It’s the old cliché: It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
After trailing early, the Detroit Tigers finished with the final four runs Tuesday, July 8, at Comerica Park, rallying past the Tampa Bay Rays for a 4-2 win.
Colt Keith smashed a 394-foot homer into the right-field stands for the second straight night, snapping a 2-all tie in the seventh inning and giving the Tigers (59-34) their fifth straight victory.
Slow to start
The night’s second batter, All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda homered to right, seemingly getting revenge for his 1-for-4 performance the night before adding on a double in the third inning, then scored on a single from right fielder Josh Lowe to put the Rays, 2-0, before the Tigers had even gotten a runner on.
The Tigers racked up three strikeouts in the first two innings against Tampa Bay right-hander Ryan Pepiot, going 1-2-3 in each inning. Matt Vierling snapped the skid with one out in the third inning, taking a hit-by-pitch for the Tigers’ first baserunner, followed by a Keith walk.
The Tigers needed someone to step up. And who better than Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson? The All-Star snub and potential Home Run Derby participant pulled a second-pitch slider from Pepiot into the bullpens in left to get the Tigers on the board with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
Torkelson didn’t go alone, though. The poor razor quality of the Cleveland Guardians may have inadvertently unlocked a monster, as Keith delivered his second home runs in as many games since he skipped shaving, launching a two-run shot to right in the seventh. But before that, Keith’s single in the fifth scored Vierling, on base after being hit by a pitch for the second time in as many plate appearances.
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Late offense
More than just tie the game, though, Keith’s single seemed to finally spark the Tigers. Second baseman Gleyber Torres singled in his following at-bat, extending his personal on-base streak to 21 games.
Vierling, despite going 0-for-2, thrived. Two hit-by-pitches got him on base, and he made the most of it, stealing second on his first opportunity, in the bottom of the third, and zooming home from first to score on Keith’s single in the fifth. All-Star hopeful Zach McKinstry, who homered Monday, July 7, had another strong game. Walked in the bottom of the seventh, he stole second, then took third on a flyout from Javier Báez before coming home on Keith’s home run.
Tuesday’s victory gave the Tigers 59 wins, tying a franchise record for victories before the All-Star break (with the 2006 Tigers, who opened 59-29). One more win in their final four before the break (Wednesday, July 9, vs. the Rays, and July 11-13 vs. the Seattle Mariners) would make the Tigers the 20th team since 1933 with 60 first-half wins.
Contact Matthew Auchincloss at mauchincloss@freepress.com.
This story was updated to add a gallery.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Colt Keith homers again to give Detroit Tigers 5th straight win, 4-2 over Tampa Bay Rays
Reporting by Matthew Auchincloss, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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