Saturday’s Game 1 matchup with the Cleveland Guardians was billed as the Tigers’ well-honed bullpen games versus top starter Tanner Bibee and a more traditional approach. Tradition won out in that one.
The Guardians couldn’t afford to lose the first of two at Progressive Field and then face Tarik Skubal in Game 2. They held serve, putting some runs up early, and Bibee and their top bullpen arms didn’t let the Tigers breathe in the batter’s box. The ill-fated baton pass from Tyler Holton to Reese Olson notwithstanding, the Tigers’ offense was really the chief offender.
We can imagine the game going pretty differently were it not for Olson’s hanging slider first pitch to Lane Thomas. Despite Olson being set up to pitch the majority of innings, everyone but Tarik Skubal was available to pitch in relief. The Tigers could’ve had a contingency plan with a Brenan Hanifee or even Beau Brieske to ensure that Olson took over in a clean spot in the order to set him up for success. Maybe things would’ve gone otherwise, but of course that’s easy to say in hindsight. Despite being a little less effective since his return from injury, Reese Olson is your best overall pitcher coming into the game, even if the circumstances are rather less than ideal.
So sure we can hindsight this into a 3-0 or 4-0 game, but why do that to yourself? The lineup was overpowered and off balance all game long. Going into the series, the six day layoff for the Guardians and the potential effect on their hitters’ timing was the story. The reality looked much the reverse. Turn the page.
Now a bit more pressure shifts to the Tigers. That’s just the way it goes in the postseason. Tarik Skubal isn’t infallible, but the Tigers should be in position to win into the late innings. They need the bats to loosen up against an old friend.
As a left-hander, Matt Boyd matches up reasonably well with the Tigers everyday lineup. Probably Hinch, looking to build an early lead in this one and let Skubal protect it, will have a few of his right-handed hitters in the lineup. The now 33-year-old Boyd has finally emerged from a long series of injury plagued seasons and looked better than ever down the stretch for the Guardians. He isn’t going to be a pushover. His fastball-changeup combination looks improved and while I wouldn’t get too worked up over his excellent numbers over just eight starts, he’s pitching well.
Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter haven’t been bad in three postseason games, but the Tigers probably do need those two to supply some power pretty quickly. The player the Tigers could really use in this game is Spencer Torkelson. With a low-90 lefty on the mound, the threat of a really dangerous right-handed hitter in the lineup would do a lot for their outlook, but it’s just hard to know what to expect from the first baseman offensively.
There were some interesting pitching decisions in Game 1 that might play out as the series unfolds. The Guardians didn’t see Will Vest or Beau Brieske, both of whom have been on fire of late. Josh Naylor saw two Sean Guenther sinkers, so the lefty is still a new look for the Guardians, as is Brant Hurter. Familiarity over the course of a series is a thing, and if this goes five games, getting an extra look at the opposing bullpen can be an advantage.
On that score the Tigers gained back a little edge because Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt wasn’t taking any chances in Game 1. Despite a five-run lead, he used Cade Smith, filthy left-hander Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis, and even Emmanuel Clase’ with a seven-run lead in the top of the ninth. The off day on Sunday, combined with the long layoff, no doubt informed Vogt’s decision to get his top guys back on the mound and back in game rhythm as soon as possible. Still, it can’t hurt the Tigers young hitters to have seen all of Cleveland’s top bullpen arms in a game where they weren’t really required based on the score.
The Tigers will look to ride their ace on Monday afternoon, and the Guardians will look to chip away and get him out of the game as soon as possible. Good luck. The real battle will probably be between Boyd and the Tigers lineup. As we saw in Game 1, the Guardians bullpen is every bit the match of the Tigers second half wizardry, and the team that carries a lead into the middle innings is in great shape.