The News’ Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers’ 3-2, walk-off victory over the Blue Jays on Friday:
One thing I loved
Classy move by the Tigers, honoring late sportswriter Pat Caputo with a moment of silence Friday night at Comerica Park. Caputo, 67, died last week, after a months-long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Caputo was a highly respected reporter and columnist for decades, and he later became a fixture on 97.1 The Ticket and Fox 2, as well. They called him, “The Book,” for his total-recall ability when it came to stats, dates, just about anything to do with Detroit sports, big and small moments alike. The internet eventually came along and gave everyone else access to that information, too, but it didn’t diminish Caputo’s voice — a voice that was gruff but fair, and always frank. He said what he meant, meant what he said, and wasn’t interested in pulling punches.
As you can imagine, that ruffled some feathers in front offices in Detroit throughout the years. The Tigers certainly weren’t spared Pat’s occasional wrath, as recently as last year, in fact, when Caputo took issue with the team’s television broadcast. He went on his radio show and said as much.
The Tigers still paid the appropriate tribute in their first home game since Caputo’s death.
Well done — for a life well lived.
One thing I didn’t
It’s one step forward and one step back for the Tigers’ pitching staff. Or, rather, one arm forward, one arm back.
Casey Mize (right adductor strain) is set to come off the injured list to start Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays, but yet another Tigers pitcher went down Friday night. Ty Madden, a bulk reliever — and a good one — who was set to go multiple innings in the series opener, was out after just seven pitches, smoked on his right arm by a 108-mph line drive off the bat of Yodendrick Pinango, just the second batter Madden faced. We’re still awaiting word of the severity of the injury, but it didn’t take a very long look from the training staff before he was exiting the game, uttering several expletives as he walked off the mound.
The Tigers still continue to be without ace Tarik Skubal (elbow surgery), Justin Verlander (hip) and Troy Melton (right elbow inflammation), as well as Jackson Jobe (Tommy John surgery), among others.
It’s been one blow after another this year for the Tigers, but manager AJ Hinch has been stressing that no matter, the season goes on, and no foe is going to feel sorry for them.
Well, the Tigers got a huge pick-me-up from Burch Smith and Drew Anderson, who followed Madden to combine for six innings of two-hit, no run baseball to keep the team in it before Spencer Torkelson walked it off in the ninth (on Hinch’s 52nd birthday, no less). It was the Tigers’ second win in their last 10 games.
Three stars
(Season total in parentheses)
Dillon Dingler (11)
Riley Greene (13)
Drew Anderson (2)
Player of the game
Spencer Torkelson (3)
Tigers’ uniform tracker
Tigers on national TV
The Tigers are 4-3 on national TV:
Next Tigers game
Game 46: Blue Jays at Tigers, 1:10 Saturday, Detroit SportsNet, 97.1
ICYMI: Yesterday’s Tigers recap
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers, Game 45: One thing I loved, one thing I didn’t
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
