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Spencer Torkelson slugs home run, drives in four runs in Detroit Tigers' 5-1 win over Rays
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- Spencer Torkelson slugs home run, drives in four runs in Detroit Tigers' 5-1 win over Rays
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers won 5-1 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Detroit is 9-8 in Grapefruit League play.
What happened
Spencer Torkelson , the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, is hitting .310 with four home runs and a 1.057 OPS through 11 games in spring training.
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The Tigers , though, named Colt Keith as their everyday first baseman after assuring free-agent signee Gleyber Torres that he would be the second baseman, leaving Torkelson on the outside looking in for an Opening Day roster spot.
But the door isn't shut.
"We always want to play the guys that hit," manager A.J. Hinch said of Torkelson. "That's how you score runs. You can play your way into the lineup. I've said that over and over again, and this is a good example."
Torkelson, who started at first base, finished 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBIs and one strikeout in Wednesday's game. He hit a two-run home run off Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot 's 94.8 mph fastball in the fourth inning.
Detroit Tigers infielder Spencer Torkelson tries to grab a foul ball against Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning of a Grapefruit League game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
His two-run homer, which traveled 400 feet to left-center field, put the Tigers ahead, 2-0.
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"I was just trying to be short and quick to it and go to right-center," Torkelson said, "but I just caught it a little bit out front, and that's what happens."
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In the fifth inning, Torkelson swung — and didn't miss — at a 92.7 mph fastball in a 3-0 count with two outs and two runners in scoring position. He smacked the middle-middle pitch from right-handed reliever Alex Faedo into shallow left field.
The two-run single increased the Tigers' lead to 5-0.
"It's not easy to hit 3-0," said Torkelson, who received the green light to swing from third base coach Joey Cora, "because your mind tells you that you worked to this amazing count, so don't ruin it."
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Starting off
Right-hander Casey Mize completed 3⅓ scoreless innings.
The 2018 No. 1 overall pick has a 0.00 ERA with five walks and 14 strikeouts across 11⅓ innings in four games (three starts) in spring training, competing for the final spot in the Opening Day starting rotation.
"I think the box score looks good," Mize said, "but I think the underlying stuff can match it."
On Wednesday, Mize limited the Rays to one hit and three walks while racking up four strikeouts. He threw 70 pitches, with 42 of them for strikes. The high pitch count was a product of struggling to throw first-pitch strikes, but he kept missing bats.
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Mize, 27, generated 12 misses on 34 swings — a 35.3% whiff rate — with four fastballs, three sliders, three splitters and two sinkers. His fastball averaged 95.8 mph and maxed out at 97.2 mph.
Two of the three walks occurred in the first inning. He struck out three batters in the third, working around a ground-ball single and a fielding error.
"Definitely got to take that next step of now it's fine-tuning that even more," Mize said, "but having stuff that I feel like I can go to with two strikes, or even before two strikes, and get swing and miss definitely puts me in a better position."
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At the plate
The Tigers scored their only non-Torkelson run the fifth inning after three walks in a row from Faedo to Jahmai Jones , Gleyber Torres and Javier Báez .
Riley Greene grounded out, but his ball was hit soft enough to score the lead runner from third base.
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Torres went 1 for 1 with two walks.
Faedo, an ex-Tiger, surrendered three runs, all in the fifth inning.
On the mound
Right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee shoved in replacement of Mize, striking out back-to-back batters in the fourth inning. He returned for the fifth inning and struck out two more batters.
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Hanifee, who struck out four of six batters, has thrown 5⅓ scoreless innings in spring training. The only damage was a leadoff double by Kameron Misner in the fifth inning.
"He's been incredible," Hinch said. "Very consistent spring because the stuff has been electric, and his execution has been pretty good. He's making pitches, and he's been doing that since the beginning of spring."
Tanner Murray hit a solo home run off right-handed reliever Will Vest in the eighth inning. Meanwhile, fellow relievers Jason Foley , Beau Brieske and Tyler Holton tossed scoreless innings.
Three stars
1. Torkelson; 2. Mize; 3. Hanifee.
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Next up
Thursday (1:05 p.m., no TV) vs. New York Yankees in Lakeland.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers raze Rays, 5-1, behind 4 RBIs from Spencer Torkelson
