Player of the gameKeider MonteroDET6.1ip 4h 0er 4k
The Tigers are one of the few teams that do not have a home run prop. They’ve had one in past years but went away from it. That did not stop them from having fun with Colt Keith as he rounded the bases Thursday on his first homer of the season. Keith had been pressing to get on the home-run board. His hot start to the season had yielded singles and doubles all over the field but nothing in the seats, and his recent slump -- he entered Thursday batting 2-for-22 in June -- hadn't helped. As his Statcast-projected 419-foot drive off a Zebby Matthews changeup landed midway up the right-field seats, he wore a smile that continued his entire trip around the bases. “That was awesome,” Keith said. “It felt like a big weight off my shoulders, getting the first one. It was great.” While Keith crossed home plate, his teammates cleared the dugout, leaving him no one to celebrate with on his first home run since last Sept. 10. Manager A.J. Hinch said Gleyber Torres was the mastermind; others said it was a group effort. Even Hinch held back on his usual high-five as Keith descended the dugout steps. “I saw them all sitting on the bench, so I was like, ‘Here we go,’” Keith said. “But it was awesome. I was already super happy, and that made me laugh more.” Keith paraded down the dugout high-fiving imaginary teammates before being mobbed. The Tigers could have their fun knowing their midseason revival took another step with an 11-0 win over the Twins and a third consecutive series win heading into a critical weekend series in Cleveland.
