Tampa, Fla. – The Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle didn’t waste time making an impression. Which is pretty much on brand for him.
In the first at-bat of his first ever big-league spring start Saturday, he put the barrel on a 100.5-mph fastball from Yankees prospect Carlos Lagrange and laced it into left-center field, 104.5 mph off his bat, for a first-inning single.
“I went back and looked at the film from last year when I faced him (in Double-A),” said McGonigle, the No. 2-ranked prospect in baseball. “He threw me a lot of off-speed, so I knew he was trying to go with a heater and beat me.”
BOX SCORE: Yankees 20, Tigers 3
McGonigle took a first-pitch slider, then was tardy on a 99.5-mph heater and fouled it off.
“He threw me that first one and I was late,” he said. “I told myself, can’t be late again. I got it again and put in play.”
McGonigle wasn’t done. He went to second on single by Gleyber Torres and then took off for third on a ball in the dirt and scored when the throw from catcher Ali Sanchez (former Tigers farmhand) when into left field.
That 1-0 lead ended up being the high-water mark of the day as the Tigers were drubbed by the Yankees, 20-3 at Steinbrenner Field.
“It was nice to see him get some of the firsts out of the way,” said manager AJ Hinch, meaning McGonigle’s first start and first hit. “That’s what the early part of camp is all about. He’s talented so he’s going to showcase it.
“Now he can just settle in and play.”
If McGonigle felt at all unsettled, he didn’t show it.
“The first game, no matter where I’m at, I’m always a little nervous and the adrenalin is going,” he said. “Just looking across the diamond and seeing (Aaron) Judge and those guys, it’s really special. But after that first pitch of the at-bat it was just go-time.”
McGonigle got one defensive chance at shortstop and he helped get starter Keider Montero out of a first-inning jam, making a smooth turn at second base with Torres on a 4-6-3 double-play.
“That was pretty cool, turning that with Gleyber,” McGonigle said. “I’m glad I got some action out there.”
Ugly, ugly, ugly
It was a most forgettable afternoon for the Tigers’ pitchers. Not only were 20 runs scored (18 earned), they allowed 18 hits, 11 walks (only nine strikeouts) and six home runs.
“We had one invited pitcher to camp who didn’t walk someone today and that was Burch Smith,” Hinch said. “There was Keider to kickstart it with a lot of three-ball counts and a lot of max effort. We talked about things dialing up a little bit but we didn’t challenge the strike zone enough from the beginning of the game.”
Most of the damage came against veteran non-roster invitees who are battling long odds to win a roster spot. Smith didn’t walk anyone but he allowed four hits and two runs. Ricky Vanasco (three runs, three hits, one walk), Jack Little (two runs, one hit, one walk), Cole Waites (two hits, two walks, one run in two-thirds of an inning) and Matt Seelinger (four walks and five runs in one-third of an inning) all struggled.
Woo-Suk Go, called over from minor league camp, surrendered a grand slam to Roderick Arias and a three-run homer to Jackson Castillo in the eighth.
“It’s unfair to draw any conclusions on the expectations,” Hinch said before the game. “We just want them to throw strikes and get into their spring season.”
They will have better days.
Act of aggression
Montero isn’t easing into anything this spring. Whether he starts, pitches in long relief or short relief, he’s bringing it right from the jump.
“I’ve made the decision to come full-in, all-in, regardless if I’m pitching one inning or nine innings,” he said through interpreter Carlos Guillen.
He was a man of his word in his spring debut Saturday. Three of his first four pitches were between 95 and 96 mph and he hit 97 to the third batter of the inning. He ended up throwing 29 pitches (19 strikes) and all five of his pitches were between 2 and 2.6 mph firmer than his averages from last season.
“I realized in 2022 and 2023, I was all-in from the first pitch,” Montero said. “Regardless of the situation, regardless of the inning or how far I’m going in the game.”
Montero gave up three runs in two innings, including a two-run single by Paul Goldschmidt and a monster home run to Spencer Jones. Jones hit a center-cut fastball clean out of the stadium to right field.
“I felt good with what I did today,” Montero said. “Very comfortable with my performance. Just left a fastball in the middle and you pay the consequences for that.”
Game bits
Aaron Judge picked it up right where he left off last season. The reigning, two-time American League MVP hit a pair of impressive home runs. The first one, off Smith, traveled 420 feet over the batter’s eye in center. He hit a 396-foot show inside the left field foul pole against Vanasco.
… Hao-Yu Lee had a rough defensive inning in the sixth that led to a pair of runs. He boxed a ground ball down the line to start the inning. Then, with two outs, he made a diving stop on a bullet hit by Payton Henry. But he made a hurried and errant throw to first that allowed the two runs to score. Lee was not charged with an error on the throw, somehow.
… Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr., son of the Tigers’ bench coach, had a big day. He walked twice, scored a run and knocked in a run. And in the fifth inning, he channeled his inner Derek Jeter, making a deft backhanded play in the hole at shortstop, then a strong, one-hop throw to first to rob Lee of a single. “I really hope (Lombard Sr.) enjoys and soaks up as much of these matchups as he can,” Hinch said. “George Sr. is tremendous and he’s got a tremendous family. It’s fun watching him watch his son with pride.”
… The other Tigers highlight came in the third when non-roster outfielder Corey Julks homered to left in his first spring at-bat.
… Rookie Thayron Liranzo had a tough day behind the plate. He made a terrific play in the fifth inning, bouncing out from behind the plate to field a tapper and throwing out Ali Sanchez. But he fell hard on his hand. He shook it off and stayed in the game and for his reward, he took a foul ball off his inner thigh in the bottom of the eighth.
Around the horn
Here’s the tentative pitching plan for the next four games. Sunday in Lakeland, Jack Flaherty and Bryan Sammons; Monday in Lakeland, Tarik Skubal and Drew Anderson; Tuesday in North Port, Enmanuel De Jesus; Wednesday (split-squad), Casey Mize in Lakeland and Ty Madden in Clearwater.
@cmccosky
