Dillon Dingler just keeps on coming through, man. He hammered another clutch, two-out RBI hit that sealed a 4-3 comeback victory for the Tigers over the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park Thursday night. Seriously, the guy is an absolute machine when the pressure’s on, and 35,548 fans saw it firsthand.
Dingler and Outman Steal the Show in Late-Game Drama
This wasn’t just any RBI, folks. With Hao-Yu Lee chilling at second base, Dingler absolutely ripped a Steven Cruz pitch into the left-field corner to break a 3-3 tie. That’s his 35th two-out RBI this season, and a team-high 66th overall. The Tigers were down 2-0 after six innings, but they’ve been on a tear, going 12-5 in July and an insane 27-16 since June 1. They found that clutch swing again. Just like Lee delivered a three-run homer to beat the Cubs the day before, it was James Outman’s turn to play the unlikely hero. The dude, who came in hitting a measly .155, absolutely crushed a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh off former Tiger John Schreiber, giving them a brief 3-2 lead. He drove a center-cut, 2-2 fastball into the tiny shrubs just beyond the right field wall for his fourth homer since joining the team. That lead didn’t last long, though. Michael Massey singled, swiped second, got to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Josh Rojas single against reliever Drew Anderson, tying it up again.
Bullpen Battles and Pitching Puzzles
The bullpen drama was real. Kenley Jansen was off limits after throwing in three of the last four games, and Tyler Holton had already put in work for five outs. So, with two lefties due up, Drew Sommers started the ninth. He got Carter Jensen to strike out, but then walked Lane Thomas and gave up a single to Vinnie Pasquantino. Manager AJ Hinch had to call in Kyle Finnegan. What a move, right? Finnegan induced a beautiful 4-6-3 double play from Salvador Perez to slam the door shut. On the other side, Randy Dobnak, who was pitching in independent ball not too long ago, stifled the Tigers’ bats for five innings, giving up just four hits. He mixed up changeups, sinkers, and sweepers and kept them guessing. Tigers starter Troy Melton struggled from the jump, needing 28 pitches to get through the first inning. He walked two batters and gave up a single to Pasquantino, loading the bases. But he somehow struck out Michael Massey and Isaac Collins to escape the jam. Melton ended up walking four and stranded runners multiple times, but the sixth inning finally caught up to him after a single to Massey.
This team is showing some serious grit with a 12-5 record in July. Every win like this, pulling it out in the clutch, builds momentum. You gotta wonder if they can keep this energy going. Tonight, they’ll be looking to carry this winning feeling into the next one, trying to keep that June and July run alive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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