Detroit — The names on the New York Yankees aren’t as readily recognizable, and sitting in last place in their division and likely missing the playoffs certainly aren’t familiar positions for the organization.
But Monday against the Tigers, the Yankees flashed some of their big bats and ability to pitch.
The Tigers, despite some great pitching from Reese Olson and some brief excitement in the ninth inning, lost 4-1 in the opener of the four-game series at Comerica Park.
The only offense for the Tigers was provided by pinch-hitter Akil Baddoo in the ninth inning with his ninth homer into the grandstand in right field off Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes. Spencer Torkelson followed with a single, but was quickly doubled up on Kerry Carpenter’s grounder.
The Yankees (63-68) came into the game playing less than .500 baseball and in last place in the American League East, losers of eight of their last 10 games.
It’s been a startlingly disappointing season for the Yankees, mired by injuries and subpar seasons, but Tigers manager A.J. Hinch warned before the game of the explosiveness remaining in the lineup.
“We haven’t seen these guys all year, since spring training,” Hinch said. “They’ve gone through a lot. But I see the names in the lineup just as everyone else does, and I know they can break out at any time.”
Sure enough, the Yankees did twice in this game.
The key turning point occurred in the seventh inning, just after the Tigers (59-72) failed to tie, or go ahead, in the sixth.
Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres connected on back-to-back homers – the seventh time the Yankees have hit consecutive homers this season – off relief pitcher Beau Brieske giving the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
The other Yankees outburst was in the fifth, off Olson, who was dominant otherwise.
Olson (2-6) was limited to only four and one-third innings, having thrown 100 pitches (62 for strikes). But in that time frame, Olson established a career-high with 10 strikeouts, and the 20 swing-and-misses was a new season-high for a Tigers pitcher (Matthew Boyd had 19 twice).
Hinch talked before the game about how important it was going to be for Olson to throw strikes against an aggressive Yankees’ lineup.
“Strikes are going to be important for him because these guys feast on counts that advantage them,” Hinch said. “He’s going to have to figure out ways to get their right-handed hitters out multiple times, and it’s a unique lineup for Reese to face because there’s no lefty (hitters) it’s all righty and getting ahead (of hitters) will be important. These guys have a good balance of aggressiveness, but also patience.”
The only time New York got to Olson was the fifth inning. With one out, Judge (who had struck out the previous two at bats against Olson) walked. Torres then drilled a long double to the wall in left-center field, Judge sprinting home with the only run Olson allowed.
The Yankees added an insurance run in the eighth inning off Jose Cisnero. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled, moved to second base on a grounder, and scored on Oswaldo Cabrera’s single.
The lone uprising the Tigers had against Luis Severino (4-8) was in the sixth inning, but they couldn’t push across any runs.
Zach McKinstry lined his second triple of the game, with one out, igniting the threat. But McKinstry was thrown out at home on Riley Greene’s fielder’s choice.
with two out, Matt Vierling singled, Greene moving to second base. But Torkelson struck out, ending the inning.
Severino went seven innings, allowing five hits and no runs or walks, while striking out eight.
Brendan White relieved Olson and retired the next two hitters, to end the Yankees’ rally.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
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