'Sorry to Kev': Merrill robs Tigers' top prospect of 1st career HR

SAN DIEGO -- After recording four hits in Thursday’s opener, Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle had eyes for his first big league home run on Friday night.

Jackson Merrill wasn’t having it.

The Padres’ star center fielder ranged to the wall and made an incredible leaping grab to rob McGonigle of a certain home run in the second inning of Friday’s 5-2 loss to Detroit at Petco Park.

“We finally got him out,” joked Padres manager Craig Stammen. “We had to rob a homer.”

McGonigle got hold of a 1-2 fastball from King, sending it 403 feet, just to the right of straightaway center. Merrill steadily ranged to the track and timed his jump perfectly -- with some help from the Padres’ fans in the first row who smartly ducked out of the way, allowing Merrill all the room he would need.

Merrill, a lifelong infielder until his 2024 callup, has established himself as an excellent defensive center fielder across his first couple seasons in the Majors. He took away a surefire Max Kepler home run in Philadelphia last year, then later robbed the D-backs’ Corbin Carroll at Petco Park.

Those were great, Merrill said. But this was his favorite so far. The tiebreaker?

“Kid’s first homer,” he joked.

Merrill, once a highly touted young callup himself, sang McGonigle’s praises. But…

“Sorry to Kev,” Merrill said. “I understand first homers are sick. But I gotta protect my boy Mike.”

“We were joking about it out there,” McGonigle said. “I looked over, and he said, 'My bad, my bad.' I said, 'Come on, at least let the first one go out.' But that was an unbelievable catch. [He’s a] great player.”

McGonigle would get the last laugh. A day after he became just the second player in Tigers history to record a four-hit game in his Opening Day debut, McGonigle won a 10-pitch battle with Wandy Peralta in the top of the eighth inning, swatting a decisive two-run single into right-center-field.