The last day of summer concluded with a Tigers victory, but it also marked the beginning of the end of an era in Detroit.
Comerica Park, home of two World Series runs in 2006 and 2012, a Triple Crown winner in Miguel Cabrera and countless memories, began its farewell run Monday night.
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The stadium itself isn’t going anywhere. It will remain in the same location and continue to feature its recent renovations, but the name that has stood since its opening in 2000 will soon be gone.
Beginning next season, Comerica Park will become Fifth Third Park as part of the Tigers‘ new naming-rights partnership with Fifth Third Bank.
That means there are now just five games remaining under the Comerica Park name.
With the end of one chapter comes the beginning of another.
The Detroit Tigers‘ story is far from over, and while the ballpark prepares for a new name, another chapter is already taking shape on the field.
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That chapter is the Tigers’ youth movement, which continues to provide a glimpse of just how good the future could be in Detroit.
One of the newest pieces of that youth movement is actually old enough to be considered a veteran.
River Ryan, the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect who came over in the Tarik Skubal trade, is 28 years old — much older than the typical prospect making his way into a rebuilding roster.
Despite his age, Ryan could quickly become a fan favorite for years to come, and A.J. Hinch wanted to see his stuff up close and personal before the season concluded.
Hinch told 97.1 The Ticket that he had just met Ryan for the first time before Monday’s game, making the decision to start him particularly interesting.
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Starting a pitcher you’ve never met before could understandably bring some butterflies.
Ryan, however, showed plenty of poise.
Knowing he was on a tight leash with a maximum of three innings, Ryan came out dealing. He completed all three innings, allowing just two hits while striking out three and walking one.
Most importantly, he kept the Nationals off the scoreboard and finished his debut with a 0.00 ERA.
That performance could give Ryan a legitimate chance to compete for a spot in Detroit’s starting rotation next season.
The Tigers’ offense was also wide awake in the first game of the series against Washington, but nobody was more productive than Hao-Yu Lee.
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Lee continued his impressive stretch at the plate with another three-hit performance, going 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.
Quietly, Lee is becoming one of the Tigers’ most productive hitters and is making a strong case for a prominent role moving forward.
Not to be outdone, fellow rookie Eduardo Valencia also had a massive night, collecting three hits in four at-bats while scoring a run.
Ben Malgeri showed off his power with two hits, including his fourth home run of the season.
Malgeri wasn’t the only Tiger to go deep, either.
Detroit hit three home runs Monday night, with Javier Báez hitting his third of the season and Spencer Torkelson launching his 25th.
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For the fourth consecutive season, Torkelson has reached the 25-home-run mark.
Dillon Dingler added two hits, while Riley Greene and Gleyber Torres each scored a run as the Tigers cruised past the Nationals, 9-2.
The victory gave Detroit its 74th win of the season and moved the Tigers to 74-83 on the year.
With just five games remaining at Comerica Park, the Tigers will return to action Tuesday night with a 6:40 p.m. first pitch.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
