Plumes of smoke shot into the air in Comerica Park.
PAWS stood in the grass, waving a Detroit Tigers flag.
And the Tigers lined up to celebrate a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, Aug. 13.
In a critical series against Cleveland, the Tigers came up clutch, winning two of three.
Now, this might sound crazy, this might have sounded impossible back in May (when the Tigers had a 22-38 record after going 6-22 in May). But when the game ended on Thursday afternoon – if the season would have ended right then – the Tigers would have made the playoffs. They were tied with Texas for the final wild-card spot in the American League, and hold the tiebreaker over the Rangers (Texas played the Angels late Thursday night).
“This steady climb is – it’s just we’re not at the peak of the mountain yet,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “My job is to get these guys to reset, but we’re loving every minute of this. To be playing this competitive baseball, the brand of baseball we’re playing, we’re injecting some youth. Our fans are way into it, and I know we’ve took them on a little bit of a journey this season, but we have a chance.”
Now, let me offer a big-picture perspective on what is happening. Because there’s something crazy about what the Tigers just did.
The Guardians were aggressive at the trade deadline, bringing in five players, trying to bolster their sagging offense while adding arms. Those moves did help them win the middle game of this series on Wednesday when outfielder Jo Adell homered and All-Star pitcher Foster Griffin earned the win. Cleveland added both at the trade deadline.
But that’s the only game all those new players could win for Cleveland.
The Tigers, of course, sold at the deadline, trading away Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jake Rogers. But it was the Tigers who wound up winning two of three.
In fact, the Tigers have won nine of their past 12. And they are 38-23 since the start of June.
Wild.
But I have an easy explanation.
It feels like the Tigers have added talent, as injured players have returned to the lineup, others have been called up from the minor leagues while making massive contributions, and some who were struggling have become more impactful.
If nothing else, the Tigers are proving there are several ways to improve a roster.
But getting healthy at the right time sure does help more than anything. And everybody sharing the same competitive DNA is critical.
“For whatever reason, the makeup of this team has been very consistent,” Hinch said. “I’m very proud because we come ready to play every day. You don’t see a team that pouts. You don’t see a team that sulks. You don’t see a team that quits. You don’t see a team that really gets too enamored with the noise around us.”
How the Tigers have improved
So, how have the Tigers added talent?
Let’s start with Eduardo Valencia, who joined the Tigers on July 9 and he has hit five homers in 16 games, including a 389-foot homer to left on Thursday, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Valencia has played so well – he has been so impactful – that he has earned more playing time.
“He’s definitely going to get some DH looks, even against righties, because he’s become an offensive force,” Hinch said. “He warrants definitely a look at mixing and matching in there in that DH spot when he doesn’t catch.”
Then, there’s Ben Malgeri, who was called up June 23 and has been a steady, reliable presence. He’s hitting .265 – certainly respectable for a rookie – but his biggest contribution has been on defense. He made some spectacular plays on Thursday, the kind you need in a shutout.
“A great day, great day,” Hinch said. “He’s another one who’s had to work his way to get up to the big leagues and he hasn’t played a ton recently either … and yet made some really nice plays. The running catches are great … an impact defender today.”
The other addition?
Spencer Torkelson has gone from being invisible to becoming a key producer again.
He struggled in July, hitting. 209. So, he adjusted his approach and has become far more disciplined at the plate.
“I’m being the most disciplined I’ve ever been,” he said. “Not trying to do too much. Just trying to go middle of the field, hit line drives, and have quality at bats.”
Torkelson has knocked in five runs in his past five games, including one in the eighth inning that gave the Tigers a far more comfortable 3-0 lead.
“I’m not really hitting the ball over the fence right now, but I’m still finding ways to contribute to this team,” Torkelson said.
Yes, it’s working. And it has been huge for this team. Torkelson is hitting .350 in August while sacrificing the homers.
“These last few weeks he’s made a real conscious adjustment to move the ball forward to have quality at-bats,” Hinch said. “He’s dialed it back, maybe just a tick. He’s been integral for us as we’ve had a couple guys who are going through it. … And I applaud him for simplifying things at a crucial time.”
Another huge addition has been Javier Báez, who returned from the injured list July 28.
In the first 10 games since he returned, he hit .333 with 14 hits. Just as significantly, he has become a critical defensive weapon. Hinch has used him at shortstop, center and even left field.
Báez seems to find ways to do things only Báez can do, whether it’s snap tags or amazing baserunning. In the bottom of the third, Báez hit what looked like a simple single to left field. He cruised half-speed to first base. But it was all an act. When he hit first, he took off for second, hitting the afterburners. And he slid into second for a double.
Then, he scored when Dillon Dingler ground out.
All those things just add up.
Max Clark keeps contributing
Now, a word here about Max Clark, who made his debut on July 31, just a few days before the trade deadline. Clark had 13 hits, two doubles, one triple, one home run and four walks in his first 11 career games – the first Tiger in 97 years to reach those totals in his first 11 MLB games, and only the 28th big leaguer to do so in the past 100 years.
That’s incredible.
Another return?
Keider Montero has returned to the starting rotation and he was brilliant on Thursday (6⅓ innings, no runs, one walk, three hits).
And don’t forget about Jackson Jobe, who returned from Tommy John surgery and he will pitch Friday against the Chicago White Sox in the next critical series.
Yes, this team just keeps climbing.
Keeps fighting. Keeps winning.
“We’re going to need to do it 40 more times,” Hinch said. “We don’t get too ahead of ourselves.”
Forty more games?
Basically, a quarter of the season?
Goodness, maybe, that’s the most important perspective of all.
There is a whole lotta baseball left, folks.
But making the playoff is more than possible now. It’s right there for the taking.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers improved their roster in a different way, sparking magical run
Reporting by Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
