Eduardo Rodriguez Marvels at Spencer Torkelson after the series win over Cleveland
The Detroit Tigers took three of four games from their division rival Cleveland Guardians, and it was Spencer Torkelson‘s continued red-hot play that was a driving force behind the convincing series victory.
The Detroit Tigers took 3 of 4 games from Cleveland
The Tigers struck early against the host Guardians, as Torkelson blasted a two-run shot off Cleveland starting pitcher Logan Allen in the 1st inning. That was followed up by Detroit starter Eduardo Rodriguez retiring the first nine Cleveland batters that he faced down, while Miguel Cabrera would hit a single in his final ever at-bat at Progressive Field, earning a nice round of applause from the home crowd.
Eduardo Rodriguez marvels at Spencer Torkelson's hot play
Torkelson's home run in the 1st inning was his 14th since June 27, which is good for third overall in the American League during that span. He now has 22 on the season.
And for Rodriguez, it's gotten to the point where he's anticipating the possibility of a home run every time Tork steps to the plate.
“He's a special hitter and a special first baseman,” he said. “I think he's going to homer every time I see him go up there. He's making hard contact every time he steps to the plate. That's the kind of hitter you want to have in your lineup.”
Torkelson would return the favor with a compliment of his own for E-Rod.
“We expect it,” Torkelson said of Rodriguez enjoying a strong outing on the mound. “We expect him to go out there every single day and do what he does. He's an ace, and he's our ace for a reason. It's just really fun to play behind him.”
TL;DR (too long didn't read)
- The Detroit Tigers earned a series win over the Cleveland Guardians by winning three of four games
- Spencer Torkelson continued his hot streak with his 14th home run since late June
- Eduardo Rodriguez had nothing but good things to say about Tork following the game, while Tork returned the favor with a compliment of his own towards Rodriguez.
Bottom Line: This is the Spencer Torkelson the Tigers envisioned
Torkelson is truly coming into his own this season and showing the Tigers the kind of production they envisioned when they took him with the 1st overall pick in the MLB Draft of 2020.
The Tigers return home to Comerica Park to start a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs starting on Monday evening.
