DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:

TIGERS EARN SERIES SPLIT AGAINST RANGERS: The Tigers defeated the Rangers, 8-5, on Thursday, picking up a series split. Spencer Torkelson hit a pair of homers and drove in four, while Matt Vierling reached base three times, going 2×4 with a RBI and a walk. Javier Báez also had two hits in the win. Reese Olson started and threw 1.2 innings, allowing a run on three hits with two strikeouts before leaving with an injury. The Tigers bullpen combined for 7.1 innings, led by Tyler Alexander, who pitched 1.2 scoreless frames. Mason Englert was credited with the win, giving up a run on one hit in 1.0 inning.

FULLY TORKED: Spencer Torkelson recorded the first multi-homer game of his career yesterday at Texas, hitting a solo shot in the fifth inning and a three-run blast in the eighth. He became the youngest Tigers player to hit two homers in a game since Nick Castellanos in 2015. Torkelson, who also homered on Tuesday against the Rangers, has gone deep in back-to-back games for the third time in his career and second time this season (other, June 12-14 (Gm. 1)).

NO WAY JOSÉ: José Cisnero pitched a scoreless inning with one hit allowed and two strikeouts yesterday. Cisnero has not allowed an earned run in 11 appearances during June, throwing 10.2 innings with only two hits allowed, four walks and 14 strikeouts. For the season, he has a 2.03 ERA (31.0IP/7ER), which ranks ninth among American League relievers (min. 30.0 innings).

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER: The Tigers bullpen continued to carry a heavy workload yesterday, combining to throw 7.2 innings. Entering the final day of June, Detroit relievers have combined for 119.2 innings this month, which is the second-highest total in the Majors, trailing only San Francisco (125.0). Since June 14, the Tigers bullpen ranks sixth in the American League in ERA (3.45).

TIGERS AND ROCKIES: The Tigers and Rockies begin their only series of the season tonight. The two teams met last season in Detroit with Colorado winning two-of-three games. Their last meeting at Coors Field came in 2017 with the Rockies winning the series 2-1. Colorado holds a slight 17-16 edge in the all-time series, including a 10-5 advantage at Coors Field.

INTERLEAGUE ACTION: The Tigers continue their interleague schedule today against the Braves. Detroit is 12-13 against National League foes this season, including a 2-3 record against NL West teams. The Tigers have finished with a winning record against NL opponents in each of the last two seasons.

ON THE ROAD: The Tigers are 2-2 on their current seven-game road trip, which includes four games at Texas (2-2) and three games at Colorado (June 30-July 2). Detroit is 17-24 on the road this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .216/.286/.346 away from Comerica Park, while the pitching staff has compiled a 4.31 ERA (354.2IP/170ER).

INJURY REHAB UPDATES: Eduardo Rodriguez began an injury rehab assignment with Triple A Toledo last night, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings with three hits allowed, one walk and four strikeouts…Beau Brieske made an injury rehab appearance with the Mud Hens last night, giving up a run on two hits with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings.

TIGERS ON THE IL:

• OF Akil Baddoo (right quad strain, 10-day IL on June 10)
• LHP Matthew Boyd (left elbow sprain, 60-day IL on June 27)
• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 60-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Alex Faedo (right middle finger discomfort, 15-day IL on June 3, retroactive to May 31)
• OF Riley Greene (left fibula stress reaction, 10-day IL on May 31)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 60-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
• LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (left index finger pulley rupture, 15-day IL on May 30, retroactive to May 29)
• LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
• RHP Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort, 60-day IL on May 12, retroactive to May 7)
• RHP Will Vest (right lower leg strain, 15-day IL on June 27)
• RHP Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis, 60-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)

