‘Pitching chaos’ gives Tigers control of ALDS

DETROIT, Mich. (WOOD) — For the first time in a long time, the magic returned to Comerica Park in October.

Playoff baseball was back Wednesday afternoon, the city coming alive as streets filled with orange, white and blue. The scene was set for a big day in Detroit. As for the Tigers, they were ready to answer the call.

Grinding out runs with timely hitting and stellar pitching throughout guided Detroit to a 3-0 victory, as it has so many times this season.

The Tigers now lead the ALDS series with Cleveland 2-1 and continue the unbelievable ride they’ve been on since early August. And they’ve been doing it with 11 rookies in the postseason — the most in Major League Baseball history.

“Everyone has been doing their part and AJ (Hinch) has been able to manage us to positions we need to be in,” Tigers second baseman Colt Keith said. “I don’t know if we are suppose to do this or not but I do know everyone is coming to the field trying to win every day.”

It was Detroit’s first playoff game at home since 2013 and a city eager for meaningful baseball showed out for it, in an attendance of 44,885 — the most in Tigers playoff history.

After starting pitcher Kieder Montero started the game with a 1-2-3 frame, the Tigers offense wasted no time getting out to the lead. Riley Greene singled up the middle and brought Parker Meadows home from second base to give them a 1-0 advantage.

The orange rally towels were already in full effect, fanning over the stadium.

“Oh man, I can tell you that I’ve seen (Comerica Park) empty before,” Tigers catcher Jake Rodgers said with a laugh. “I’d take that out there every time over that. It was electric, one through nine they were booing guys and cheering for us. Making them happy is what we want to do for them.”

Montero would only go one inning as the Tigers “pitching chaos” began to ensue. Hinch elected to go with Brant Hurter to open the second inning. He worked into trouble with multiple base runners in the second and third inning, but was able to escape unscathed.

Guardians manager Steven Vogt tried to play back with some chess pieces of his own, pinch hitting David Fry and Jhonkensy Noel for a more favorable matchup in key situations, but neither was able to reach base.

In the end, Hurter went three innings and a third didn’t allow a run, but did leave in the fifth inning with runners on second and third. Beau Briske relieved him and was able to end the threat.

“It’s amazing how much of an advantage it can give us,” Hurter said of the pitching chaos. “The managers get a little frustrated, they make their lineup for a starter and then AJ brings someone else in. It’s tough to manage against, but it’s cool for our side.”

Meanwhile, the Tigers did tack on a run in the third frame on a Matt Vierling sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.

The game went stagnant until the bottom of the sixth inning when Colt Keith sent a single to left and reached second on a wild pitch. The Tigers 2020 first-round pick Spencer Torkelson came to the plate with a chance to extend the lead, without a hit so far in the postseason.

He picked a great time to get started.

Torkelson doubled down the left field line into the corner, scoring Keith and putting the Tigers ahead 3-0. That sent Comerica Park into a frenzy.

“It was absolutely massive and it got the crowd going,” said Game 2 hero for Detroit Kerry Carpenter. “He is one of the hardest workers on our team and for him to get that in a big moment, he just deserves that.”

In the seventh inning, with runners on first and second and two outs, Will Vest entered the game looking to keep the shutout alive. Fry lined one toward third base that would’ve scored both runners, but Tigers Vierling leaped in the air to snag it. Once again, even when the odds were against them, the Tigers found a way to escape the jam.

In the ninth, Tyler Holton, who started Game 1 and got ambushed with early Guardians runs, slammed the door and earned the save.

The Tigers as a pitching staff has not allowed a run in 20 straight innings, which is currently the third-longest streak in franchise history. It trails only one 23-inning stretch in 2013. It also was only the fifth time in MLB history a team has put together back-to-back shutouts in the ALDS.

For Hinch, it’s been fun to manage this bullpen because the team has taken on everything it’s been asked.

“These guys have all bought in to what we are doing here and that’s not an easy thing to do,” Hinch said. “ But that’s also what’s helped them get in the position we are in right now, to keep playing every day.”

Game 4 will be Thursday at 6 p.m. from Comerica Park once again. The Tigers are aiming to go to the ALCS for the first time since 2013.

When those gates open tomorrow, there is no doubt that same feeling will return to fill the ballpark that has been missed for so long in Detroit.

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