Read the Tigers side (the whole game, score included)
Detroit at Cleveland
This is Missed It. Detroit at Cleveland, Sunday, September 6, 75 and sunny at Progressive Field, wind 14 miles an hour in from right field, with the Tigers. You missed it? Here's the whole game, as it happened.
Pregame
It's a new day in the Motor City, and we've got a good one brewing. The Detroit Tigers are on the road in Cleveland, taking on the Guardians. We're just minutes from first pitch, and the energy is building. The Tigers are looking to make some noise tonight, and we've got a full nine innings ahead of us. Let's get this one going.
Innings 1-3
We're underway in the top of the first, and the Tigers are wasting no time. With one out and two runners on base, Riley Greene steps into the box. The pitch comes, and Greene connects , a sharp line drive into right field. Hao-Yu Lee scores, Colt Keith scores, and just like that, we're up two to nothing. The dugout is alive, the bats are awake, and this is exactly how we wanted to start. Now with one out and a runner on, Dillon Dingler keeps the line moving. He sends a fly ball to right field, and Riley Greene tags up and moves to third. The inning is rolling, and we've got runners in scoring position with the heart of the order coming up. This is the kind of pressure we want to put on Cleveland early. The Guardians come up in the bottom of the first, and they're looking to answer. With one out and two on, Angel Martínez draws a walk, loading the bases. The tension is building here in Cleveland. Two outs now, bases still loaded, and Patrick Bailey steps in. He grounds it to second , Hao-Yu Lee fields, fires to Colt Keith at first, and the inning is over. We escape with the lead intact, two to one. Top of the second, and we go quietly. Three batters, no runs, and we're back on the field. Bottom of the second, Cleveland goes down in order. Nothing doing there either. Top of the third, four batters, still no runs. Bottom of the third, three batters, no runs. We're holding on to this one-run lead, and it feels like every pitch matters right now.
Innings 4-6
Top of the fourth, and we're still grinding. Four batters come up, but we can't push anything across. The score stays two to one. Bottom of the fourth, Cleveland goes down in order. We're getting into the middle innings now, and this game is tightening up. Top of the fifth, three batters, no runs. We're still holding that lead, but it's getting nervy. Bottom of the fifth, and here comes the trouble. With one out and nobody on, Brayan Rocchio steps in. He gets a pitch he likes, and he sends it deep to right center field. That ball is gone. Home run. Tie game. Two to two. The wind goes out of the sails for a moment, but we're still in this. And then Steven Kwan follows it up with a double down the line to left field. The momentum is shifting, and Cleveland is starting to believe. But we bear down, get the next outs, and we're out of the inning. Still tied, two to two. Top of the sixth, three batters, no runs. Bottom of the sixth, three batters, no runs. We're heading into the stretch, and this one is dead even.
The Stretch
Here we are, tied at two apiece. The first half of this game belonged to us early , that first-inning double from Riley Greene was the spark. Two runs on one swing, and we looked like we were going to run away with it. But Cleveland answered, and now we're in a dogfight. We need to find that early energy again. We need to get back to putting pressure on their defense. The bats have gone quiet since that first inning, and we can't afford to let this one slip away. The next three innings are going to tell us everything about this ballclub.
Innings 7-9
Top of the seventh, and we're looking for a spark. Three batters come up, and we can't find one. No runs. Bottom of the seventh, Cleveland goes down in order. We're still tied, and the tension is ratcheting up with every pitch. Top of the eighth, and here's a chance. No outs, a runner on, and Hao-Yu Lee steps in. He pops it up to first base in foul territory. One out. Then Colt Keith steps in, and he lines one , but it's right at the second baseman. Travis Bazzana catches it, fires to first, and Kevin McGonigle is doubled off. Inning over. Just like that, our best chance evaporates. Bottom of the eighth, Cleveland goes down in order. We're heading to the ninth, still tied at two. Top of the ninth, three batters, no runs. We can't buy a hit right now. Bottom of the ninth, Cleveland gets their chance. Three batters, no runs. We're going to extras. Top of the tenth, and we need something. Ben Malgeri steps in with nobody on, and he strikes out swinging. Three batters, no runs. We leave it to the bottom of the tenth, and we need our defense to hold.
The Sequence
Here we are. Bottom of the tenth, tied at two. This is where games are won or lost. Patrick Bailey steps in with nobody on, and he singles on a line drive to center field. Angel Genao moves to third. Now we've got runners on the corners, nobody out, and the winning run is ninety feet away. Daniel Schneemann comes to the plate. The crowd is on its feet. The pitch comes, and Schneemann lines it to right field. Ben Malgeri is there, but he can't get to it. Angel Genao scores. Patrick Bailey moves to second. And just like that, it's over. Two to three. The Guardians walk it off, and we're left standing on the field, watching them celebrate.
Wrap-up
Final score: Detroit two, Cleveland three. We had the lead early, we fought to keep it, and we couldn't hold on in extras. That first-inning double from Riley Greene gave us everything we needed, but the bats went quiet when it mattered most. This one hurts. It's a tough loss on the road, and we've got to turn the page. But we're not done. We'll be back tomorrow, and we'll be ready.
Outro
That was Detroit at Cleveland, from the Tigers side. This has been Missed It. Every game, both sides, at missed it dot net. Produced by James Barrett.