Jake Rogers turns 'crappy situation' into career moment with knuckleball
Detroit Tigers C Jake Rogers pitched in the ninth inning of Tuesday's blowout – and he recorded the first (pitching) strikeout of his MLB career.
The Detroit Tigers didn't have anything to celebrate in a 12-4 loss Tuesday, April 21, against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first of three games in the series at Comerica Park. But Jake Rogers walked away with a memento. The 31-year-old catcher pitched in the ninth inning of the blowout loss to the Brewers – and he recorded the first strikeout of his MLB career on the mound.
THE GAME: Tigers embarrassed by Brewers in 12-4 loss, but Jake Rogers throws 1st strikeout Rogers struck out Joey Ortiz swinging with a 61. 5 mph knuckleball for the first out of the ninth inning. Right away, Rogers motioned with his right hand and pointed to the dugout to make sure the milestone ball wouldn't be discarded.
Catcher Dillon Dingler answered the call: He received a new ball from home-plate umpire Emil Jimenez , then tucked away the strikeout ball for safe keeping. "It'll go on the mantel, for sure," Rogers said. It was his sixth career appearance on the mound: Rogers has a 4.
76 ERA with one walk and one strikeout across 5⅔ innings. He pitched in his first game June 12, 2021, against the Chicago White Sox, followed by four games in 2025 and one in 2026. He missed the entire 2022 season with Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September 2021 to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.