Former No. 1 picks Mize and Torkelson are giving the AL Central-leading Tigers a boost, finally
This is a sight the Tigers probably expected a lot more often by now: Casey Mize pitching seven strong innings, and Spencer Torkelson hitting a three-run homer to lead Detroit to a 3-1 victory.
There’s still time for both of them to make big contributions to the team that drafted them No. 1 overall.
When the Tigers returned to the postseason last year for the first time in a decade, they did it without great production from Mize and Torkelson, who were supposed to be cornerstones of their rebuild. Torkelson hit 31 home runs in 2023 but managed only 10 (with a .219 average) last season. Mize made only two starts total in 2022 and 2023 before going 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA a year ago.
Now both of them are starting to show why they were taken at the top of the draft — Mize in 2018 and Torkelson two years later. The 27-year-old Mize is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA this season. Torkelson, who is still just 25, already has seven home runs and a .288 average that is well above his career high of .233. On Saturday, Mize got the win and Torkelson accounted for all Detroit’s scoring in a victory over Kansas City.
After relying heavily on Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in their run to a wild card last year, the Tigers are off to a more balanced start in 2025. Only two AL teams have scored more runs than Detroit, which leads the AL Central by a half-game over Cleveland. Only one AL team, the New York Yankees, has a better run differential than the Tigers.
Wild inning
The Chicago Cubs became the seventh team in the last 125 seasons to allow 10 runs in an inning and still win. Arizona scored 10 in the top of the eighth on Friday, only for Chicago to rally with six in the bottom half and win 13-11.
Remarkably, the Colorado Rockies nearly matched the Diamondbacks’ plight a day later. Colorado scored eight runs in the seventh Saturday but still lost 12-11 to Washington. Also Saturday, Miami scored six in the ninth but lost 11-10 to Philadelphia.
Other big innings from this past week included a nine-run third by Tampa Bay against Boston on Monday, a seven-run first by the Los Angeles Dodgers against Colorado on Wednesday, and a seven-run third by Cincinnati against Baltimore on Sunday. The Rays, Dodgers and Reds all won.
Trivia time
The Milwaukee Brewers broke a franchise record by stealing nine bases in their 14-1 win over the Athletics on Sunday. The Brewers stole eight bases against Toronto on Aug. 29, 1992.
Which Milwaukee player, who went on to win Rookie of the Year honors that year, stole three bases in that 1992 game?
Line of the week
Cincinnati’s Austin Wynns had six hits in the Reds’ 24-2 blowout of Baltimore on Sunday, although the last two of those came against position players pitching. Wynns also drove in six runs.
Wynns had seven hits and two RBIs all of last season for Cincinnati.
Comeback of the week
After entering the game with a four-run lead in the ninth Saturday, struggling Yankees closer Devin Williams managed to retire only one batter before Tampa Bay tied it. Williams allowed five straight hitters to reach, culminating in Brandon Lowe’s tying two-run single. Williams managed to induce a double play to end the inning, but Tampa Bay went on to win 10-8 on Jonathan Aranda’s 10th-inning two-run homer.
The Rays had a win probability of 0.6% in the ninth, according to Baseball Savant.
Williams hasn’t blown a save this season — Saturday’s game wasn’t a save situation — but he’s now allowed eight earned runs in eight innings.
Trivia answer
Pat Listach had three of Milwaukee’s eight steals in that game. He went on to finish the season with 54, second in the American League to Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton.
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