​Detroit — This is precisely what the Tigers hoped for when they drafted speedy, versatile outfielder Derek Hill in the first round of 2014. He would roam Comerica Park’s expansive outfield, turning hits into outs, grinding at the plate, and creating chaos on the bases. Back then, the expectation was that he’d be patrolling the Tigers’ outfield wearing the familiar home pinstripes while delivering that same high-energy play. Twelve years and six teams later, Hill, still just 30, once again gave the Tigers fits Saturday, making a run-saving catch, swiping three bases, and driving in a run as the Phillies toppled Detroit 4-2, snapping the Tigers’ six-game winning streak.
Hill homered to dead center and collected three hits Friday, and on Saturday he accounted for two of the Phillies’ first four runs against his former teammate, Casey Mize. Mize, a Tigers pitcher, faced Hill while he was in the Phillies’ lineup, a reminder of their intertwined histories. Hill’s speed forced a hurried, misdirected throw by third baseman Kevin McGonigle in the third inning, and he gave Tigers’ rookie catcher Eduardo Valencia, making his major-league debut behind the plate, a quick baserunning lesson. Hill swiped second and then third base, scoring on a Trea Turner sacrifice fly to push Philadelphia’s early lead.
In the fourth inning, after J.T. Realmuto belted a two-run double, Hill delivered a two-out RBI single to bring Realmuto home, sneaking in his third stolen base of the day along the way. Yet the play of the day came in the third inning when Ben Malgeri stood at first base. Hill tracked a ball to left-center, shaded toward the right-center gap, and launched a full-length Superman dive to rob Zach McKinstry of extra bases and an RBI. The jaw-dropping catch preserved the Phillies’ advantage and underscored Hill’s impact on both sides of the ball as he glided into the outfield air and came down with the ball in a dramatic fashion.
Hill’s journey has included stints with the Tigers during portions of the 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons. He began this season with the White Sox but arrived in Philadelphia with an impressive line of .356/.383/.600 through 21 games. Valencia, meanwhile, contributed behind the plate for Detroit, throwing out Bryce Harper attempting to steal second in the fifth inning and launching his second homer in three days, a line-drive shot from a slider by Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez into the seats in right-center.
Undaunted, the Tigers kept mounting baserunners against Sanchez. They had two runners aboard in the fifth after Valencia’s homer, and Sanchez induced double-play balls in the sixth and seventh, stifling rallies. Detroit collected 10 hits in the game, with three from Matt Vierling and another productive day from the rest of the lineup, but Philadelphia finally pulled away as the closer’s innings closed. Detroit’s bullpen briefly held the line, but the Phillies’ offense found its rhythm when it counted.
Phillies manager Don Mattingly summoned right-hander Jonathan Bowlan from the bullpen. The decision produced tense moments when Bowlan hit Dillon Dingler with the first pitch, loading the bases. He then got Spencer Torkelson to hit into a double play, which scored Vierling from third but dampened Detroit’s momentum. When Riley Greene walked to keep the inning alive, Valencia came to the plate again—but Bowlan buckled, breaking his bat and ending the threat. The scene underscored the intensity of a game that featured Hill’s dazzling defense, speed on the bases, and a Phillies win that stung Detroit’s push for a longer streak.