Detroit — Spencer Torkelson’s walkoff double in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs propelled the Tigers to a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays on Friday evening at Comerica Park.
It was a textbook scenario: Two outs, two men on in the bottom of the ninth. Torkelson even got to two strikes when he flicked a double into the right-centerfield gap and scored Matt Vierling from second base for a much needed win.
Detroit got runs from shortstop Kevin McGonigle and catcher Dillon Dingler to tie the game after an early deficit, and a bullpen game that started shaky ended up strong with seven-straight scoreless innings from the Tigers staff to close out the contest. Kenley Jansen picked up the win after a scoreless ninth inning.
Detroit had inched back offensively to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Riley Greene scalded a double down the right field line to plate Dillon Dingler.
Dingler got to second base by virtue of Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement trying to throw him out at first on a ground ball taking the defender away from the bag. Jumping and contorting his body, Clement missed badly on the throw and Dingler advanced to second base as it trickled to the fence in foul territory.
He’d move up to third base on a fielder’s choice ground ball to the right side, setting up Greene for the game-tying RBI opportunity.
The Tigers had clawed a run back earlier, in the bottom of the third inning, as Kevin McGonigle’s baserunning aggression got him from second to third on a ball in the dirt behind the plate. A few pitches later, he got home when a ball got away from Blue Jays backstop Brandon Valenzuela.
And the Tigers were digging out of this meager deficit for much of the game.
Brennan Hanifee opened the game on the mound with quick work in the top of the first inning, but problems arose quickly in the second inning, as he gave up a leadoff double. AJ Hinch went to the bullpen, putting Brant Hurter on the bump.
Things didn’t get better, as Hurter gave up a pair of runs and two hits while recording two outs, both runs coming on a two-out double that died in the corner in foul territory after kissing the right field foul line chalk. Hurter also walked two batters.
Eventually Ty Madden came on and got the final out of the inning, inducing a flyout to George Springer to end the frame.
But Madden’s moment would be short, as he gave up a leadoff single to Yohendrick Piñango on a 107.9 mph line drive that came back and hit the pitcher in his right throwing arm. Madden left the game without throwing another pitch.
And just as quickly as Detroit’s early pitching substitutions backfired, this one went the other way.
Smith got a broken-bat pop out on the infield from the dangerous Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and then picked off Piñango at first base to quickly get to two outs and clear the bases. Smith struck out Kazuma Okamoto to finish that frame, and retired the fourth inning in order, in part with the help of a nicely turned double play by Kevin McGonigle and Hao-Yu Lee at shortstop and second base, respectively.
Smith eventually gave way to Drew Anderson, who pitched four scoreless innings to set up Kenley Jansen on the bump in the top of the ninth in a tie game.
Madden, Smith and Anderson held the Blue Jays to six-straight scoreless innings as the offense eked out a couple runs, setting up the walkoff fireworks.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener Friday