SAN DIEGO -- Four young Tigers formed a circle behind home plate Thursday night, arms intertwined. They were just about the only ones making noise in a sold-out Petco Park.
Parker Meadows hushed the crowd with two outs in the top of the ninth inning by hitting his first career grand slam in the Tigers’ 4-3 victory over the Padres. Meadows got enough of All-Star closer Robert Suarez’s full-count 100.7 mph fastball to send it over the left-field wall.
“Never count us out,” Meadows said.
The ball traveled only a Statcast-projected 361 feet, but the opposite-field drive was enough to erase a three-run deficit. It was the first grand slam hit with any MLB team down three runs with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning (or later) since Justin Smoak on Aug. 31, 2018. It's only the seventh such slam since 1912.
Only one other Tigers player is on that list: Hall of Famer Alan Trammell, June 21, 1988, vs. the Yankees.
Perhaps more important to the Tigers is that Meadows prevented a three-game sweep at the hands of the Padres and buoyed their postseason hopes. Detroit moved back within five games of the idle Royals for the final AL Wild Card spot.
Just when it appeared the Tigers’ postseason momentum had stalled, they now have the good vibes of an unlikely comeback victory and AL Cy Young Award frontrunner Tarik Skubal on the mound next. He’ll start on Friday to open a three-game series at Oakland.
“Unfortunately, it only counts as one win,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said with a wry grin. “But it is important, obviously. We don’t want to come in here and get swept.”
"We stay in the fight," added starting pitcher Casey Mize. "We're never out of it. ... Just a big moment, obviously, to salvage a win here. Happy flight.”
Mize has made two starts since missing nearly two months with a left hamstring strain and hasn’t entirely regained his form. In his first start back, he allowed a career-high 12 hard-hit balls (95 mph exit velocity or higher). On Thursday, he allowed 13 for a new career high, including Jurickson Profar and Xander Bogaerts' homers.
Hinch credited Mize for holding the line there and keeping the Tigers in the game.
“Casey, if he implodes, if he pouts, if he gets selfishly frustrated, then this game’s completely different,” Hinch said. “It’s an important lesson for all our young pitchers to keep fighting.”
Mize fought through 5 1/3 innings. Kenta Maeda, Ricky Vanasco and Tyler Holton combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. That allowed the Tigers to finally get off the mat and post their 32nd comeback win this year -- their sixth when trailing through eight innings.
Suarez had converted 31 of 34 save opportunities this year but was pitching for the second straight night and the fourth time in the first five days of September. He quickly got into trouble when Justyn-Henry Malloy led off with a single on a 100.1 mph fastball and Jace Jung walked. One out later, Colt Keith walked to load the bases.
Suarez seemed to regain control of the situation, striking out lefty Kerry Carpenter, but he still had to face another lefty in Meadows. Suarez threw nothing but fastballs while running the count full. Meadows swung through one and fouled off another.
Finally, Meadows got a good swing on a pitch high in the zone, on the outer edge of the plate.
“I felt it was a good pitch,” Suarez said through interpreter Pedro Gutierrez. “It was exactly where I wanted it, and he put a good swing on it. Those things happen.”
"I faced him last night, knew he had a good heater," Meadows said. "Took a couple big swings in the at-bat, so I tried to settle it down and not try to do too much.”
Meadows had three teammates waiting to greet him at home plate for the first time as Malloy, Jung and Keith celebrated with him.
“Fantastic,” Meadows said, “and I had even more waiting in the dugout. It was pretty cool being able to celebrate with them. Cool moment.”
Now, the Tigers intend to make some noise in the Wild Card race.