Detroit Tigers pitcher Reese Olson records first win in 2-1 victory over Toronto Blue Jays
Detroit Tigers right-hander Reese Olson loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth inning of Saturday's game, a product of two singles and one walk. The situation brought Justin Turner, a 16-year MLB veteran, to the plate.
Olson, a 24-year-old in his second MLB season, threw four sinkers in a row to Turner, then he got the experienced hitter to chase a fifth-pitch changeup located down and away for a swinging strikeout. He escaped the bases-loaded jam.
The Detroit Tigers supported Olson and finally helped him achieve his first personal win of the season, beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, in the third of four games in the series at Comerica Park.
Olson has a 1.92 ERA with 19 walks and 47 strikeouts across 56⅓ innings in 10 starts this season, though his personal record is 1-5 due to a lack of run support. He has a 0.77 ERA in his past six starts, a stretch of 35 innings.
After embracing the superstition, the Tigers (25-27) have won back-to-back games in their City Connect uniforms.
In the third inning, Olson gave up a one-out triple to Kevin Kiermaier, but he worked around the runner at the hot corner by striking out Davis Schneider and getting Turner to ground out. In the sixth, Olson sent down Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and George Springer in order, all with groundouts.
The Blue Jays had more than one runner on base for the second time in the seventh inning because Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked and Ernie Clement reached safely on a missed catch error by first baseman Mark Canha.
The Tigers replaced Olson with right-handed reliever Alex Faedo.
Faedo used a middle-in fastball to get Kiermaier to pop out, but he gave up a two-strike, two-out double to Schneider. The double cut the Blue Jays' deficit to 2-1, and once again, Turner stepped to the plate in a key situation.
But Turner grounded out on Faedo's slider with two runners in scoring position, ending the seventh inning.
Olson allowed one run (zero earned runs) on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts across 6⅓ innings, throwing 93 pitches. For most of his outs, Olson limited hard contact and induced a lot of ground balls.
He threw 33 sinkers, 29 sliders, 16 changeups, 12 fastballs and three curveballs. He generated eight whiffs on 37 swings — a 21.6% whiff rate — with one sinker, three sliders, three changeups and four fastballs.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Kerry Carpenter
The Tigers only needed two runs to beat the Blue Jays.
Those runs came in the first inning, when Kerry Carpenter turned on a changeup from right-hander José Berríos for a two-run home run to right field. The table was set for Carpenter by Mark Canha's double to left field.
Both hits occurred with two outs.
It was Carpenter's second home run in as many days.
Berríos, who owns a 2.94 ERA, allowed two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in seven innings, throwing 83 pitches. He didn't issue a walk, and aside from the first inning, he kept the Tigers from scoring despite some pressure on the bases.
Finishing strong
After Olson and Faedo, the Tigers turned to right-handed reliever Jason Foley to navigate the most important opposing hitters in the eighth inning.
Guerrero hit a leadoff single, but Bichette grounded into a double play and Springer grounded out.
After Foley got the job done, the Tigers went to left-handed reliever Tyler Holton in the ninth inning. He maneuvered around a one-out double from Kiner-Falefa, including a game-ending strikeout against pinch-hitter Danny Jansen, to protect the one-run lead.
Jansen stuck out swinging on a changeup.
It marked Holton's first save of the season and the second save of his 87-game career.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Reese Olson records first win as Detroit Tigers beat Blue Jays, 2-1
