Tigers rally late to avoid sweep against Braves
The Detroit Tigers are back at .500, and while a 16-16 start is not exactly cause for celebration, this team keeps finding ways to stay alive.
Thursday’s 5-2 comeback win over the Atlanta Braves was another example of what has defined Detroit’s first month. When the Tigers are ahead, it rarely feels safe. When they are behind, it rarely feels over.
This time, that worked in their favor.
Detroit trailed 2-0 for much of the afternoon before late rallies in the eighth and ninth innings flipped the game. The win helped the Tigers avoid a sweep and finish a difficult road trip at 2-4 against two hot teams.
Matt Vierling delivers his biggest game of the season
Matt Vierling picked the right time to break through.
After a slow start to the season following a strong spring, Vierling came up with two of the biggest swings of the game. His RBI hit tied it, and he later added another run-scoring knock as Detroit created separation in the ninth.
Vierling has always had a knack for showing up in important spots, and the Tigers needed every bit of that on Thursday.
Wenceel Pérez also helped spark the late push, while Dillon Dingler added a key double to make it 5-2 and give Detroit some breathing room.
Framber Valdez grinds through six innings
Framber Valdez did not have his best stuff early, but he found a way to give the Tigers what they needed.
The Braves put traffic on the bases and made him work, especially in the first half of his outing. Valdez was not missing wildly, but too many pitches caught the heart of the plate in two-strike counts, allowing Atlanta to spray the ball around and apply pressure.
Still, Valdez adjusted. He mixed in more sliders and changeups, battled through the tough spots, and limited a dangerous Braves lineup to two runs over six innings.
That kept Detroit close enough for the offense to eventually wake up.
The bullpen answers after a rough stretch
The Tigers’ bullpen has been a major talking point lately, but Thursday was a step in the right direction.
Drew Anderson delivered two scoreless innings against a tough part of Atlanta’s lineup. His ERA has not looked pretty, but the Tigers need usable outs wherever they can find them right now. Anderson gave them exactly that.
Then Kyle Finnegan handled the ninth and locked down the save.
That decision mattered. After Kenley Jansen’s recent struggles, Detroit went with the steadier option instead of forcing Jansen back into the ninth just to “get him right.” On this day, the Tigers needed a win more than they needed a confidence-building experiment.
Tigers head home with a chance to reset
This was a strange road trip, but Detroit survived it.
The Tigers avoided being swept twice by winning the final game of each series, and that matters. Sometimes staying afloat is enough until a team gets healthier, steadier, or simply hotter.
Now Detroit heads back home at 16-16 with a chance to build momentum at Comerica Park, where the Tigers have played much better so far this season.
It was not a perfect trip. It was not a perfect win. But it was a needed one.
And for one afternoon, Matt Vierling was the clear player of the game.
