Has Clock Struck Midnight on Detroit Tigers “Pitching Chaos” Approach?
The Detroit Tigers have gotten to this point of the 2024 MLB postseason by unorthodox means.
The team struggles to score runs, lacking a home run hitter in the middle of their lineup. But, elite pitching has been the backbone of their unexpected success over the last months.
What makes their performance on the mound even more remarkable is that they are doing it with essentially one starting pitcher.
Ace Tarik Skubal, the expected American League Cy Young Award winner, has taken the ball every time through the rotation. Keider Montero was doing the same down the stretch, but that is all manager A.J. Hinch had.
To eat innings in all of the other games, he would use an opener and piggyback them with a bulk inning pitcher. In the postseason, he has turned to several bullpen games, including a 3-0 shutout in Game 3 to make baseball history.
All of the right buttons have been pushed as Hinch has navigated this unique situation brilliantly. But, we are beginning to see some of the cracks in such a game plan as some of the guys look to be wearing down.
In Game 4 with a chance to eliminate the Cleveland Guardians, the pitching chaos fell short. As shared over at The Athletic by Kaitlyn McGrath and Stephen J. Nesbitt, the stock is trending down on the Tigers’ pitching strategy.
“Pitching chaos giveth, and pitching chaos taketh away. That is the life the Tigers have chosen, for better or worse. On Thursday, it was for worse. Starter Reese Olson was solid, giving up one run over four innings. But every reliever who came in after him allowed an earned run until Will Vest, who recorded the last two outs. Brieske picked the wrong time to give up his first run of the postseason. Then, manager A.J. Hinch tried to squeeze two innings out of Jackson Jobe, but the rookie got into trouble in the ninth, leading to Cleveland scoring its eventual winning run.”
Luckily for Detroit, they won’t have to worry about pitching chaos in Game 5 against the Guardians. Skubal will be taking the mound with a chance to get his team into the ALCS for the first time since 2013.
After that, it will be interesting to see how Hinch navigates a potential LCS series against the New York Yankees. In an extended series, the strategy is tested as they could be burned out making so many appearances in such a short period of time.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.