Two teams with game-finishing issues continue their interleague series Saturday afternoon when the Detroit Tigers get a rematch with the San Francisco Giants.
Having sent former All-Star closer Camilo Doval to the minor leagues earlier in the day, the Giants didn’t need a closer to put the bow on a 3-2, walk-off win over the Tigers in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
The loss was the second straight endured in the bottom of the ninth by the Tigers, who saw Tyler Holton and Will Vest blow a lead in Seattle on Thursday before Jason Foley and Shelby Miller were unable to retain a lead the next night in San Francisco.
The clubs entered the series 27th (Giants, 5.31) and 28th (Tigers, 5.82) in the majors in ninth-inning ERA.
After telling the media before the Friday game that Tyler Rogers, Taylor Rogers, Ryan Walker and converted starter Jordan Hicks were all candidates to assume Doval’s role, Giants manager Bob Melvin used Landen Roupp for two innings and Tyler Rogers for one after Robbie Ray’s six-inning start.
Tyler Rogers entered with the score tied in the top of the ninth.
“We’ll try to define it,” Melvin said of picking a closer. “As opposed to just doing a committee thing and matching up, it’ll be more defined. It’ll be the guy we feel like has the best opportunity to do it without throwing everything else into disarray down there, let’s put it that way.”
Doval has 22 of the team’s 23 saves this season. Tyler Rogers, who has made eight appearances in the ninth, has the only other save.
If a closer is needed Saturday, he would come on behind right-hander Logan Webb (9-8, 3.42 ERA). The All-Star has pitched brilliantly in his past two starts, limiting the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals to a total of one run and nine hits over 14 2/3 innings in a pair of wins.
One of those two starts — July 31 against the A’s — was a complete-game effort in a 1-0 victory.
Webb has faced the Tigers just once in his career, taking a 6-1 loss at Detroit in 2022 despite not allowing an earned run in 4 2/3 innings.
For the third day in a row, the Tigers are expected to use a committee approach with their pitchers. The past two openers — Brenan Hanifee and Beau Brieske — combined for five shutout innings.
Though he has just two regular starters — Keider Montero, who is scheduled to start Sunday, and All-Star Tarik Skubal — Tigers manager A.J. Hinch insisted he’s not simply throwing darts with the three day-to-day decisions in his rotation.
“We have plenty of pitching,” he said. “We do have a plan in place.”
Hinch has had bigger problems at the end of the game, as he has used 13 relievers in the ninth inning this season.
Foley, the team leader with 15 saves, fell apart on Friday after second baseman Colt Keith committed an inning-opening error in the ninth. Foley walked Michael Conforto and then nailed Matt Chapman in the head with the next pitch, loading the bases.
He was pulled at that point, after which Miller got two outs, but the second was a sacrifice fly that ended the game.
The run was unearned.
–Field Level Media