Spencer Torkelson mashes, Detroit Tigers bullpen competition heats up in win over Yankees
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers defeated the New York Yankees, 11-6, in Saturday's split-squad game at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The Tigers also nipped the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-7, in the other split-squad game at TD Ballpark in Dunedin. Right-hander Kenta Maeda threw 90 pitches across 3⅔ innings in his final spring training start, and was lit up by the best hitters in the Blue Jays' lineup, surrendering six runs on 10 hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Tigers are 19-9-3 in Grapefruit League play.
What happened
The bullpen battle was on full display against the Yankees in Lakeland, with right-hander Alex Faedo, left-hander Joey Wentz and right-hander Miguel Díaz taking the mound.
Those are three of the four pitchers — along with right-hander Beau Brieske — competing for the final two spots in the bullpen.
"I feel the same way as I did coming in," Faedo said. "I'm going to do what I have to do and pitch the way I know how. The decisions aren't up to me. I'm rooting for every guy on our team that's in the situation that I'm in, but really trying not to overthink it. Regardless, it's a long season."
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Faedo and Brieske have minor league options remaining, which means they can be sent back and forth between the minors and majors this season. Wentz and Díaz don't have any minor league options, so the Tigers would risk losing them to other teams through the waiver process if they're not on the Opening Day roster.
Faedo, who added a new changeup in the offseason, entered the game in the fourth inning. He threw 2⅓ scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and three strikeouts. One strikeout came on an automatic strike from a pitch-timer violation.
The Tigers stretched Faedo to 41 pitches: 19 sliders, 18 fastballs and four changeups. He generated five whiffs with four sliders and one fastball.
"He's very reliable with strike sliders and very reliable with throwing strikes," manager A.J. Hinch said. "He competes a ton. ... These guys keep going back and forth on good outings after good outings. It's good to see."
Wentz replaced Faedo in the sixth and inherited two runners with one out. He cleaned up the mess and covered 2⅓ innings, giving up a home run and striking out three.
"I still think he had a good fastball," Hinch said of Wentz. "I know he gave up the homer, but he had a pretty good fastball. He's not used to coming in and getting somebody out, so that's got to be foreign to him, and he responded well. I think his stuff has ticked up as the spring has gone, and he hasn't backed down from the strike throwing."
Wentz struck out two batters in the seventh: Austin Wells (foul tip, 95.8 mph fastball) and Jahmai Jones (swinging strike, 96 mph fastball). His fastball averaged 95.1 mph, up from 93.4 mph last year.
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Caleb Durbin, who hasn't played above the Double-A level, hit a solo home run off Wentz's first-pitch cutter with one out in the eighth inning. A two-out double from Roderick Arias ended his outing after 46 pitches.
Wentz threw 23 fastballs, 12 cutters, eight changeups and three curveballs. He generated seven whiffs with four fastballs, one cutter and two changeups.
"I felt good pretty good with my outing," Wentz said. "I wish I wouldn't have given up the homer or the off-the-wall ball, but overall, my body feels good. I think my stuff is in a good place. Not too upset about it."
Díaz finished the eighth and completed a scoreless ninth.
Starting off
The Tigers scored three runs in the first inning, two in the second and three in the third.
The Yankees, also running a split-squad game, brought minor league pitchers to Lakeland. Right-hander Cody Poteet allowed eight runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 2⅓ innings.
"The eraser comes out here pretty soon when we leave to break camp," Hinch said of spring training stats, "especially for the guys that are going with us."
The first five batters reached safely: Parker Meadows (single), Riley Greene (walk), Spencer Torkelson (RBI single), Kerry Carpenter (RBI single) and Mark Canha (walk).
Colt Keith put the Tigers ahead, 3-0, with a sacrifice fly.
In the second inning, Meadows cranked a two-run home run off a changeup. In the third inning, Zach McKinstry delivered an RBI single and Carson Kelly blasted a two-run home run for an 8-5 lead.
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At the plate
After eight runs in three innings, the Tigers didn't score again until the seventh inning, when Carpenter launched a solo home run to right field off right-hander Clayton Beeter's down-and-in slider.
Meadows, Torkelson, Carpenter and Canha each had multiple hits.
"It feels good," said Torkelson, hitting .156 in 51 plate appearances this spring. "A lot of credit to sticking with it. I knew it was in there. A lot of tough outs. For me, I have always felt good and felt confident at the plate. I knew it was just a matter of time before it felt like it clicked."
Torkelson finished 3-for-4 with two singles and a triple. He had a bloop single to center in the first inning to score Meadows from third base for a 1-0 lead, and Greene showcased smart base-running when he advanced from first to third.
Greene scored on Carpenter's line-drive single to right field.
"The length of the lineup is more important than any one section," Hinch said, "but obviously, we can put a ton of pressure at the top if Parker ends up hitting up there quite a bit. We're getting deeper, and that's a god sign."
Torkelson ripped his triple to the wall in center against Beeter's middle-away 95.4 mph fastball in the fourth for a 107.8 mph exit velocity.
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On the mound
Left-hander Brant Hurter started and allowed five runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts across three innings, throwing 39 of 67 pitches for strikes.
He struck out all three batters in a 13-pitch first inning.
The Yankees took advantage of his mistakes in the second and third innings, but Hurter bounced back from Jones' two-run home run — tying the game at five — by sending down the next three batters to complete his start.
Hurter threw 32 sinkers, 26 sweepers, five changeups and four four-seam fastballs. He is expected to begin the season in Triple-A Toledo's starting rotation.
Three stars
1. Faedo, 2. Torkelson, 3. Wentz.
Next up
Sunday (1:05 p.m.) vs. Tampa Bay Rays in Lakeland.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers bullpen competition heats up in 11-6 win over Yankees
