My Gritty Tigs will never lose again. Never! Here’s my scorecard from Wednesday night’s Rays-Tigers game, one of my favorites in 20+ years of going to Comerica. Tonight, the team will try to clinch a spot in the postseason while also escorting the White Sox to their own special spot in history.
STAR OF THE GAME: Haven’t you heard? It’s Jobetober! Well, technically, it’s still Jobetember, but soon it will be Jobetober. The Tigers called up their top prospect, Jackson Jobe, as a pleasant late September surprise. He’ll pitch out of the bullpen for now, and though he is still searching for his first Major League strikeout, his ninth-inning debut was about as much fun as I’ve ever had at a baseball game. The team played a hype video as he jogged out, everyone chanted his name, and no one sat while he was on the mound.
CLOWN OF THE GAME: Do I turn my nose up at the casuals creeping back to Tigers fandom now that the team is hot? A little bit. Funny, I don’t remember seeing you all at that Twins doubleheader in April where Zach McKinstry made a three-run error in extras. But I’m having enough fun that I don’t mind the crowds. For the most part. The guy sitting next to me at this game was clearly no regular. He kept leaping out of his seat for obvious fouls and routine flyouts. (Pro tip: Watch the outfielders, not the ball.) In the seventh inning, Spencer Torkelson hit a homer that landed about half a section over. The stadium was packed and the guy had no shot at it. Still, he clambered over me in a crazed attempt at the ball and dislodged my beer from its cupholder in the process. Two more pro tips: Adults should never clamber. And if you do that to someone, apologize and offer to buy them a new beer! It wouldn’t have cost this guy any money, because I probably wasn’t going to finish that beer anyway and would have declined. He could have cleared his conscience for zero dollars. Instead, he has been branded a clown in an email newsletter sent to over 10,000 people.
-Maitreyi Anantharaman
