Detroit — The game finds you. If you get put into the game late for defense, invariably, a ball will be hit to you. If you are Parker Meadows, making your big-league debut, the game is going to test you.
Meadows, the Tigers’ No. 10-ranked prospect, found himself in a couple of big moments in his debut Monday, though they came in hard-fought, 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
“I felt comfortable,” he said. “I felt really comfortable, actually. Things didn’t go my way, but it was an experience I will never forget.”
He collected his first big-league hit, a line-drive single to right, in his third at-bat. That followed back-to-back homers by Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter which cut the Cubs’ lead to 4-2.
“Felt like I was on top of the world,” he said. “I looked up on the big screen and saw my family and friends cheering. Pretty surreal moment.”
Torkelson was (jokingly) salty about it. Torkelson, who had four hits in the game, went five games and 13 plate appearances before collecting his first big-league hit last year.
“I know the stress it is to get your first big-league knock,” Torkelson said. “Must be nice getting it in the first game (smiles). He’s a special player. There’s a lot more to come.”
But the game absolutely found Meadows.
He came to bat with bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning. The Tigers were down 5-2 and had loaded the bases against old friend Michael Fulmer. With the count 2-2, Fulmer froze him with a 98-mph fastball. K-Zone showed the pitch to be outside and off the plate.
“I was just trying to put a ball in play,” Meadows said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t do that. That’s part of the game…It was pretty close to the zone. I’ve got to try and put it in play.”
The Tigers tied the game in that eighth inning. A couple of former Cubs did the damage against the former Tiger. Báez plated two runs on a shattered-bat double to right and Zach McKinstry’s bloop behind second base fell in for a single.
Tough-luck night for Fulmer.
“We played the full game, like we always do,” manager AJ Hinch said. “It started by not hanging our heads when things weren’t going our way.”
Meadows would end up being the Tigers’ last chance in the bottom of the ninth.
The Cubs regained the lead in the top of the ninth against right-hander Beau Brieske. Yan Gomes and Nick Madrigal placed back-to-back doubles against right-hander Beau Brieske. After Mike Tauchman singled, Madrigal scored on a ground ball by Ian Happ that Báez and McKinstry nearly turned into a double-play.
“That would have been an incredible play,” Hinch said. “It’s important that (Brieske) feels comfortable in those moments. You want his stuff in there, his demeanor and his strike-throwing. And he almost got out of it.”
Right-hander reliever Mark Leiter, Jr., a former Tigers’ farm hand, gave up an RBI single to Matt Vierling in the bottom of the ninth and was at first base with two outs when Meadows came up.
Meadows took a good swing at a cutter, but the ball just got in on him and he flew out to right.
“That last pitch cut a little bit or we might’ve had a different story,” Hinch said. “He had a good swing at it. I thought he handled everything great. Getting the first hit out of the way was important. He had a smile on his face after he caught his first fly ball.”
The smile was because Cody Bellinger’s routine fly ball in the second inning nearly carried over his head.
“I’ve got to get used to that third deck up there,” Meadows said, sheepishly. “That ball carried a little bit on me. But we caught the ball.”
There was pitching change after his single, so he got to go into the dugout for a second, where he was mobbed by his teammates.
“I think he loved being in the big leagues,” Hinch said. “And he should. He’s earned the right to be here.”
After the game, Meadows went down to the field to spend a few minutes with his family and friends. He had a group of his friends and former teammates from high school there, along with his parents.
“Those guys are crazy,” Meadows said. “They are some of my best friends from back home. I hope they behaved well.”
He shared a long hug with his father and mother.
“They told they love me and were so proud of me,” Meadows said. “It’s been a cool journey with them alongside. They’ve been my No. 1 supporter since Day One. I was really glad to have them out there tonight.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
X: @cmccosky