Tigers 4, Rockies 3: Pitching saves the day at Coors Field

Wins have been hard to come by for the Detroit Tigers lately. After collecting four consecutive W’s to open the month of August, they had just five more to their name over the past three-plus weeks heading into Monday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. Worse yet, they had given up 10 or more runs in more games (six) during that stretch.

Somehow, the Tigers solved both woes in a 4-3 win at Coors Field.

Starter Jordan Zimmermann wasn’t the sharpest. He escaped damage in the first inning by stranding a couple runners on base, but was tagged for three runs in the bottom of the second. New Rockies catcher Jonathan Lucroy provided two of them with a two-run homer, his first since arriving in Colorado. Charlie Blackmon drove in a run with a single, giving the Rockies an early 3-2 lead.

The Tigers struck back quickly, though. Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela walked Justin Upton and Miguel Cabrera with one out in the third, and Nicholas Castellanos made him pay, lining his 10th triple of the season into the left field corner to score both baserunners. After just 2 ¹⁄₂ innings, the Tigers held a 4-3 lead.

And, well, that was it. Zimmermann worked three scoreless frames, though not without giving up a few more hits. He was relatively inefficient in his five innings, but limited the damage in a tough environment. He picked up his eighth win of the season for his efforts.

On the other hand, the bullpen was weirdly solid. Both Warwick Saupold and Drew VerHagen gave up a pair of hits, but Daniel Stumpf and Alex Wilson came in to put out the respective fires. Shane Greene worked a scoreless ninth — with help from some bad BABIP luck for Nolan Arenado — for his sixth save.

ROARS:

The bullpen: Four scoreless innings at Coors Field is no small feat.

Nicholas Castellanos: Not only did he drive in the game-winning run, but he is now the first Tigers third baseman in over a century to collect 10 triples in a single season.

Justin Upton: He scored twice and drove in a run of his own.

HISSES:

Injuries:

STATS AND INFO:

Castellanos is the first Tigers third baseman with 10 triples in a season since Ossie Vitt (remember him?) did so in 1916.