Did Detroit Tigers Skipper Make Wrong Decision Regarding Game 1 Pitching Strategy?

After pushing all the right buttons for the final months of the season, the Detroit Tigers manager might have made the wrong one on Saturday.

Sep 27, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) walks off the field after speaking with umpires before a game against Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park / Junfu Han/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers flipped a switch and turned into the hottest team down the final stretch of the regular season that got them into the playoffs for the first time since 2014. They kept that momentum in the Wild Card round by sweeping the Houston Astros and ending their American League record of seven straight ALCS appearances.

But, when facing a Cleveland Guardians team who has been one of the best teams in the league all season long without their ace Tarik Skubal going in Game 1, there were some questions if they would be able to keep that magic going.

Since manager A.J. Hinch went with an opener to close out the Wild Card matchup, he had some options within his starting rotation to choose from, but he opted to go back to the reliever strategy to begin the game.

That completely backfired.

Tyler Holton was shelled for three runs on two hits, failing to record an out before getting pulled from his outing.

Hinch called upon starter Reese Olson to come out of the bullpen, and even though he gave up the three-run homer to Lance Thomas that made it 5-0 immediately when taking the mound, the right-hander settled in after that to throw five innings where he gave up just three hits and was credited with one earned run.

Should the Tigers skipper just have gone with Olson to start the game?

Perhaps.

It's hard to argue with what Hinch has been doing since he's pushed all the right buttons coming into this ALDS matchup, but after everything reset and there was time for Detroit to put together a strategy, throwing one of their two available starters might have been the better idea than going with yet another bullpen game.

Of course hindsight is 20/20, but it's clear the Guardians were ready to jump all over Holton in this situation, and once Olson overcame the foreign role of coming out of the bullpen, he was able to pitch a relative gem that could have come from opening pitch.

Hinch was never going to shy away from doing things that has gotten his team to this point, but that mindset might have also hurt the Tigers in Game 1.

They now face an uphill battle as they look to advance to the Championship Series.