Kerry Carpenter Deepens Detroit Tigers Lineup, Returns With a Bang
Normally, when an opponent sees a team on their schedule that is 57-63 on the season, they breathe a sigh of relief. This is a chance to bolster their record against an underwhelming team, but the Detroit Tigers are not your run-of-the-mill bottom feeder.
Despite being 57-63 on the season and well outside of the playoff race, the Tigers are going to have a major impact on the American League playoff picture. They are not going to roll over, as they are playing some solid baseball with younger players stepping up and producing.
The Seattle Mariners are learning this the hard way. After nearly being swept last week at home, they traveled to start a three-game series in Detroit on Tuesday. A Mitch Haniger three-run, walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth in the final game of the series is all that kept the Mariners from being swept.
Seattle had the unfortunate luck of having to face Cy Young award candidate Tarik Skubal for the second time in a week. He was even better this time around, throwing six strong innings, and allowing only one run with nine strikeouts.
Even if Skubal had been off his game, the Tigers were in great shape as they destroyed the Mariners 15-1. Leading the way with the bats was Kerry Carpenter, who was making his much-anticipated return to the lineup.
Carpenter missed more than two months as he was dealing with a back injury. Before Tuesday, the last time that he was in Detroit’s lineup was on May 26th against the Toronto Blue Jays when he was lifted after one at-bat.
He wasted no time in making his presence felt, as he went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs. Carpenter hit a solo shot in the bottom of the third inning before hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.
Those were two of the five home runs that the Tigers hit in their blowout victory. It is also a sign of what is to come down the stretch of the 2024 season and into the future.
Things are looking bright in Detroit for the first time in a long time. They have an excellent stable of high-end, talented young players who are showcasing what they are capable of in the major leagues.
Along with Carpenter, the Tigers are receiving a nice spark from centerfielder Parker Meadows. Colt Keith is another top prospect who graduated this season, and the team has Matt Veirling and Riley Greene healthy and back in the mix as well.
With Skubal anchoring the pitching staff, this isn’t a team that contenders are going to be able to stack up easy wins against. Detroit is going to be playing the spoiler role to the best of their abilities, which is bad news for the Mariners and other contenders who have them on the schedule.
KENNETH TEAPE
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.