ rotation. But his bat is less than desirable. Yesterday afternoon, Rogers went 0-2 with one strikeout, hitting .118 on the season. He had been on the injured list between April and May with a strained oblique, however, his batting average was not much better before then, and he has since lost his starting role.
The Tigers have some tough decisions to make with some young, hungry players up and down the organization waiting for their chance in the Bigs.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
