962 days after debut, Vilade notches first hits, RBIs

CLEVELAND -- The baseball Ryan Vilade struck for his first Major League hit sat in a plastic bag on the top shelf of his locker in the Tigers clubhouse at Progressive Field. It was three years in the making, so it was fittingly preserved for safe keeping. There were three other baseballs on the shelf beside it.

When you wait 962 days from your MLB debut to your first hit, you’re entitled to extras.

“Right now, I have four,” said Vilade, whose two hits and three RBIs came three years and two organizations after his debut with the Rockies on Sept. 18, 2021. “I have the hit and then some game balls.”

While Vilade had four game balls for himself and family, Andy Ibáñez stood at his locker on the other side of the clubhouse and talked about four hits, a first for him in his MLB career. With two homers, a double, four runs scored, four RBIs and 11 total bases in Tuesday’s 11-7 win over the Guardians, he had a career night. Yet he, maybe more than anyone in that clubhouse, could appreciate what Vilade went through to have his night.

“He was back in another organization, was down for a long time, then got called up, same thing as happened to me,” Ibáñez said through translation by Tigers manager of Spanish communications and broadcasting Carlos Guillen. “I’m grateful and thankful to the Tigers for the opportunity to be back. I’m happy and thankful for the Rangers organization.

“In his case, he’s an example of how, even in your struggles, even in your bad moments, you keep working hard to be back. He’s really a great example of that.”

No, Ibáñez didn’t have to wait three years, but he had to wait on waivers for a fresh start in a new organization and work like crazy to take advantage. Ibáñez a year ago was where Vilade was this past offseason, looking for a chance and a role to fill. Ibáñez is an example of where a chance can take you.

“That’s a night with a Major League hitter who is hot,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He’s a good hitter. We’ve seen it over the years. He had a great night tonight. You talk about it and you make adjustments, but he seemed to be on every single thing we threw. He wasn’t chasing. He had an outstanding night.”

Ibáñez loves hitting at Progressive Field, where he’s 18-for-38 (.474) with five doubles, three home runs, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored in 11 games. But he loves hitting left-handed pitching anywhere. It’s why he’s on the roster, and why manager A.J. Hinch batted him leadoff Tuesday against Cleveland southpaw Logan Allen.

Ibáñez studied Allen on video since Monday night. He stood in the bullpen Tuesday afternoon while Tigers pitchers threw side sessions, tracking pitches. It’s a similar process when he knows he’s in the lineup.

Hours later, Ibáñez stood in the box against Allen and crushed a 2-0 fastball to left for his first home run of the season. It was his first career leadoff homer, and the Tigers’ third leadoff homer in four days, joining Riley Greene from Monday night and last Saturday at Yankee Stadium.

Ibáñez was just getting started.

“I hit the home run, but the thing was, I was looking good at the pitches,” Ibáñez said. “I felt very good watching the pitches come towards me. First at-bat, I got a home run, and it was way easier after that.”

An inning later, Ibáñez took Allen deep to right for a three-run homer that put Detroit back on top. He singled off right-hander Pedro Avila leading off the fourth to set up Detroit’s final go-ahead tally, then chased Avila with a seven-pitch walk in the sixth. Lefty Tim Herrin kept Ibáñez in the park in his final at-bat, but he crushed a double off the left-field wall to ignite a two-run eighth.

“Last year, I had two home runs in the same game, but it wasn’t like this,” Ibáñez said.

Vilade, called over from Triple-A Toledo Tuesday after a hot start to provide another right-handed bat, hit into a double play his first time up to fall to 0-for-7 in his MLB career.

He got another chance with two on and one out in the third and laced a line drive into left-center to plate both runners. Vilade greeted Herrin by singling in another run in the seventh.

He could see his mom, Jennifer, standing nervously on the concourse for each at-bat, having flown up from Texas with his grandma. It felt like he debuted all over again.

“I was just looking for an opportunity, and that’s why I signed here,” Vilade said. “I got that opportunity tonight, and I’m glad we could win.”