JUPITER, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-4, on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
The Tigers are 12-11 in Grapefruit League play.
What happened
First baseman Spencer Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, has been crushing baseballs throughout spring training. His exit velocities are excellent, and he recently started getting rewarded for them with extra-base hits.
On Saturday, Torkelson was rewarded with an opposite-field solo home run in the fifth inning.
WAITING ON SCHOOP: Tigers’ Jonathan Schoop needs to start hitting (and drawing walks) to keep playing
BIG BROTHER: Tigers’ Austin Meadows takes progression one step at a time to ‘get back to being me’
The 23-year-old, in a full count, got a sixth-pitch fastball inside the strike zone from Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore. Torkelson hit the ball 359 feet to rightwith a 98.4 mph exit velocity.
It was his first homer in spring training.
Starting off
Left-hander Matthew Boyd, making his fourth start in spring training, allowed three runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts across four innings. The Cardinals, loaded with right-handed hitters, tagged him for all three runs in the second inning.
Boyd threw 44 of 63 pitches for strikes, then tossed extra pitches in the bullpen following his outing. He was scheduled for 65 pitches in the game.
TOP DRAFT PICK INJURED: Tigers prospect Jackson Jobe to miss 3-6 months with lumbar spine inflammation
ROSTER 2.0: Tigers’ 2023 Opening Day roster prediction: Why matchups matter for almost all
Boyd needed eight pitches for three batters in the first inning, 33 pitches for eight batters in the second, eight pitches for three batters in the third and 14 pitches for three batters in the fourth.
In the second, Willson Contreras drilled Boyd’s changeup below the strike zone for a double to center. Alec Burleson drove him in with a single, putting the Cardinals ahead, 1-0, on a first-pitch sinker.
Taylor Motter, who fell behind 0-2 in the count, turned on a high-and-tight fastball. He sent the ball over the left-field wall for a two-run home run, increasing the Cardinals’ lead to 3-0.
After Motter’s homer, Boyd gave up two singles and one walk to the next five batters, but he avoided further damage with a…