After weeks of struggling, Tigers hope D-backs can cure ills
That snapped a six-game losing streak and was just their second win in 14 games. Detroit will now open a three-game home series against Arizona, beginning on Monday night.
"It's a sense of accomplishment," manager AJ Hinch said. "Obviously, we need a good feeling at the end of the day, we needed it all week. It's a fun win; it's a good win."
The American League Central Division leaders hope it wasn't just a one-game reprieve.
"It's not like the end of things," first baseman Spencer Torkelson said. "It's not like it's all good now. We needed to play a clean, good baseball game. But seeing a W in the win column is definitely refreshing. It's like when you haven't got a hit in a while and seeing one fall. Sometimes that's all it takes."
Right-hander Troy Melton will make his second career start for the Tigers in the series opener. Melton's debut didn't go as planned -- he gave up six runs and seven hits in five innings at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
Melton's outing wasn't a complete washout. He struck out seven and tossed two scoreless innings to finish up his outing.
Melton is being given a chance to earn the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Keider Montero, who had a tenuous hold on that spot, was demoted to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday.
Melton, 24, was Toledo's top starter this season. He posted a 2.72 ERA in eight games with nine walks and 56 strikeouts across 36 1/3 innings.
"He really needed the challenge up in the big leagues," Hinch said. "I think we saw, specifically in the back half of his outing, why we're excited about his present and his future."
He'll be opposed by former Tiger Eduardo Rodriguez (3-6, 5.50).
Rodriguez bounced back from two poor outings to toss 6 1/3 shutout innings against Houston on Tuesday. Rodriguez surrendered 12 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings in his previous two starts.
Rodriguez believed he could have gone longer Tuesday but he was taken out after getting struck in the leg by a comebacker.
"I feel like that was the best I felt with my fastball all this year," said Rodriguez, who is 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA in seven career starts against Detroit.
With the Arizona front office in sell mode heading toward the trade deadline, the on-field product has suffered. The Diamondbacks have lost five of their last six games, including back-to-back shutouts against Pittsburgh heading into this series.
The offense has produced just eight runs during the six-game span.
"Those things are natural," outfielder Corbin Carroll said of the distractions caused by the trade deadline. "Our coaches did a good job of trying to prevent something like that from happening, but I think stuff like that can creep in. I think it's also a little bit the nature of where some of the hitters, including myself, are at. Just a product of a couple of things."
Third baseman Eugenio Suarez could have an eventful week. He's one of the biggest names on the trade market and the Tigers could be one of his suitors.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
11 minutes ago
- Times
Siraj puts full-stop on most dramatic rollercoaster ride since 2005 Ashes
And so it ended: Gus Atkinson at the striker's end, off stump flattened; Chris Woakes, left arm in a sling hidden beneath his jumper at the non-striker's end; Mohammed Siraj, or 'Siraj the Magnificent' as he shall be known hereafter, wheeling away in delight and thousands of Indian supporters roaring their approval after a Test that ended in victory for their team by the barest of margins. Not long afterwards — the matter settled; the thing done — Shubman Gill led his players around the ground. Alongside side him, arm-in-arm, was Siraj, cradling the match ball like a precious heirloom. He didn't let it go this time. Having dropped Harry Brook the day before, it felt like Siraj had let the match and the series slip, but a simple image on his phone of the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, with the words 'Believe!' had given him strength. Not much had separated these two teams throughout the last six weeks, as the series had swung this way and that, and when Siraj yorked Atkinson 57 minutes into play, there was only six runs separating them in this final, compelling match. It was India's narrowest victory by runs in Test cricket, and it brought them the share of the spoils, deservedly so. Thirty-five runs, eh? That was all England needed at the start of play. It's not a lot really. One of the world's worst batsmen scored that in one over off one of the best bowlers in the game, once. It was the last time these two teams met, as it happened, at Edgbaston in 2022, when Jasprit Bumrah merrily slogged Stuart Broad for 29 off his bat, with five wides and a no-ball thrown in for good measure. But, my, it felt like a lot of runs when Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton walked down the steps of the pavilion just before 11 o'clock on the 25th day of the series. Not since 1993, when all six Ashes Tests went the distance, had a series demanded so much physical effort from its participants, not least Smith who had kept wicket for more than 1000 overs. Given how waywardly England had bowled at times, this was his most punishing match behind the stumps yet. The hope was two-fold: first, that the heavy roller would flatten the pitch once more and give some respite at the start of play, as it had done the previous morning; second, that India would struggle to summon the same kind of spirit that had propelled them in the dying moments of the fourth day's play, when they were surging to victory. When Overton took two fours in Prasidh Krishna's first over, those hopes were raised further still. