Matt Vierling turned a tight game on its head Friday night, stealing second base in the bottom of the ninth and helping set up Spencer Torkelson's walk-off RBI single as the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2. Vierling had already saved a run with a diving catch in center field off a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. line drive earlier in the inning.
Torkelson's hit sent the Tigers to a win they badly needed. Detroit entered the night 20-25, and the victory came against the defending American League champions after a game shaped by pitching injuries and a bullpen effort that had to hold together the middle innings. The Tigers used opener Brenan Hanifee and lefty reliever Brant Hurter to get five outs and give up two earned runs, then got six scoreless innings from Burch Smith and Drew Anderson before Kenley Jansen finished it with a 1-2-3 ninth.
The night began with Detroit taking a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Kevin McGonigle reached third and scored on two wild pitches from Trey Yesavage, giving the Tigers their first run before the Blue Jays clawed back into the game. Toronto later had chances, but Vierling's catch in center kept the score level and his stolen base in the ninth put pressure on the defense before Torkelson lined the winner into play.
For Torkelson, who had gone through a rough stretch at the plate, the moment carried more weight than a single hit. Entering Friday, he was batting.132/.242/.226 with seven hits in 62 plate appearances over a 15-game stretch, even after a five-game home run streak in late April hinted at better days ahead. He said it stings not to produce when he wants to help the club win, but that staying with his approach and keeping his work up is what brings results. He also said he had been a little passive and not as aggressive as he wanted to be, adding that the night felt like a good start.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch sounded just as pleased for his first baseman. He said the club is not going to play perfect and that Friday showed it does not have to. Hinch also said he feels really good for Torkelson, noting that the last few weeks have not been easy and that the player carries that burden both internally and externally while continuing to show up and put in the work.
The game also had a scare in the pitching staff when expected bulk reliever Ty Madden left in the third inning after taking a line drive to his right forearm. Detroit still found a way to piece together the rest of the night, and Vierling's all-around finish gave the Tigers one of the more complete late-inning wins of their season. In a game that could have slipped away, his legs, glove and Torkelson's bat delivered the kind of finish that can change a clubhouse's mood in one swing.
