Tigers explode in 11th inning to sweep Yankees, bail out bullpen
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK – It was no easy walk in the park.
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But the Detroit Tigers will take it after earning a 6-2 11-inning victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday, July 1, completing a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium.
The Tigers took the lead in the 11th when Spencer Torkelson earned a bases-loaded walk against Camillo Doval.
Then Zach McKinstry cleared the bases with a single to right, with the final run coming after a throwing error.
In the end, it was a whole bunch of drama – all because the Tigers fell apart in the ninth. But as manager A.J. Hinch likes to say, never complain after a win.
The Tigers (38-49) took a 2-0 lead into the ninth with right-hander Drew Anderson on the mound in relief. Amed Rosario crushed a homer to left off Anderson, making it 2-1. Then, Jazz Chisholm Jr. tied it up with his legs; after a single, he stole second, stole third and then scored on a wild pitch.
In the 10th, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch turned to Keider Montero against the Yankees (48-38). The Tigers intentionally walked Ben Rice, who has 23 homers, to pitch to Ali Sanchez. Keider struck him out to end the inning.
One thing was consistent in all three games for the Tigers: Their great, consistent starting pitching. Troy Melton took his turn on Wednesday in throwing 6⅓ scoreless innings, scattering two hits while recording seven strikeouts.
At the plate: Kevin McGonigle continues to impress
The game was played on a stifling, hot and sweaty afternoon in Yankee Stadium. The temperature was announced as 95 degrees after the first pitch. While there was some air conditioning that blew out of vents placed in the Tigers dugout, it wasn’t much, and the metal on the first row of seats in the dugout was hot to the touch.
But as they say, it was the same conditions for both sides.
Will Warren, a right-hander, got the start for the Yankees. He is not a flame thrower but he got eight whiffs in the first three innings.
But one person who didn’t whiff was Kevin McGonigle, who got a curveball right over the middle of the plate. McGonigle pounced on it, hammering the ball 422 feet for his seventh homer of the season to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, the Tigers added a run thanks to aggressive base running, one of the Tigers’ hallmarks when they are playing good baseball.
Dillon Dingler started things off by singling to center. When Kerry Carpenter singled to center, Dingler didn’t hesitate, going first to third and drawing a throw, as Carpenter to advance to second.
That gave Riley Greene a tremendous opportunity: second and third with no outs.
Greene did his job, lifting a ball to the wall in left, a sacrifice fly giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
On the mound: Troy Melton nothing but quality
Melton got the start for the Tigers, his seventh of the season.
And for the fifth time, he went at least six innings.
Rice had a first-inning single to right, but Melton was able to strand him there.
In the fourth, Chisholm doubled to right but Melton stranded him there, too.
All in all, another fine performance.
Next up: Heading to Texas
The Tigers head to Texas for an unusual three-game series – played over four days against the Rangers.
Game 1 will feature Framber Valdez (4-5, 4.05 ERA) against righty Nathan Eovaldi (8-8, 3.95) on Thursday.
Then, the Tigers will have an unusual off day on Friday because of a World Cup game being played in next door to the Rangers' park in Arlington. (No, they don’t get comped tickets.)
The series will resume Saturday with Jack Flaherty (1-8, 4.97) against righty Kumar Rocker (2-6, 3.83). Then, the series will wrap up on Sunday with Casey Mize (3-5, 2.63) on the mound for the Tigers.
Contact Jeff Seidel at [email protected] or follow him @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers explode in 11th inning to sweep Yankees, bail out bullpen