Andy Dirks on how the Tigers’ relaxed confidence leads to winning baseball
Andy Dirks, former Tigers player and current TV commentator, talks about what it’s like in the dressing room of a red-hot winning team. Now the whole group is out.
Tarik Skubal came off the mound looking like a comet shooting through the sky, leaving a trail of excitement, fiery emotion and brilliance behind him.
Skubal looked up at the crowd at Comerica Park and slammed his hand into his glove.
“Let’s go!” he shouted after another impressive performance for the Detroit Tigers.
Yes, let’s go.
Welcome to the big playoff push at Comerica Park, where these young, fearless Tigers are battling for a wild-card playoff spot. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Tuesday afternoon, thanks in large part to Skubal, who threw seven scoreless innings to earn the Cy Young Award (it would be absurd if he didn’t win it).
“Oh, he was unbelievable,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said. “A really tough day to pitch. You know, the time change, the fog at the beginning of the game, all through his warm-up, the importance of the day in a close game.”
One less. Five games left in the regular season.
Let’s go.
Technically, the Tigers are not in the playoffs.
But it does feel that way. Because all these games are so important. The pressure is mounting, but these Tigers don’t seem to notice. They just shrug their shoulders, go about their business and win again.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Skubal, who leads the American League in wins, strikeouts and opponent slugging percentage. “That’s why you play the game, to play in moments like this.”
The Tigers (83-74) extended their lead in the AL wild card to 1½ games, have the edge with five games remaining and are in the lead in the wild card race.
While the Tigers have several ways to make the playoffs, the answer is simple: They have to keep winning and they’re in.
“It’s nice that we have our destiny in our own hands, so to speak,” said Skubal.
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Another absolute team effort
In many ways, this game was symbolic of the Tigers’ advance into the playoffs.
It is a complete team in the truest sense of the word.
Wenceel Pérez scored the game-winning hit when he hit a pressure double down the right field line, scoring two runs and giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
“He had the best at-bats of the day,” Hinch said. “And not just because he had the hit, but because of the at-bats overall.”
Several players did small but important things to prepare for this moment – that’s what winning teams do.
Part of the credit goes to Trey Sweeney, who made this important inning possible with a walk.
Part of the credit goes to Jake Rogers, who hit a single.
And part of the credit goes to Parker Meadows, who fell behind 2-0 and then fought like hell, getting a walk after an eight-pitch at-bat. Meadows has ice in his veins. Or as Hinch put it, “a slow heartbeat.”
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All this has enabled Pérez.
He fought through a nine-pitch at-bat – picking up five fouls – before hitting a double to right field to score two runs.
“He’s fun to be around,” Hinch said. “He just wants to contribute. He was frustrated when he got hurt. But there was a reason we pushed him to come back for the rest of the season.”
Let’s pause here and highlight something important. Because part of the credit for the way he has led this team goes to Hinch.
Yes, they know these games are important.
Yes, they understand how big this is.
But Hinch has kept the pressure off those players by not talking about it.
By directing their focus to each individual game.
“We know how exciting this is,” Hinch said. “The atmosphere in the dugout is incredible. The energy from the start of the day. We’re waiting for a short break in the rain. You know, the work, the conversations, the energy. I mean, everything is important.”
Ah yes, that brief rain delay.
Part of the credit goes to the Tigers fans, who found out less than 24 hours in advance that the game would be postponed due to bad weather and then had to wait for the game to be interrupted due to rain.
“I know we surprised the city with a time change, but it ended up being loud,” Hinch said. “First of all, thank you for changing your plans. And secondly, you know, thank you for being part of this win because we love being home for this.”
Part of the credit goes to Tigers infield coach Joey Cora, who dutifully throws grounders to the Tigers every day, and it paid off in a game like this, as Sweeney and Zach McKinstry grabbed everything they saw.
And finally, some of the credit goes to Beau Brieske, who replaced Skubal in the eighth inning. Brant Hurter and Ty Madden both pitched on Saturday and Sunday and were unavailable. But Brieske made the two-inning save, his first of the season.
But that has an important side effect. Using Brieske alone should keep the Tigers’ bullpen in perfect shape for the next few days. Did we mention that these are crucial games, too?
“We have a lot of confidence in Beau,” Hinch said. “All hands on deck. And those guys know their number is going to be called, and they’re all probably going to be called in important situations. I don’t care who makes the last outs. … Tomorrow it could be someone completely different, and our guys respond to that kind of responsibility.”
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Tigers perfectly positioned
Want to know the really wild part?
The week is perfect for the Tigers.
Skubal could be back as a pitcher on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox if the game is must-win.
But if the Tigers already have the playoffs in the bag, they are in a great position to hold him back and use him in the first game of the postseason on Tuesday.
What an incredible luxury that is. To have the best pitcher ready for the big moment. A guy who can handle pressure.
That sounds damn amazing and reassuring.
The same goes for signing a talent like Jackson Jobe to give this bullpen a standout pitcher – I can’t wait to see him pitch.
It’s as if all the stars were aligned perfectly for the Tigers.
Not to mention the big, fiery left-handed comet who should win the Cy Young Award.
Contact Jeff Seidel: [email protected]. Follow him on X @seideljeff. To read his current columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.
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