Tigers 9, Nationals 2: River Ryan's Return Steals a September Night
Detroit routed Washington behind three home runs, but the story was River Ryan throwing three shutout innings in his first big-league game in over two years.
Late September games between two teams out of the race usually pass quietly. Monday's 9-2 Tigers win over the Nationals at Comerica Park did not, because River Ryan was on the mound — his first major-league appearance since debuting with the Dodgers more than two years ago, a road back that ran through Tommy John surgery and a hamstring injury.
The audition
Ryan gave Detroit three shutout innings: two hits, one walk, three strikeouts on 43 pitches. Manager A.J. Hinch called it a "very good first impression," per the Associated Press, and Ryan is slated for one more start before the season ends. Keider Montero followed with four scoreless innings of his own, striking out five and allowing one hit to pick up his 10th win.
The barrage
The offense made it comfortable early. Hao-Yu Lee went 3-for-5 with an RBI as Detroit scored twice in the first, and Javier Báez launched a 426-foot two-run homer in the fourth to make it 4-0. The fifth inning broke it open: Ben Malgeri hit a three-run shot — his fourth of the season — and Spencer Torkelson followed with a two-run homer in the same frame for a 9-0 lead. Washington's only answer was Yohandy Morales's two-run homer in the eighth.
Why it matters
Neither club is going anywhere this October — the Tigers sit fourth in the AL Central and the Nationals fourth in the NL East — so these final days are about 2027. For Detroit, that means finding out whether Ryan, once one of the Dodgers' most promising arms, can be part of next year's rotation plan. Seven scoreless innings from Ryan and Montero combined is exactly the kind of evidence a front office wants heading into the winter.