The Detroit Tigers made the MLB Playoffs despite losing the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians. Not only did they fall short in the division race, but they suffered a complete collapse. The Tigers once held a lead of more than ten games before blowing it to the Guardians—a stunning turn of events.
“Aug. 25: Detroit holds a 12.5-game lead over Cleveland. Sept. 23: The Guardians beat the Tigers to tie them atop the AL Central — and now own the tiebreaker, too. One of the great surges and collapses we’ve ever seen, all over the course of less than a month,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote.
Despite the collapse, the Tigers got their revenge in the AL Wild Card round, defeating the Guardians to advance. In the ALDS against the Mariners, the series went the distance—five games. With everything on the line, Tarik Skubal took the mound in the decisive Game 5. However, he was pulled after 99 pitches, a decision that sparked some controversy.
“Pulling Skubal after 99 pitches? Man, unless he’s truly gassed and said he’s done that seems like a gamble,” Dodgers writer Blake Harris wrote.
Harris didn’t stop there. He even referenced Hinch’s past with the Astros, taking a sharp jab at the manager.
“AJ Hinch was always a fraud and needed trash cans to win a championship,” Harris posted.
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After the game, Hinch explained his decision to remove Skubal, who had thrown fewer pitches than he did in his previous start against the Guardians.
“Easy decision,” Hinch said about removing Skubal. “After the fifth, I checked in on him how he was doing physically and emotionally, and we both knew that he had one left. You know, he emptied his tank and obviously was emotional coming off the mound, and I think that signals exactly where we were in the game. He gave us everything he could.”
While the decision to pull Skubal didn’t singlehandedly cost the Tigers the game, it forced them to rely on the bullpen—a factor that may have contributed to their loss, especially as the game extended into multiple extra innings. Now, the Tigers are headed home, while the Mariners continue their magical postseason run.
Skubal is one of the best pitchers in the game, and it just seemed like Hinch pulled him too early. This decision will likely be debated for some time. Regardless of the Skubal situation, it was a great game and a strong effort from both teams.
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