Sometimes, all it takes is one swing to flip the script. For the Detroit Tigers, that swing came off the bat of Spencer Torkelson in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday night at Comerica Park.
With two outs and two runners on, Torkelson worked the count full before lacing a walk-off double into the right-center field gap. The hit scored Matt Vierling from second base and gave the Tigers a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.
"It was a textbook two-out rally," Torkelson said after the game. "Just trying to put the barrel on something and get it into the outfield."
The Tigers had to claw their way back into this one after falling behind early. Shortstop Kevin McGonigle and catcher Dillon Dingler each scored to help erase an early deficit, while Detroit's bullpen settled in nicely after a shaky start. The relief corps fired seven straight scoreless innings to close out the game, with Kenley Jansen earning the win after a clean ninth.
Detroit tied things up in the bottom of the sixth when Riley Greene crushed a double down the right-field line to plate Dingler. The catcher had reached second base on an errant throw from Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement, who tried to throw Dingler out at first on a ground ball but airmailed the throw into foul territory. Dingler later moved to third on a fielder's choice before scoring on Greene's clutch hit.
The Tigers had scratched across their first run in the third inning, thanks to some aggressive baserunning from McGonigle. After reaching second base, he took third on a ball in the dirt behind home plate, then scored a few pitches later when the ball got away from Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela.
The game didn't start as smoothly for Detroit. Starter Brennan Hanifee worked a quick first inning but ran into trouble in the second, allowing a leadoff double. Manager AJ Hinch turned to Brant Hurter out of the bullpen, but the Blue Jays managed to push across two runs before the Tigers could stop the bleeding.
From there, though, it was all Tigers. The pitching staff locked in, the defense made plays, and the offense kept chipping away until Torkelson delivered the knockout blow in the ninth. For a team looking to build momentum, this walk-off win could be just what the doctor ordered.