TONIGHT’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER

21 Michael Lorenzen • 2-5, 3.97 ERA (77.0IP/34ER

• Lorenzen will make his 14th start of the season tonight in the series opener at Colorado.
• Received a no decision in his last start on Sunday vs. Minnesota, allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings.
• Has made 12 appearances, including two starts, in his career against the Rockies, compiling a 1-1 record with a 3.98 ERA (20.1IP/9ER) and 12 strikeouts…in seven career outings, including one start at Coors Field, he is 1-1 with a 9.39 ERA (7.2IP/8ER) and five strikeouts.
• Among American League pitchers with at least 70.0 innings pitched
  this season, he ranks 10th with 2.22 walks per 9.0 innings.
• Made five starts during May, posting a 2-1 record with a 1.95 ERA
  (32.1IP/7ER) and 20 strikeouts…among qualified Major League pitchers
  in May, he ranked tied for sixth in ERA (1.95) and ninth in WHIP (0.87).

COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:

20TH & BLAKE

• The Colorado Rockies continue their season-long nine-game homestand tonight with their the first of a three-game set against Detroit, their final opponent in this stretch … fireworks will follow the games tonight and Saturday.
• The Rockies have gone 3-3 so far on the homestand, taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels before dropping two of three to the Dodgers.
• Following the homestand the Rockies will embark on a five-game, seven-day road trip to Houston (July 4-5) and San Francisco (July 7-9) prior to the All-Star Break.

THE ROOKIE

• Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar has hit safely in a career-best 12 straight games (.347, 17-for-49), the third-longest active streak in baseball and tied with Randal Grichuk (April 29-May 15) for the longest hitting streak for a Rockie this season.
• The shortstop has a hit in 25 of 28 since May 27, batting .330 (36-for-109) through this span … his batting average over this period leads the Rockies, is 13th in baseball and seventh in the National League.
• Was batting .187 through April 25, but has hit .295 (59-for-200) in 54 games since.
• Tovar’s 1.1 defensive WAR (Baseball Reference) is tied with the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe for the highest mark among Major League rookies, while his 1.5 overall WAR is the fifth-best among NL rookies … his total WAR currently ranks as the 10th-highest for a Rookie in Rockies’ history

AIN’T IT GRAND

• C Elias Díaz connected on his third career grand slam on June 23 vs. the Angels, his ninth home run of the season overall … it was the first grand slam for any Rockie since his own on Sept. 10, 2021 at Philadelphia, snapping a franchise-long 258-game span without a grand slam … it was the first grand slam by a Rockies player at Coors Field since Charlie Blackmon on Sept. 2, 2021.
• Díaz became the ninth Rockies player in franchise history to hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning or later, the first since Blackmon hit a walk-off grand slam against the Angels on Sept. 11, 2020.
• Diaz’s 67 games at catcher are the second-most in the Majors … his 66 hits while playing catcher are the most among all NL catchers … his 13 catcher caught stealings are the second-most among NL catchers.

ROCK CITY

• The Rockies are hosting the Detroit Tigers at Coors Field for the first time since 2017 … it is the sixth time the two teams have met for a series in Denver, with the Rockies going 10-5 in those games.
• Colorado took two of three in Detroit last April, splitting a doubleheader on April 23 before the Rockies won the rubbermatch on April 24.
• The Rockies have gone 8-10 in Interleague play this season, tied for the third-fewest Interleague games in the Majors … have won each of their last three Interleague series, and four of six overall.

BIG MAC

• 3B Ryan McMahon has slashed .336/.421/.623 with seven doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 22 RBI over his last 32 games since May 25 … over that span, ranks among NL leaders in OPS (1.044, 1st), slugging (3rd), total bases (76, 3rd), hits (41, 4th), OBP (4th), average (5th), extra-base hits (17, T-7th) and RBI (11th).
• On the season, McMahon’s 20 doubles are tied for the seventh-most in the National League while his 35 extra-base hits are tied for the 10th-most.
• McMahon’s 2.4 WAR (Baseball Reference) is the second-highest among NL players with at least 75% of their games at third base … his 10 defensive runs saved at third base are tied for the most at the position (Sports Info Solutions).
• Since moving to third base full time for the 2021 season, McMahon’s 5.2 dWAR is the fourth-highest in the Majors … his 33 DRS and 28 outs above average are both the second-most through this span.

