Detroit — Tigers manager AJ Hinch came oh so close to calling Gregory Soto his closer before the game Wednesday.
Hinch was talking about Soto’s electrifying save Tuesday night. The lefty threw 10 pitches in a four-batter inning that rang up 100-mph or faster on the radar gun. Only four other pitchers have thrown that many in one outing.
The last one, a 100.8-mph sinker, froze Rafael Devers for a called strike three and secured his 12th save.
“There’s not a lot of people on the planet that can throw 100 mph once let alone 10 times,” Hinch said. “A rested Soto and closing out a close game against the Red Sox brought out his best. That was the perfect version of him, virtually.
“You can see why we’ve tried to nurture him into that ninth-inning role. Dare I say closer?”
He said that last part with a wry smile. Soto has finished 29 of the 46 games he’s pitched in and covering the ninth inning 28 out of of 40 times. He’s converted 12 of his 13 save opportunities.
And yet, Hinch has steadfastly refused to name a closer, mostly because he doesn’t want to restrict his best reliever, or any reliever, to working in one situation. Critical moments in games don’t always happen in the ninth inning.
“Listen, I didn’t intentionally walk a guy for a full season, I can definitely not call a guy a closer,” Hinch said, laughing.
Only human
The velocity on Tarik Skubal’s two-seam and four-seam fastballs dropped 3 mph between his last two starts. He averaged 96 mph on his fastballs in Kansas City on July 25, and 93.7 last Friday against the Orioles.
To which Hinch essentially shrugged.
“There are ebbs and flows of strength,” he said. “There are things with the delivery, trying to execute pitches rather than overpower guys. I’m just not into the fear of fluctuation as much as other people. Everybody wonders, but I don’t have an answer to why sometimes it comes out 90 and sometimes it comes out 99.”
Hinch has been assured by the Tigers training staff that there are no health issues with Skubal, who will pitch the finale against the Red Sox Thursday. Skubal was out early Wednesday working on his bunting, since he will be batting when the Tigers play the Cardinals in St. Louis later this month. He threw a full bullpen two days ago.
All systems go.
“I think execution and trying to hit the mark on his delivery creates a touch of passiveness that can dictate velocity,” Hinch said. “We monitor everything as you would expect from start to start.”
Some days, Hinch said, guys aren’t operating at optimal levels and they have to find a way to perform. It’s called being human.
“Not everybody can push a button and here, I’ll throw 95,” Hinch said. “Not everybody can run four-flat to first base every time. Sometimes Derek Hill doesn’t run perfectly to first base. Just want to remind everybody that these guys are human.”
He wouldn’t, would he?
Under normal circumstances, Hinch would consider giving Miguel Cabrera Thursday off. He likes to rest Cabrera on day games after night games.
But, with 500 home runs firmly in sight, he wants to give Cabrera a chance to celebrate that feat at Comerica Park.
“He’s playing first base (Wednesday) and he’ll DH on Thursday,” Hinch said. “He will probably get a day off Sunday (in Cleveland). I know there is a lot of interest, but we’re not going to ask him to hold off on hitting homers or getting hits on the road (laughs).
“There is great hope it can happen here. But we’ve got a road trip coming up and I like two homers on the road. That would not be bad.”
Cabrera was at 498 home runs entering play Wednesday. He is poised to become the 28th player to hit 500 home runs.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky
Red Sox at Tigers
► First pitch: 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Comerica Park, Detroit
► TV/radio: BSD, MLBN/97.1
SCOUTING REPORT
► LHP Martin Perez (7-7, 4.56), Red Sox: He’s allowed 15 runs over 17.2 innings in his last four starts, with opponents carrying a 1.057 OPS and .671 slugging percentage. His more predominant pitch, the cutter, has been hit at a .352 clip with a .598 slugging. Fifteen of the 16 homers he’s allowed have been to right-handed hitters.
► LHP Tarik Skubal (6-10, 4.53), Tigers: The Tigers don’t seem overly concerned about it, but the velocity on his fastball dipped significantly in his last start — averaging 93.7 with his four-seamer and two-seamer. The previous start, he was averaging 96 mph on those two pitches. He gave up three home runs in each game. He’s allowed 25 in 105 innings, third-most in baseball.