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Parker Meadows sparks Detroit Tigers in 7-1 win over Rays; Jackson Jobe makes MLB debut
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- Parker Meadows sparks Detroit Tigers in 7-1 win over Rays; Jackson Jobe makes MLB debut
Parker Meadows didn't wait to electrify the crowd.
There was a postseason-like atmosphere for Wednesday's game between the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park, as the Tigers continue their postseason push. In the first inning, Meadows turned on a second-pitch slider from right-hander Zack Littell for a solo home run to right field.
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The homer from Meadows propelled the Tigers to a 3-1 win over the Rays in the second of three games in the series. There were 32,463 fans in the stands.
Detroit Tigers center fielder Parker Meadows (22) celebrates after hitting a lead off home run against Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell (not pictured) in the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024.
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The Tigers (84-74) have won four games in a row and eight of nine games, plus a 29-11 record in their last 40 games. The latest win extends the lead to 2½ games in the American League wild-card race. The Tigers could clinch a spot in the postseason as early as Thursday, but everything depends on what happens to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday and Thursday.
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After the Meadows homer, the Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 with Wenceel Pérez's RBI single. A double from Riley Greene set the table for Pérez, all with two outs.
Meadows and Greene, in particular, hit the ball hard against Littell. The homer from Meadows had a 109.6 mph exit velocity; the double from Greene had a 111.1 mph exit velocity.
Littell allowed three runs on seven hits and zero walks with seven strikeouts across 4⅔ innings, throwing 91 pitches. The veteran hadn't allowed a run in his last three starts, spanning 18 innings — and then he ran into the red-hot Tigers.
In the sixth inning, Spencer Torkelson put the Tigers ahead, 5-1, when he pulled a two-run-home run against right-handed reliever Manuel Rodríguez . He fouled four pitches in a row before hitting an eighth-pitch slider to left field.
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Torkelson pummeled the ball 415 feet with a 108.3 mph exit velocity.
It was his 10th homer in 88 games.
An RBI double from Torkelson put the Tigers ahead, 6-1, in the eighth inning. He hit the ball down the third-base line. On the double, Zach McKinstry scored from first base. Later on, Dillon Dingler made it 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 top pitching prospect in baseball, entered out of the bullpen for the Tigers in the ninth inning, protecting a 7-1 advantage.
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It was his MLB debut.
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 smacked a 99 mph fastball for a single to center field.
Jobe ranks as the No. 6 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline . All
Keider Montero starts
Right-hander Keider Montero pitched in his 18th game of the season, making his 16th start. The 24-year-old allowed one run on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts across 2⅔ innings, throwing 55 pitches.
Montero stranded two runners in the first inning, then he stranded the bases loaded in the second inning. In the third, he surrendered a solo home run to Junior Caminero on a first-pitch fastball.
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The Tigers, though, picked up Montero in the bottom of the third inning, increasing their margin from 2-1 to 3-1. Greene scored Meadows from second base on a single to right field, thanks to an aggressive send from third-base coach Joey Cora.
Montero was pulled from the game with two outs in the third inning, replaced by left-handed reliever Sean Guenther . The Tigers swapped Montero for Guenther to match-up against upcoming left-handed hitters in the Rays' lineup.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers ride rookies to 7-1 victory over Tampa Bay Rays