JONESING

• INF/OF Nolan Jones has slashed .308/.395/.529 in 31games since his recall from Triple-A on May 26, reaching base in 25 of his 29 starts.
• Among NL rookies in June, ranks second in OBP (.410), third in OPS (.933), fourth in average (.315) … despite playing in only 31 games, his 1.6 WAR is tied for the fourth-highest among NL rookies this season.

BLAME IT ON THE RAIN

• After going 15-13 in May the Rockies have gone 8-18 in June, the third-worst winning percentage in the Majors this month … have been outscored 182-105 (-77) this month … the Rockies have won fewer than 10 games in June four times in franchise history, most recently in 2014, when they went 8-20 in the month (.286).
• Rockies pitchers have posted a 6.95 ERA (226.2 IP, 175 ER) this month … the only time the Rockies have finished a month with a higher ERA in a calendar month was May 1993 (7.03 ERA) … the next-lowest ERA in a single month was a 6.74 ERA posted in July, 1999.
• The starters have gone 1-13 with a 7.80 ERA (117.2 IP, 102 ER) through June, the second-highest starters ERA in a month in franchise history (8.20 ERA, April 2004).

ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #26 AUSTIN GOMBER LHP
LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

• Winter Garden, Fla., native is in his 10th professional season, his fifth in the Majors and his third with the Rockies.
• Acquired by Colorado, along with four other players including INF Elehuris Montero in exchange for 3B Nolan Arenado.
• Originally selected by St. Louis in the fourth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida Atlantic University.

LAST TIME OUT

• Tossed five innings and allowed two runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts in the Rockies’ 4-3 win Sunday against the Angels … both runs were charged to Gomber after he left the game without recording an out in the sixth inning.
• First Rockies starting pitcher to be credited with a win since he earned the win on May 23 against Miami … the 30-game stretch without a starting pitcher earning a win was the longest in franchise history and the seventh-longest in Major League history.

EARNING HIS STRIPES

• Made three starts in his career against Detroit … is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA (15 IP, 3 ER) … walked just four while striking out 20 (12.00 K/9) … picked up two quality starts.
• His last outing against the Tigers came on April 23, 2022 in Detroit … went six innings and allowed no runs on six hits, no walks and eight strikeouts.

HOW THE TURNTABLES…

• Began his season with four straight losses through April 19, the eighth time a Rockies starter has started 0-4 through their first four starts of a season … first since Roy Oswalt (five straight, June 20-Sept. 14) and Jeff Manship (four straight, Aug. 8-24) in 2013.
• Went 4-0 across his next six starts, April 24-May 23, posting a 3.74 ERA (33.2 IP, 14 ER) with three quality starts … Rockies went 7-1 over an eight-start Gomber stretch from April 24-June 3 (4-0, 4.91 ERA).
• Win on Sunday snapped a three-game losing streak … has gone 1-3 with a 7.08 ERA (20.1 IP, 16 ER) over his last four starts.

ON YOUR LEFT

• Left-handed hitters have hit .400 (26-for-65) with six home runs off him this season after he held opposing lefties to a .221 average in 2022 (30- for-136), the ninth-lowest in a single season in franchise history (min. 140 batters faced.).
• His average vs. left-handed hitters is the highest among qualifying pitchers.
• Entering this season lefties had slashed .236/.294/.373 (88-for-373) with 10 home runs off him.

HAPPY HOME

• In 58 career home games (33 starts) with both St. Louis and Colorado, is 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA (207.1 IP, 113 ER).
• Since joining the Rockies, has gone 11-8 with a 5.23 ERA (161.2 IP, 94 ER) at Coors Field with 44 walks and 110 strikeouts … in 2021, went 5-1 with a 2.09 ERA (47.1 IP, 11 ER) in nine starts at home, posting a 0.95 WHIP.