Just days after taking a comebacker off his hip, Detroit Tigers’ Reese Olson silenced any doubts about his recovery with a standout performance against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park. Olson’s poise on the mound ensured the Tigers held on to secure a narrow 2-1 victory, marking his first win of the season and snapping the Tigers’ recent slide.

Olson Overcomes Early Challenges

Olson faced early pressure from a determined Blue Jays lineup, which forced him into deep counts. However, his resilience was on full display as he managed to strike out Davis Schneider with a perfectly placed sinker to start the game. Despite allowing a walk to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Olson efficiently closed out the inning without conceding any runs, utilizing a timely groundout by Bo Bichette to escape a potential threat.

Carpenter’s Bat Keeps Sizzling

The Tigers’ offense, reinvigorated from a 6-2 victory the night before, wasted no time getting on the board against Blue Jays starter José Berríos. After a quiet start by the top of the lineup, veteran Mark Canha doubled, setting the stage for right fielder Kerry Carpenter. Carpenter capitalized on a hitter-friendly count, sending an 85 mph changeup soaring over the right-field wall for a two-run homer in the first inning. Carpenter’s clutch hitting not only gave the Tigers an early lead but also marked his second two-run blast in as many nights.

Pitchers’ Duel Ensues

After the initial burst, both pitchers settled into a rhythm. Olson and Berríos breezed through the second and third innings, with each side retiring the other in order. Olson found himself briefly in trouble in the third with a Kevin Kiermaier triple. However, Olson buckled down, striking out Schneider and inducing a groundout from Justin Turner to escape the jam.

Olson continued to handle the Blue Jays’ lineup with poise. In the seventh inning, a fielding error by Mark Canha almost turned the tide in favor of the Blue Jays, but reliever Alex Faedo kept the damage minimal, preserving the Tigers’ slim lead. His final line for the day was commendable: 6.1 innings pitched, three hits, one unearned run, and four strikeouts. Olson left in the seventh with the Tigers still leading, thanks to tight relief pitching from Alex Faedo and later, Jason Foley.

Closing Moments

The game remained tense into the late innings. Jason Foley working a key double play in the eighth to maintain the narrow lead, following a lead off single from Guerrero Jr.

In the ninth, Tyler Holton was tasked with sealing the win. Despite a double by Isiah Kiner-Falefa that threatened to unravel the Tigers’ efforts, Holton kept his composure, retiring the next two batters to earn the save and clinch a well-fought victory for Detroit.

Game Highlights

• Winning Pitcher: Reese Olson: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Losing Pitcher: José Berríos
• Save: Tyler Holton
• Offensive Standout: Kerry Carpenter: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR

The win was Olson’s first of the season (1-5) and brought his ERA down to an impressive 1.92. Good for fifth in the Major Leagues.

Up Next

The Tigers look to take the series finale against the Blue Jays on Sunday. First pitch is at 11:35am ET.

Probable Starters:

• Tigers RHP Casey Mize – 1-3, 4.57 ERA, 45.1 IP, 34 K, 10 BB
• Blue Jays LHP Yusei Kikuchi – 2-4, 2.64 ERA, 58.0 IP, 61 K, 13 BB

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For more from our Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions beat writer, Matt Broder, check him out on Twitter here: @mattbro21

Contact: Broder@woodwardsports.com

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Original Photo Credit: © Brian Bradshaw Sevald – USA TODAY Sports