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. But then came Siraj. The key wicket was that of Smith, the last front-line batsman, and to the seventh ball of the morning, the third that Siraj bowled, Smith pushed tentatively at a wide ball, going wider still, and edged to Dhruv Jurel behind the stumps. For some reason, though the ball had gone cleanly in the gloves, the umpires checked to see if had carried. It had, easily so, and all England's fears from the previous evening came rushing back. There was plenty of movement, still. India's seamers looked fresh and eager again and the crowd had swelled to its maximum, many of them Indian supporters come to claim a historic victory. Atkinson almost edged his first ball to slip, but it was Overton who was next to go, leg-before to Siraj. Overton reviewed, to no avail. Everyone knew what was coming now, even as Josh Tongue walked to the middle. On the dressing room balcony, Woakes could be seen in his whites, pacing up and down, pads on, arm in a sling. The day before, he had taken the narrow passage that leads from the dressing room to the indoor nets, to work out which way around his should bat. He had settled on left-handed, if it came to pass. Of course it did, as we knew it would. This series could end no other way. Gill, impassive and seemingly nerveless, was holding himself together impressively. He opted, rightly, not to take the second new ball when it became available. This one was hooping and nibbling around under the dark clouds. Drizzle arrived and the floodlights were turned on. Tongue lasted a dozen balls before he was bowled by Krishna. Out Woakes came, then. What a moment. A dozen years earlier he had made his debut in the Ashes on this ground: young, impressionable, naïve. Now, at 36, the flecks of grey in his hair are showing. Life has left its mark. There is a possibility, if the dislocation is severe enough, that this could be his last Test, but out he came, damaged arm hidden beneath his jumper. His right-arm was protected. Left-handed it would be. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. When Woakes joined Atkinson, 17 runs were required for victory. It was on Atkinson now. He smeared Siraj towards long-on, only for Akash Deep to palm the ball over the boundary for six. More drama. Woakes caught Jurel napping by sprinting for a bye off the last ball of an over, though it was clear that the simple act of running was causing him extreme pain. Jurel was not to be caught dozing again — he removed his glove in anticipation for the last ball of the next over. Woakes did not get to face a ball, thankfully, sixteen minutes though he batted. Atkinson, swinging and missing and occasionally connecting, got it down to one hit from glory. Then came Siraj's yorker and how fitting it was that Siraj with five wickets in the innings, nine in the match and 23 for the series, should administer the full-stop to the most dramatic roller-coaster ride since the 2005 Ashes. India deserved their draw; anything else would have been a travesty. They won more sessions over the five matches, a discrepancy skewed by the margin of victory at Edgbaston. They had the leading run-scorer, Gill, and the leading wicket-taker, Siraj. There were four Indian batsmen in the top six run-scorers — KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Gill — and four wicket-takers — Jasprit Bumrah, Deep, Krishna and Siraj — in the top six wicket-takers. In the round, they played excellent cricket. It is a country besotted with the riches of the Indian Premier League but, one that cares about first-class cricket, too. No country commits more to domestic first-class cricket and that and the internal competitive dynamic fuelled by the sheer numbers who play means that they produce serious cricketers and serious cricket teams. They did not know when they were beaten; digging in at Old Trafford, and surging back at the Oval when all looked lost. In their final series before the Ashes, England will be disappointed to have not put away a team in transition. They had their chances: they ought to have been able to see out a draw at Edgbaston, on the flattest pitch in the series and they had this match in the palm of their hands when Joe Root and Brook were going so well. They will need to improve to win in Australia. While the condensed schedule meant the series was compromised to a degree, with Bumrah only able to play three Tests, and England forced to rotate their attack for the last match, having the main Test series played in June and July is no bad thing: it allows for a clear window, with no football and little other cricket being played around the world, and creates a narrative and chance for Test cricket to dominate for two months. Six weeks is too cramped. Another ten days, say — which would have allowed for biggerbreaks between the second and third, and fourth and fifth Tests — would have been fine. The2005 Ashes, which started late and finished on September 12th took 54 days; this series hastaken 46 days. What a series it was, though: compelling, fun and full of drama. Top-classplayers giving their all in a format that encourages the full range of skills and reveals thetrue depth of a cricketer's character. Test cricket; bloody hell.
