Detroit Tigers show perfect playoff mix in Jackson Jobe's debut

What could make this night even better for the Detroit Tigers?

What could be the icing on the cake of this magical, wonderful, exciting and electrifying night at Comerica Park?

Jackson Jobe, baby.

On the night Comerica seemed to shake off the daily grind and come alive, Jobe made his MLB debut for the Tigers in the ninth inning of a must-win game in the midst of a playoff battle.

I mean, of course he did.

At least Tigers manager AJ Hinch has a flair for the dramatic.

THE GAME: Parker Meadows inspires Detroit Tigers in 7-1 win over Rays; Jackson Jobe makes MLB debut

The Tigers were leading the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 when Jobe jogged in from the bullpen. A hype video played on the scoreboard and the more than 30,000 fans gave Jobe a standing ovation as he warmed up.

Yes, as he warmed up.

“It was pretty incredible, just the excitement, the anticipation,” Hinch said.

It didn’t take long before the crowd was chanting: “Job! Job! Job!”

Go over, YES-RED GOFF! YES-RED GOFF!

There is a new song in D.

“They convinced me pretty quickly,” said Jobe, who was rated the top pitching prospect by MLB Pipeline. “They did. That was great. I want to do that again.”

ON THE STREET: Detroit Tigers fans are excited about the upcoming MLB playoffs

Jobe kept his nerve, rose to the occasion and pitched a scoreless inning as the Tigers won 7-1 and took another big step closer to the playoffs, their magic number now at three with four games remaining.

“It was crazy,” Jobe said. “I don’t think I’ve fully grasped it yet, but with that crowd and the position the team is in, it would be hard to put it better. It was definitely something special.”

The whole night was something special.

Comerica Park was filled to bursting with fans – the attendance was reported at 32,463.

The Tigers had larger crowds this season.

But none of them were as loud or as intense.

In the second half of the eighth inning, after Spencer Torkelson hit a double, the crowd broke into a chant: “Let’s go, Tiger!”

It felt like the old days – the days of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

Then the familiar clapping sound rang out.

And the wave.

“It was electrifying,” Torkelson said. “It’s so cool to see the fans and the whole city behind us. We’re so grateful for that. That’s what it’s all about. We’re not just playing for each other, we’re playing for the bigger picture. It’s great.”

Dive: Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal sends a message to fans during push to postseason

Detroit understood the task

Late Wednesday afternoon, I parked in a building across from Comerica Park and got into an elevator with a Tigers fan.

“Ahhh!” she said, smiling and clenching her fist. “I’m so excited.”

That pretty much sums up Wednesday in Detroit.

Pure excitement and joy.

It doesn’t matter how the Tigers got here. Or how unlikely it is that they’ll go from being a trade-deadline seller to being a blink-of-an-eye player in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense. Or if it defies logic.

All that matters is that they’re here. This team is seizing the moment. The tension is building and the crowds at Comerica Park are getting bigger.

Yes, Detroit understands the task.

These fans know how to react when the game is on the line. Come and scream your heart out. The weekend series against the Chicago White Sox is almost sold out – only a few seats are left.

“I know we have to earn it and we keep working on it, but this place can be electric if we can bring a postseason game here,” Hinch said.

Funny that he mentions that, because Hinch managed this game like a playoff game, pulling starter Keider Montero after 2⅔ innings.

“There is a great sense of urgency right now,” Hinch said.

This also applies to the energy and excitement at Comerica.

Some of these players were there last season when the Tigers honored Miguel Cabrera. But this was different. This was a staged, planned event.

It’s more of a wave of support. It’s organic and real.

“We do our best to make everyone in this city proud of us, and we do it well,” Hinch said. “Obviously, it means a lot to us that our fans care about us. Tonight was an electric atmosphere. That’s what we want at Comerica.”

Want to know what I liked so much about Wednesday’s game?

Of the nine starting players, only two – Colt Keith and Matt Vierling – have played the entire year in Detroit.

Two others missed time only due to injuries: outfielders Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene.

One came at the trade deadline: shortstop Trey Sweeney, who has settled in well and once again played fantastic defense.

One of them resulted from a gap after the trade deadline: Catcher Dillon Dingler, who led his pitching team to victory, scored two hits and scored one run.

One was an infielder in spring training, was moved to the outfield, started the year in Toledo, was called up to Detroit, became a regular, got injured, came back and delivered one great play after another: Wenceel Pérez, who made some nice defensive plays on Wednesday, got a hit, scored a run and batted in a run.

And two others had to go to Toledo to get their game back under control: Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows. A word on both of them. Meadows hit a home run as the first batter that seemed to relax everyone. And Torkelson hit a home run and a double.

Likewise, the Tigers’ first three pitchers on Wednesday all began the year in Toledo: Montero, Sean Guenther and Brenan Hanifee.

So it seems crazy to me to try to understand this team based on their season statistics.

Damn, most of these players are just different from their previous versions.

Meadows is different from the guy who started the year in Detroit in a brutal slump.

And Pérez is a different guy than the one who learned to play in the outfield in March.

This is a story of development and growth.

Yet this unusual collection of players has pulled it off, compiling an astonishing 29-11 record since August 11 – the best record in MLB during that span.

“This team just plays so well together,” Jobe said. “I’ve only been here for two days. I already feel like they’re welcoming me.”

THE MOOD: Jackson Jobe to the Detroit Tigers? Oh man, this great week just got better

This team does almost everything right.

They pitched great, hit the ball hard all night, played fantastic defense, and ran the bases aggressively.

“I think to win baseball, you have to play well in all facets,” Hinch said. “And you know, we have that. I know nobody talks about baserunning and defense because that’s not the coolest subject to write or talk about, but it’s an important ingredient to winning.”

And it was, in turn, an important ingredient for the Tigers.

What a night.

The electricity. The atmosphere.

The Jobe moment. All of it.

But the most important thing is that they have achieved another victory.

Can it get any better?

Wait, I think I know the answer to that.

Four games left.

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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Detroit Tigers show perfect playoff mix in Jackson Jobe’s debut

ByJasper

Detroit understood the task

By Jasper

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