Cincinnati — Spencer Torkelson spent the first four weeks of the season answering questions about when he’s going to hit a home run.
He’s spent the last week being asked if he’s ever going to stop hitting them.
“Soon as you feel it once, I mean, the brain is crazy,” Torkelson said. “It likes to repeat it.”
He’s feeling it alright. Torkelson made some history on Sunday with his solo home run in the seventh inning against the Reds.
He’s homered in five straight games, tying the franchise record. Reds manager Terry Francona had summoned right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson specifically to deal with Torkelson. But he put a 1-1 four-seam fastball (95 mph) in Torkelson’s wheelhouse.
The ball left his bat at 107 mph and flew 421 feet to left field.
He’d blasted a first-pitch sinker from right-hander Brady Singer on Saturday night and took it oppo into the seats in right-center.
“It feels really good,” Torkelson said. “I just stuck with it and trusted it and it’s definitely paid off these last few days. Still have to keep doing it, though.”
Homering in five straight games puts Torkelson in some elite company. Here’s the list of Tigers who have done it:
▶ Rudy York, 1937
▶ Hank Greenberg, 1940
▶ Vic Wertz, 1950
▶ Willie Horton, 1969
▶ Marcus Thames, 2008
That Torkelson’s homer off Singer on Saturday came on a first pitch is poignant. He had been 0 for 16 when he swung at the first pitch this season. He’d only put two balls in play. One of the presumed issues during his early power outage was that he was being too passive at the plate.
“I like that he’s been a tick more aggressive in recent days,” manager AJ Hinch said. “Maybe that comes with success a little bit. I don’t think it’s a whole philosophical change.”
Torkelson never felt like he was being passive. He was patient and waiting for pitches he could drive. Now he’s completing the process by doing damage on those drivable pitches.
“I’m hunting my pitch,” he said. “I feel like for the most part, if I’m not swinging at the first pitch, it’s probably a pitcher’s pitch, and I don’t want to get myself out on a pitcher’s pitch. But there’s been no crazy adjustment.
“Swing on time, hunt my pitch and put my swing on it. That’s it.”
@cmccosky