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Former college and NFL coach Derek Dooley joins Senate race in Georgia
Former college and NFL coach Derek Dooley has announced a shock move into politics as he joined the Senate race in Georgia. Dooley is known for his time as the head coach of the University of Tennessee football team, while he also went on to serve as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and University of Alabama. On Monday, Dooley announced his 2026 Republican bid for the U.S. Senate in Georgia against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. The 57-year-old Dooley is backed by Gov. Brian Kemp, the latter of which whom met with President Donald Trump and said they would try to agree on a preferred candidate. Anyone anointed by both would be stamped as the Republican front-runner, though Trump isn't ready to endorse yet and Dooley is moving forward without Trump's blessing, an indication the joint effort may be faltering. Dooley, who was last a senior offensive analyst for Alabama from 2022-23, has been teasing a bid since June. He joins a GOP field that includes U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, as well as activist Reagan Box. 'Professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem,' Dooley said in a two-minute launch video. 'Lawlessness, open season on the border, inflation everywhere, woke stuff, that's what they represent. We need new leadership in Georgia. That's why I'm running for Senate.' Dooley said he would bring 'good, old fashioned Georgia common sense,' and 'work with President Trump, fight for you and always put Georgia first.' Dooley is the son of legendary University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley and was a lawyer before he went into coaching. The younger Dooley was largely seen as a failure during his three years as head coach at Tennessee, compiling a 15-21 record with the Volunteers before he was fired in 2012. He also compiled a 17-20 record as the head coach of Louisiana Tech before that. Dooley has also served as a tight ends coach for the Dolphins, wide receivers coach for the Cowboys and senior offensive assistant/tight ends coach with the Giants. Dooley would be far from the first figure coach to run for office. Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020 from Alabama and is now running for governor. University of Nebraska coaching legend Tom Osborne served three terms in the U.S. House. In 2022, Trump anointed Georgia football legend Herschel Walker as the state's Republican nominee for Senate. He ultimately lost to Raphael Warnock in a runoff.
The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
The numbers behind England vs India and a test series for the ages
India completed one of the most dramatic Test match victories ever seen on British soil, squaring the series with a stunning six-run victory after Chris Woakes attempted to carry England over the line with a dislocated shoulder. England arrived on the final day of a classic Test summer needing 35 runs to complete a remarkable chase of 374 but were blown away on a morning of unbearable tension and true sporting drama. They lost four for 28 as Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson succumbed to searing pressure at the Oval. Woakes, who is expected to be out for several months with the injury he sustained in the field on Friday, answered his country's call by coming out at number 11 to try and finish the job. Holding the bat in hand, with his left arm bundled up in a sling under his sweater, he joined the fray with 17 runs still needed and was grimacing in pain throughout his brief stay. In the end he did not face a ball as Mohammed Siraj clean bowled Atkinson to secure a sensational result and a 2-2 series draw. With an incredible test series came some interesting statistics, too. The best ones are below: 7,187 There have been a cumulative 7,187 runs scored in the series – the second-highest total ever, behind the 1993 Ashes with 7,221. That was in six Tests, making this a record for a five-match series. 21 The 21 total centuries, rounded off by Harry Brook and Joe Root on Sunday, equals the all-time record set in the 1955 Australia v West Indies series. 6 India's six-run win in the final match is their narrowest margin by runs in the 183 Tests they have won, the previous lowest being 13 runs over Australia in Mumbai in November 2004. 5 All five matches went to the fifth day, the first time that has been true of a five-Test series since the 2017-18 Ashes in Australia – won 4-0 by the hosts. 754 India captain Shubman Gill top-scored with 754 runs in the series, with four centuries and an average of 75.40. Ravindra Jadeja averaged 86.00 while Joe Root led the way for England with 537 runs at 67.12. 13,453 Root's efforts took him up to second on the all-time list of Test run-scorers, ending the series on 13,453 for his career and trailing only Sachin Tendulkar's 15,921 for India. Root also reached a record 213 Test catches. 23 Mohammed Siraj led all bowlers with 23 wickets, including the series-tying dismissal of Gus Atkinson. Josh Tongue's 19 scalps led England's attack while Atkinson's one appearance brought eight wickets at a series-best average of 20.00. 2 Substitute wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel took two stumpings after Rishabh Pant 's injury during the fourth Test, removing Root and Brook. There had previously been only three stumpings by substitutes in the history of Test cricket. Karun Nair's 303 not out against England in Chennai in 2016 remains more runs than he has scored in his entire Test career outside of that innings. He has 279 runs at an average of 19.71 in his other 14 knocks, with just one half-century – 57 in the first innings of this match.
