In an American League Central Division duel on Monday night, Matt Vierling’s two-run double in the eighth inning secured a 3-2 victory for the Detroit Tigers over the struggling Kansas City Royals, who suffered their ninth loss in eleven games.
The action-packed eighth inning began with Akil Baddoo’s leadoff double, followed by Taylor Clarke hitting Riley Greene with a pitch. With two outs, Clarke walked Spencer Torkelson, setting the stage for a dramatic turn of events. José Cuas took over from Clarke but struggled, walking Kerry Carpenter on four pitches and allowing Detroit to break their 20-inning scoreless streak. The moment of triumph came when Vierling connected with a sinker, sending it to the opposite field in right and bringing home two crucial runs.
Brendan White emerged as a key figure in the seventh, relieving with two runners on base and one out. He effectively shut down the Royals’ offense, retiring pinch-hitter Matt Duffy on a flyout and striking out Nicky Lopez.
In the ninth, Alex Lange took the mound for Detroit and delivered a flawless performance, striking out two batters and securing his 15th save in 18 chances.
The Royals’ struggles continued as they dropped to a disappointing 27-68 record, landing them in last place in the AL Central.
Kansas City displayed some offensive firepower in the fourth inning when MJ Melendez, Freddy Fermin, and Nick Pratto hit consecutive singles, with the latter two driving in runs. However, their efforts were not enough to secure a victory, as they managed only six hits overall.
Both starting pitchers showcased their talents on the mound. Royals’ Jordan Lyles put up an impressive performance, allowing only three hits over six shutout innings. On the other hand, Detroit’s Matt Manning pitched well, giving up two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Baddoo, who had been struggling with a 3-for-37 slide, came through with the game’s lone extra-base hit – a leadoff double in the eighth.
In other news, Royals’ RHP Zack Greinke, who was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 5 due to right shoulder tendinitis, made progress in his recovery, throwing a bullpen session on Sunday. Manager Matt Quatraro confirmed that Greinke is expected to return to the mound against the Tigers and should be ready to make a start on Thursday.
On Tuesday night, the Tigers will send LHP Tarik Skubal to the mound for his third start of the season on Tuesday, facing off against the Royals’ LHP Daniel Lynch, who holds a 2-4 record with a 4.18 ERA, with pregame at 6:30 on KTTN AM 1600 and KTTN FM 92.3.
In St. Louis, Nolan Arenado’s impressive performance, delivering four runs, and Miles Mikolas’ solid pitching on just two days’ rest, led the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-4 victory over the struggling Miami Marlins on Monday night, extending the Marlins’ losing streak to four games.
Mikolas (6-5) displayed great poise, conceding three runs on seven hits in his six innings of work. Notably, he had thrown three perfect innings against Washington on Friday night before the game was interrupted by rain.
The young Dylan Carlson made significant contributions as well, driving in two runs and scoring three himself for the Cardinals, who have managed to win six of their last eight games. Despite this, the team remains in the last spot in the NL Central, tied with Pittsburgh.
Before the game, President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak hinted at potential changes in the Cardinals’ lineup, suggesting the team may make trades to acquire prospects ahead of the August 1 deadline.
In the sixth inning, pinch-hitter Nolan Gorman delivered a crucial double against reliever Dylan Floro. Carlson followed with an RBI single, breaking the 3-3 tie. Arenado then sealed the victory with a two-run double. Arenado has been in stellar form, batting .340 (17-for-50) with 14 RBIs in his last 14 games.
Despite the loss, Miami’s Luis Arraez managed to record an RBI single in the fifth, keeping his batting average at a major league-leading .378.
St. Louis’ Jordan Hicks faced some late pressure in the ninth inning, allowing three hits. However, he managed to escape the inning and secure his eighth save, thanks in part to a double play that helped him get Jesús Sánchez to ground out and end the game.
The Cardinals made some notable roster moves, signing veteran reliever Ryan Tepera, who performed well in his first appearance for St. Louis. The team designated LHP Génesis Cabrera for assignment.
The Marlins may have some reinforcements soon, as RHP Edward Cabrera, dealing with a right shoulder impingement, is expected to return as early as Tuesday. Cardinals’ OF Tyler O’Neill, suffering from a lower back strain, might also be activated on Tuesday. Additionally, RHP Adam Wainwright (right shoulder irritation) and RHP Ryan Helsley (forearm strain) were scheduled to throw off a mound on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the Cardinals’ LHP Jordan Montgomery (6-7, 3.23 ERA) is set to start, while the Marlins had not announced their starter yet.
Here is the MLB scoreboard from Monday, July 17, 2023:
Texas 3, Tampa Bay 2
San Francisco 2, Cincinnati 2 (Suspended by Rain – Bottom 7th)
St. Louis 6, Miami 4
Detroit 3, Kansas City 2
Washington 7, Chicago (NL) 5
Los Angeles (AL) 4, New York (AL) 3
Boston 7, Oakland 0
Seattle 7, Minnesota 6
Los Angeles (NL) 6, Baltimore 4
Cleveland 11, Pittsburgh 0
