Tonight at Comerica Park, Eduardo Rodrigeuz and the Detroit Tigers were able to exact some revenge against the Minnesota Twins, who had beaten them by a 9-3 score in last night’s series opener. A home run from Jake Rogers along with a few record-setting hits from Miguel Cabrera helped guide the Tigers to a 6-0 win.
The Detroit Tigers bit right back at the Twins
Not only did the Tigers’ offense break out, but pitcher Rodriguez enjoyed another stellar night on the mound by throwing seven shutout innings, giving him a record of 8-5 with a 2.75 ERA in the 17 starts he’s made in 2023. Back-to-back RBI singles by Eric Haase and Zach McKinstry helped put runs on the board, while Cabrera now sits at 19th all-time (tied with Robin Yount) with 3,142 career hits.
The game also featured a moment of silence and video tribute for Jim Price, the former Tigers catcher and broadcaster who passed away yesterday at the age of 81.
Eduardo Rodriguez earned rave reviews from his teammates
Rogers, who hit his career-high 14th home run of the season, had nothing but good things to say about E-Rod afterward.
“It’s pretty sweet,” Rogers said of hitting home runs.
“E-Rod did well, he committed to the plan and hit his spots,” he continued. “He had some good spots, and they have good hitters over there. He did incredible.”
“It’s a pleasure,” he continued when talking about catching for Rodriguez. “He’s having a hell of a year and is a good pitcher. To be behind the plate for it is pretty special.”
For manager A.J. Hinch, he and the rest of the team feel good when Rodriguez is on the mound, and tonight was a perfect example.
“I think the best part of Eduardo today was anchoring his stuff when he saw us get beat up yesterday,” Hinch said. “We went through a lot of bullpen arms…he stepped up and delivered a gem. That part of it is the top of the rotation guys that we like, and that’s why we love when he’s out there and we feel good about our chances when he’s the starting pitcher.”
Key Points
- The Tigers hit right back at the Twins with a convincing win
- Eduardo Rodriguez had himself another great game with 7 innings of shutout baseball
- The Tigers had nothing but good things to say about his performance
Bottom Line: Can Detroit seize the momentum?
While the Tigers are still a ways off from cutting into Minnesota’s division lead, tonight’s win could go a long way for their confidence.
They’ll be right back in the thick of things with the Twins tomorrow evening in the third of what will be the four-game series.
