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    • Tigers unleash an army of weapons on Guardians and take control of the series
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    Tigers unleash an army of weapons on Guardians and take control of the series

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    Detroit — It took 10 years to work on it and 10 years to wait. When the moment came, oh my God, the Tigers and their fans let it all go.

    In a wave of swirling orange towels, the Tigers waded again, deeper and deeper, in front of the largest postseason crowd in Comerica Park history. The Tigers used everything at their disposal and showed remarkable poise despite the noise to reach a new level and get one step closer to the unfathomable.

    At this point we’re done trying to explain it or figure out how long it might take. In their first home playoff game since 2014, the Tigers defeated the Guardians 3-0 on Wednesday and now lead the ALDS 2-1. Another win — either Thursday night here or Saturday back in Cleveland — and the Tigers advance to the ALCS, the final stop before the World Series.

    The Tigers are on an otherworldly journey, doing things few baseball teams have accomplished. Honestly, I’m not sure they even play baseball. It’s chess. Chaos chess. With a superstar pitcher – Tarik Skubal – and a group of guys who can play any role, they take care of the opponent that won their division.

    You could say that AJ Hinch and his team have taken their pitching chaos to a new level, but in reality it’s been the same for two months since the Tigers began their historic comeback. This time, Hinch struck out six pitchers, shutting out the Guardians for the second straight game by the same 3-0 score. Since the Guardians posted a 7-0 win in the opener, the Tigers have been scoreless in 24 of 26 innings, including the last 19.

    And what about the symbolic framing? Tyler Holton, who opened nine games and finished 14 during the regular season, just did both in five days. In the 7-0 defeat he didn’t have to be eliminated once. In the ninth Wednesday, he retired all three batters and struck out Austin Hedges as the stadium roared.

    “You rinse it out and move on to the next thing, no matter how good or bad it was,” Holton said. “All hands on deck, same script.”

    Only the names and times change. With the pressure spread across the entire squad and not concentrated on one or two stars, it’s pretty easy for the Tigers to play relaxed. You shouldn’t be here, so why worry? The Guardians appear to be the stressed team, getting guys on base but unable to make the game-winning hit.

    The Tigers continue to find ways to evade Cleveland’s bullies, and Hinch has greatly outmaneuvered fellow manager Steven Vogt. Hinch’s shrewd shuffling began in the second inning, and for the rest of the day Vogt desperately tried to catch up, initially using so many pinch hitters that his bench was empty. How crazy was it? Tigers rookie Keider Montero, often a starter, was the starter, a slight surprise given the severity of the game.

    But the Tigers have been playing catch-up since their funeral in mid-August, so every game and every inning has the same significance, giving everyone confidence. In fact, Montero left the Guardians after six pitches in the first inning and then stepped in for left-hander Brant Hurter, another rookie.

    The goal is to start quickly, throw the opponent off balance, and then let the orange wave carry them.

    “Keider had no idea at first, and he responded with an incredible first inning, with a lot of energy in the stadium and an atmosphere that was second to none,” Hinch said. “I had no order in my head. I just knew I had 10 (pitchers) available and we were going to use them.”

    Masterclass in Chess Strategy

    In total, Hinch has 26 players available for each playoff game, and he uses as many as possible wherever he can. Game 3 was a masterclass in chess strategy, and the amazing thing is that the Tigers’ main pieces are rooks, novices and a few pawns, with an obvious king, Skubal.

    This is not to downgrade her underrated talent, which has steadily developed over the course of a summer. It’s about highlighting adjustments that lead to favorable matchups where any pitcher can take the mound at any time and any hitter can show up in any situation.

    Hinch’s move was born out of necessity as the Tigers lost pitchers to injuries and trades. It has become an essential weapon and serves two purposes. First, it puts a new arm on the mound virtually every other inning. And secondly, it encourages the opponent to make early moves and fits into left-right duels. After the lefty hurter entered the game in the second inning, the Guardians put two men on base. Vogt inserted pinch-hitter Jhonkensy Noel, who flied out, leaving right fielder Will Brennan on the bench without ever getting a hit.

    play

    Chris McCosky asks Spencer Torkelson if he might advance to the ALCS with a win in Game 4.

    Chris McCosky asks Spencer Torkelson if he might advance to the ALCS with a win in Game 4.

    “We kind of knew in the back of our minds that they could have done that, and given the situations we were in, they were a lot of leverage,” Vogt said. “So we thought this was an opportunity to take our chance… we just didn’t get it done.”

    The Guardians did it again in the third period when they had a man on second and thought they had to go for it. Righty David Fry pinch-hit lefty Kyle Manzardo and Hurter struck out. That’s what the Tigers’ unconventional bullpen does. It forces opponents to make crucial, game-changing decisions before they choose.

    Unspoken secret of success

    The trust between the manager, pitching coach Chris Fetter and the staff is the unspoken secret of success. Hurter went three-plus innings and workhorse Beau Brieske went two more innings and struck out three. Hinch pushed buttons and his pitchers struck out batters.

    “They don’t call it pitching chaos for nothing,” said catcher Jake Rogers, who has the difficult task of navigating all the changes. “We just follow the game plan and stick with it.”

    The Guardians were 92-69 in the regular season but lack a strong offense and rank in the middle of the pack, just ahead of the Tigers. They get on base and hope that a top player like Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan or Fry can knock someone over.

    Fry came in with two men up in the fifth inning, this time against Brieske, and struck out. In the seventh, Fry batted again with two men, this time against Will Vest. He slammed a liner toward third, perhaps on his way to extra bases, until Matt Vierling jumped and missed it with a glove.

    For about 50Th At the same time, the crowd of 44,885 rose to its feet and roared, evoking echoes of the playoff runs more than a decade ago. The Tigers don’t do it with big bats, luck or magical whims. They do this in a rare way, with one player, Four of a Kind, having playoff experience. Perhaps this element is overrated, and the Tigers really are too young and naive to be rattled.

    Riley Greene started the first with an RBI single, Vierling later hit a sacrifice fly and then came the much-needed Exhale. In the sixth, Colt Keith broke a 16-0 loss with a single, and Spencer Torkelson then broke a 14-0 loss with an RBI double to make it 3-0.

    The signs and slogans can now be found everywhere, from Gritty Tigs to Motor City Magic to Chaos Cats. Behind the center field wall, on the top floor of the Detroit Athletic Club, a banner was unfurled in July with a quote from Rogers: “Don’t let the Tigers get hot.”

    They are hot and cool at the same time. Vierling was asked what he was thinking as the scorching ride approached him.

    “I really didn’t have time to think,” he said. “Just react and make the play.”

    Sounds like a plan. Sounds exactly like the plan the Chaos Cats are carrying out.

    [email protected]

    @bobwojnowski

    play

    Chris McCosky asks Reese Olson about possible back-to-back games against the Guardians.

    Chris McCosky asks Reese Olson about possible back-to-back games against the Guardians.

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    Madoc Meredith
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