The Detroit Tigers secured a 12-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on Saturday in spring training action. Corey Julks paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Drew Anderson turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of scoreless ball with three strikeouts. The Tigers finished with 17 hits on the day while holding the Rays to 10. The victory gives the Tigers positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Corey Julks was the top performer at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Tigers confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
John Peck provided support, going 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI, Colt Keith also contributed, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, and Thayron Liranzo chipped in, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Taylor Walls led the Rays offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI day. Blake Sabol also contributed, going 1-for-2 with two RBI. Chandler Simpson added a 1-for-2 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Tigers pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Drew Anderson earned the win after putting together a workmanlike effort, working 3.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 4 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 51 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Tigers evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.0 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out eight. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, Burch Smith stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Tigers struck first, scoring a run in the first inning. The Tigers pushed across two runs in the second. Rays struck back with a run in the fourth. The Tigers answered with two runs in the fifth. The Tigers tacked on seven runs in the sixth. Rays countered with two runs in the ninth. The Tigers spread their scoring across four different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. The Tigers out-hit Rays 17-10 on the day, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,222 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Tigers can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.
