Two Detroit Tigers Pitchers Recognized for October Postseason Performances
The Detroit Tigers surprised everyone with the run that they went on in the second half of the season to earn a spot in the playoffs. The magic wasn’t all gone at that point, as they also won a postseason series.
The Tigers defeated the Houston Astros, sweeping them in the Wild Card Round, before losing to their American League Central rivals, the Cleveland Guardians, in a full five-game ALDS.
It looked as it Detroit had finally run out of steam, as their unique pitching approach took a tax. For weeks, the only starting pitcher A.J. Hinch turned to was likely AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
He was the best starting pitcher in the AL, winning the Triple Crown in the regular season. In the playoffs, he came up short in the game that sent his team home, but his performance was still recognized by ESPN’s panel of experts being named to the MLB All-October team.
He was one of two starting pitchers, along with Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees, to make the cut. Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sean Manaea of the New York Mets and Seth Lugo of the Kansas City Royals were selected as honorable mentions.
“Skubal had two scoreless starts against the Houston Astros in the wild-card series and Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS, confirming his status as one of the best in the game -- or maybe the best, as his soon-to-be AL Cy Young Award will attest,” written by ESPN.
When it wasn’t their ace on the mound, Hinch had to get creative with his pitching staff.
“Pitching Chaos” as he dubbed it was used in the other games. Openers would give way to bulk pitchers behind them or bullpen games would ensue. It was a necessary adjustment given how shorthanded the pitching staff was.
Credit should be given to the guys out of the bullpen as they were ready whenever their number was called. Whether it was the first inning, middle relief, or late-game high leverage, they would step up.
Beau Brieske was one of the standouts, as he was named an honorable mention among relief pitchers. Luke Weaver of the Yankees and Blake Treinen of the Dodgers made the team. Cade Smith of the Guardians and Michael Kopech of the World Series champions were also honorable mentions.
It was well-deserved for the versatile reliever, who started as many games (14) as he finished in the regular season. In the postseason, he was lights out whenever Hinch called his number.
He took over the closer role, as the team made decisions based on matchups. Breiieske recorded two and finished three games, making six total appearances. Only one earned run was allowed, as he gave up a home run to David Fry which helped decide the outcome in Game 4.
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.