Brewers Take a Free Pass to Victory Over Tigers
The Tigers hadn't issued 10 walks and hit two batters in a game since September 19th, 2010, against the White Sox at what was then known as U.S Cellular Field in Chicago. On Wednesday night--nearly a full decade later--that rare and unsightly stat appeared again in an 8-5 loss to the Brewers.
Finding the strike zone
Detroit's offense picked up where they left on Tuesday by giving Spencer Turnbull a 4-0 lead to work with heading into the bottom of the third frame. Turnbull concluded the third inning with a six-pitch strikeout against Omar Narvaez, but not before racking up 29 pitches, three walks, and allowing a home run.
Christian Yelich, who finished 2nd in the NL MVP voting a season ago, personified the meaning of patience in the batter's box on Wednesday night. He drew one of his four walks after Turnbull offered a five-pitch free pass to Ben Gamel, which set the stage for a 3-run homer from Keston Hiura to change the complexion of the ballgame.
After 4 ⅓ innings of work from Spencer Turnbull, who allowed a season-high five walks, the ball was placed in the hands of John Schreiber with runners on first and second and one out. Schreiber hadn't pitched in nine days and followed Detroit's not so cool trend by walking the first batter he faced.
"I handed (Schreiber) the ball and I said, 'We're looking for a ground ball to get two,’’ manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Then he throws four sliders for a walk. I'm lost on that one."
Omar Narvaez's broken-bat bloop single that soared over Jonathan Schoop's outstretched glove in shallow right field scored two runs to tie the game at five.
The Brewers would plate the go-ahead run via a sac fly from Eric Sogard after Joe Jimenez hit a batter and then walked another in the seventh inning.
An unusually poor night from the bullpen continued when Buck Farmer gave up a two-run homer from Jace Peterson after walking Yelich to make it 8-5, which turned out to be all the insurance Milwaukee needed.
Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez
Practically every pitcher that entered the game struggled to find home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez's elusive strike zone. Backlash spewed from both dugouts, but in the end, Milwaukee adjusted--allowing only one walk.
"So that's 12 free passes. You don't win too many games [that way]," Gardenhire said. "Everybody [that] came in, they seemed to walk somebody hit somebody. Whether they are trying to be too fine, I don't know.
"I have to go back and watch some things and see if the strike zone was tight. A lot of close pitches. The catchers on both sides were holding pitches, framing them. We weren't getting [the calls], and they weren't either. It went both ways."
The calls were frustrating, at times, downright confusing, but Ron Gardenhire isn't using calls as an excuse, and neither is his pitching staff.
"I felt fine," said Spencer Turnbull, whose start was pushed back a day after dealing with a stiff back. "Just didn't throw enough strikes."
Silver linings
Willi Castro, who was awarded the start at shortstop on Wednesday night, is now 13 for his last 25 at the plate and riding a seven-game hitting streak. He did get charged with a throwing error in the second inning, but quickly atoned for the mistake by collecting one of his three hits in the third.
Willi Castro, 7-game hit streak -- 13 for 25 in that span. https://t.co/eCWsTLQXJF
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) September 3, 2020
Matt Boyd, who is coming off his best start of 2020, will take the mound on Friday in Minneapolis when the Tigers play the Twins in the first of a doubleheader. Boyd and Daniel Norris chatted about their playoff aspirations on Wednesday morning over a cup of coffee.
"That's all we talked about," Norris said. "I don't think that's really a hope thing. We just gotta keep doing our thing to get there."
The Tigers' season-best six-game winning streak comes to an acrimonious end, but they remain just 1 ½ games back of the final AL playoff spot with 26 contests remaining.
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