Detroit — You may ask yourself, why did Tigers’ manager AJ Hinch throw scuffling Nick Maton back in the five-hole in his lineup Sunday?
He’s hitting .157 on the season and in 10 games this month was 3 for 26 with nine strikeouts. Hitting fifth?
Hinch’s answer to that question turned into a enlightening dissertation on managerial strategy, support and belief.
“Some if it is trying to instill confidence in him and some of it is we really need a left-handed bat to break up the right-handed bats in the lineup,” Hinch said. “I can’t continue to roll out four and five righties in a row. Especially with the right-handedness of their bullpen.
“I’m asking for trouble any time they want to take their starter out.”
Against Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert on Sunday, Maton was preceded in the order by right-handed hitters Javier Báez and Spencer Torkelson and followed by righty Andy Ibanez. With Kerry Carpenter (shoulder) on the injured list, his lefty options were Maton or Akil Baddoo.
Zach McKinstry and Riley Greene hit one-two in the order.
“Plus, Maton is one swing away,” Hinch said. “I know we all carry the things we’ve done before into the next game. But we’re trying to separate that and give him an opportunity to start fresh every day and contribute.”
Hinch, remember, kept writing Greene’s name at the top of his lineup during his hitting struggles earlier this season. He didn’t drop Báez below the fifth spot. He didn’t waver when Torkelson wasn’t hitting.
“My job as a manager is to continue to instill confidence,” Hinch said. “If he sees panic in me, if he sees a change in me, if our interactions change — a lineup change will get everybody’s attention. What’s worked for me is staying with guys.
“You have to continue to go through the grind with them and continue to give them opportunities to break out of it.”
Hinch gave Maton a three-day mental break after he punched-out three straight times in Cleveland. He’s moved him from the cleanup spot to the fifth spot against right-handed starters. But he’s never lost faith in him.
“Quitting on guys has never been the answer,” he said. “I’m never going to lose faith in him. And this isn’t just about Nick Maton. This is how I manage every player. Belief has to precede the action. If it doesn’t, then you’re in the wrong business.”
Maton struck out twice and was hitless in three at-bats Sunday. But he produced the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, getting hit in the foot with the bases loaded.
Outfield strategy
The Seattle Mariners have a very athletic outfield (plus-11 in defensive runs saved, per Sports Info Solutions) and they use it like a weapon.
Case in point: First inning Saturday, left fielder Taylor Trammell was playing unusually shallow against Torkelson with Greene on second base. By playing in, he was able to hold Greene at third base on a bullet single by Torkelson.
Greene ended up being stranded at third.
“That’s an individual strategy,” Hinch said. “They’ve done it two years in a row here. The center fielder (Julio Rodriguez) played the shallowest centerfield in this park last year.”
Until Sunday, only Greene has been able to burn the shallow deployment. He’s got a pair of doubles. Akil Baddoo burned left fielder Sam Haggerty with a clutch, two-out, game-tying double in the sixth inning.
“The most aggressive outfield defenses will tend to take some singles away, too, and not just focus on the extra-base hit,” Hinch said. “The threat is if you can’t go back (on balls). Their outfield defense is insanely good. They can deploy a pretty aggressive setup.”
The balk
It was a tough start for lefty Joey Wentz. He lasted just 2.2 innings, charged with three runs. He balked in one of those runs.
Ty France was the batter a Wentz, according to home plate umpire Brian Knight, started his motion before France was set in the batter’s box.
“They warned him earlier in that at-bat,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “He came set before France looked up. He called it right away.”
Hinch didn’t argue the call, but he doesn’t love the rule.
“That’s a frustrating circumstance because I don’t think there was any intent to quick pitch,” he said. “These guys are playing faster than they’ve ever played before. But the rule is the rule. And the Mariners do a good job of keeping their heads down. They had a couple of dust-ups with teams where the quick pitch was a big deal.
“I think it’s frustrated everybody because it cost a run. I don’t know why that rule has to cost you a run.”
Another dreaded rule
One call that Hinch did come out of the dugout to argue, though, was the runner interference call on Matt Vierling in the fifth. It took a leadoff hit off the board at a time the Tigers were scrambling trying to tie the game.
“Just really frustrated with the rule, again,” Hinch said. “It’s my 10th year managing and it’s my 10th year being frustrated with that rule. When the action happens at the base, my biggest argument is whether the first baseman had a chance to catch the ball. On that one, the throw was wild enough that the rule didn’t need to be applied at that point.”
Hinch said he argued up to the point where he felt he might get ejected. He came back out, calmer, to make his point between innings.
“Every year we talk about changing that rule,” he said. “My vote, again, is to change it.”
Around the horn
Hinch said pitcher Spencer Turnbull, on the injured list with a neck issue, will rejoin the team as early as Tuesday. He will do his treatment and rehab with the team.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky