It had already been a long day behind the plate for Tigers catcher Wilson Ramos. The Twins had walked nine times and scored 15 runs through seven innings when Detroit called on Gregory Soto to pitch the eighth.
Then Soto sent his first pitch to the moon. It was a sinker, according to MLB.com's pitch-tracking technology, and it was still on the rise when it hit the screen.
A fitting snapshot of Detroit's 15-6 loss Monday at Comerica Park. At least Ramos was able to get a chuckle out of it afterward.
"That was a tough game behind the plate for me, especially those long innings. And as soon as he threw that first pitch, in my mind I was like, 'Oh my god, this is going to be another long inning," Ramos said. "But he got over the plate after that."
If there was a bright spot for the Tigers on Monday, it was Akil Baddoo hitting his second homer in as many MLB games -- this one a grand slam. It came in the ninth with Detroit down 13, the chaser of what A.J. called an "ugly day."
"The ninth inning gives us something to go home with that feels a lot better than any part of the rest of the day," he said. "Clearly, that was the highlight of the day offensively for us."
Baddoo has been the highlight of this young season for the Tigers. A Rule 5 pick who hadn't played baseball since May of 2019 due to an elbow injury, he made the team with a terrific spring training and continues to look like he belongs in the bigs. You'd never know the peak of his career prior to joining the Tigers was A-ball with the Twins.
"He's a good talent with a good future," Ramos said. "Hopefully he stays with this team for a long time and keeps raking like today and the first day. Doing a really good job. Got a good swing, good young guy, good tools to be here for 20 years."
How determined is Baddoo to make a name for himself in Detroit?
"Very determined," he said. "I went through a lot these past two years not playing. So all the hard work finally paying off, just so glad I’m able to get back on the field and produce."
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