Kevin McGonigle is two games into his Major League career and already delivering moments people will talk about.
One day after his historic four-hit debut, the 21-year-old rookie came through in the biggest spot of Friday’s 5-2 Tigers win over the Padres with a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, the product of a grueling 10-pitch battle against veteran reliever Wandy Peralta.
“The whole time I was just locked in, committed to my plan,” McGonigle said. “Just go up and go to war. That was my mindset that whole at-bat.”
The Padres had engineered the situation to give themselves an advantage, bringing the lefty Peralta in specifically to face the left-handed McGonigle with the bases loaded and the game tied. McGonigle had faced Peralta the night before in a three-pitch at-bat and filed every detail away.
“Knew he was going to come in against me,” McGonigle said. “I saw every pitch he had yesterday, which helped me out. I knew I had to put a good at-bat together.”
Peralta came after McGonigle with sinkers and changeups, trying to pound him inside. McGonigle fouled off pitch after pitch, including a slider well off the outside corner that Peralta was certain would finish him. On the 10th pitch, Peralta left a 95.9 mph sinker over the plate and McGonigle lined it into right field to give Detroit the lead. Dillon Dingler followed with a two-run single to close out the scoring.
Peralta tipped his cap to the rookie afterwards.
“I gave it everything I could in that at-bat,” Peralta said through an interpreter. “Just give him all the credit.”
McGonigle said he nearly lost track of the moment when the ball hit the grass.
“I kinda blacked out a little bit,” he said. “It was a big spot, was able to get the job done and just celebrate with the guys.”
McGonigle also had a 403-foot drive to center robbed by a leaping catch from Jackson Merrill, but none of that dampened the night.
Manager A.J. Hinch said he has been impressed by how little the moment seems to faze his young star.
“I’m proud of him because he’s staying in the moment,” Hinch said. “For him it’s the same game, but for all of us watching him, we’re super impressed.”
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