CLEVELAND – Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch took an interesting approach after his team was stunned by the Cleveland Guardians in two heart-breaking, soul-sucking, walk-off losses in one day – a disastrous doubleheader on Friday, Sept.4.
Hinch told his team to rest up Saturday. Report to the park later than normal. Take some time to decompress.
“We pushed the day back,” Hinch said before the Tigers bounced back with a 6-0 victory Saturdayat Progressive Field. “We spent a lot of time at the ballpark Friday. So if anything, we changed the report time back a little bit and gave everybody a little bit of a breather.”
Obviously, his team needed it after losing a doubleheader
in such a heartbreaking way. “I tried to take [Friday] a little more lighthearted [Saturday],” Hinch said. “You know it's a little: What can you do? Can't change the outcome. We keep working.”
And here’s the other part of the equation: Even though it might sound strange, Hinch found lots of positives in those first two losses.
“We had some really good at-bats,” Hinch said. “We had some really good defensive plays. We had some really good outings on the mound, but yesterday was pretty miserable. So, it's important for us to bounce out of that and enjoy coming to the park.
“Sun came out today, despite it being cloudy in Cleveland, and we have a good team to play across the way. We were an out or two away from sweeping on our own right. We'll keep that perspective and come ready to play today.”
Riley Greene to the rescue
New day, new game.
And ... bam: Riley Greene jacked a home run. Then, bam! Greene jacked another. Then a double. And before you knew it, Greene was 4-for-5, a triple short of the cycle and the owner of the Tigers first four RBIs for a win in Cleveland.
Man, baseball is strange.
“I love homers,” Greene said, smiling. “We love homers. We all love hitting homers, so it's good, and you know, just trying to help the team anyway I can.”
Again, there were so many things to like about this game.
“Riley had a great game, but our whole team did,” Hinch said. “To come back after a really tough day [Friday], I'm really proud of our guys.”
Like the way left-hander Framber Valdez made adjustments and had one of his best starts of the season. He gave up just three hits in seven scoreless innings of work, recording three strikeouts and walking just one.
“He was great,” Hinch said. “Has tried to make some subtle adjustments and it's really paid off for him. He hasn't stopped working. He hasn't stopped tinkering."
So many played well
But we are just getting started here. There were so many who contributed to this win.
Like the way Kyle Finnegan came out of the 'pen and was nails, pitching one scoreless inning and getting three outs on nine pitches.
Or the way Beau Brieske finished it off in the ninth, using 11 pitches for a scoreless finish, as he works his way into the 2027 plans.
Or the way rookie right fielder Ben Malgeri is finding ways to contribute, going 3-for-5 with an RBI.
“He doesn't take anything for granted,” Hinch said. “He always looks like he's in the at-bat. The strike-zone judgment's been pretty good. ... He made some nice defensive plays as well and finds a way to contribute to a win. So, he's been really impressive in how steady he's been with his approach, staying through the ball and hitting the ball on the line. We know he has power, and there's a lot to like about Ben and how he's taking advantage of some playing time opportunity, and he earned his way into the lineup [Sunday].”
But Saturday's victory started with Greene.
“Riley had himself a day out there," Malgeri said. "He was locked in today, and it definitely is contagious. When a guy like that goes out there and shows that you know it can be done, then everyone else kind of follows along.”
That's how the Tigers bounced back from a miserable doubleheader. That’s how they washed away the misery. At least for one day.
“It definitely was heartbreaking,” Malgeri said of Friday's Guardians sweep. “But being able to come into today and just kind of kind of flush it and come out and show that we can still win ballgames – it's a great feeling. I think it shows how much character this team has.”
Again, this is something worth repeating: The Tigers were just a few outs from everything being flipped Friday. From the Tigers winning three straight against the Guardians, and four straight against American League Central rivals.
Then again, that's kind of how this season has gone.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Big night from Riley Greene unlocks joy from Detroit Tigers
