Detroit Tigers win with rookies to 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay Rays

Parker Meadows didn't wait to electrify the crowd.

There was a postseason atmosphere at Wednesday's game between the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park as the Tigers continue their push for a wild-card spot in the American League. In the first inning, Meadows turned a slider by right-hander Zack Littell into a solo home run to right field on the second pitch.

Meadows' home run gave the Tigers a 7-1 victory over the Rays in the second of three games of the series. 32,463 fans were in the stands.

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The Tigers (84-74) have won four straight games and eight of nine to give them a 29-11 record in their last 40 games. The latest win extends their lead in the American League wild-card race to 2½ games. The Tigers could clinch a postseason spot as early as Thursday, but it all depends on what happens with the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday and Thursday.

After Meadows' home run, the Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 with Wenceel Pérez's RBI single. A double by Riley Greene set up Pérez, all with two outs.

Meadows and Greene, in particular, hit the ball hard against Littell. Meadows' home run had an exit velocity of 109.6 mph; Greene's double had an exit velocity of 111.1 mph.

Littell allowed three runs on seven hits and zero walks, with seven strikeouts in 4⅔ innings, and threw 91 pitches. The veteran had not allowed a run in his last three starts over 18 innings – and then he ran into the red-hot Tigers.

In the sixth inning, Spencer Torkelson gave the Tigers a 5-1 lead when he hit a two-run home run against right-handed reliever Manuel Rodríguez. He fouled off four straight pitches before hitting a slider into left field on the eighth pitch.

Torkelson hit the ball 415 feet with an exit velocity of 108.3 mph.

It was his 10th home run in 88 games.

An RBI double from Torkelson gave the Tigers a 6-1 lead in the eighth inning. He hit the ball down the third base line. The double scored Zach McKinstry from first base. Later, Dillon Dingler increased the lead to 7-1 with an RBI single.

Meadows led the Tigers with three hits, followed by two hits from Greene, two hits from Torkelson and two hits from Dingler.

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Jackson Jobe makes MLB debut

Right-hander Jackson Jobe, the most promising pitcher in baseball, made his MLB debut out of the Tigers' bullpen in the ninth inning, defending a 7-1 lead.

He retired three of the four batters he faced: Christopher Morel (groundout to third base), José Caballero (force out to shortstop) and Richie Palacios (flyout to center field). With one out, Ben Rortvedt hit a 99 mph fastball to center field for a single.

According to MLB Pipeline, Jobe is the sixth best young talent in baseball.

Keider Montero starts

Right-hander Keider Montero pitched in his 18th game of the season and was in the starting lineup for the 16th time. The 24-year-old allowed one run on four hits and two walks in 2⅔ innings, threw 55 pitches and had two strikeouts.

Montero walked two runners in the first inning and had all bases loaded in the second inning. In the third inning, he allowed a solo home run to Junior Caminero on a fastball off the first pitch.

However, the Tigers got Montero in the bottom of the third inning to increase their lead from 2-1 to 3-1. Greene scored Meadows with a single to right field from second base, thanks to an aggressive pass from third-base coach Joey Cora.

Montero was taken out of the game after two outs in the third inning and replaced by left-handed reliever Sean Guenther. The Tigers traded Montero for Guenther to take on emerging left-handers in the Rays' lineup.

Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show, “Days of Roar,” every Monday afternoon on demand on freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And check out all of our podcasts and the daily speech recap at freep.com/podcasts.

Detroit Tigers win with rookies to 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay Rays

ByVanessa

Jackson Jobe makes MLB debut

Keider Montero starts

By Vanessa

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