DENVER -- Tigers manager AJ Hinch called Wednesday night’s 8-6 victory in 10 innings over the Rockies at Coors Field “a tale of a couple of different games.”
Indeed, for a Detroit offense that has been on a tear, the first four innings were the best of times, and the next five were the worst of times.
But when it came down to crunch time, it was the Tigers’ bullpen that shined the brightest on this cold night, underscoring something the baseball world is quickly discovering after the club reached the postseason for the first time in a decade last fall: This is a dangerous team.
And not only because of the recent power surge in which Detroit’s lineup has smashed 20 home runs on the current road trip (though none in the series opener at Coors Field). The club’s relief corps has an AL-best 2.43 ERA, in a virtual tie with the Padres’ bullpen (2.42) for the best mark in the Majors.
The Tigers scored six runs over the first four innings on Wednesday, with four of them driven in on two RBI singles by Javier Báez. But then the bats went cold.
They needed the ’pen to be mightier, and it was.
“They come right at you and they win big at-bats,” Hinch said. “… We needed every good pitch at the big moments to pull this one out.”
After rookie right-hander Jackson Jobe had the shortest start of his young career, giving up six runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings, four Detroit relievers combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Brant Hurter (2 1/3 innings), Brenan Hanifee (one), Tommy Kahnle (one) and Will Vest (two) yielded a combined five hits and struck out six overall. The relievers did walk four, but they escaped multiple jams to preserve a 6-6 tie into extra innings.
“We’re always confident, whoever comes out,” Hurter said. “But just throwing up zeros and giving our offense a chance is the biggest thing.”
That’s exactly what the bullpen did, long enough for the Tigers to break through in the top of the 10th, when Spencer Torkelson delivered a go-ahead double before an error by Rockies left fielder Jordan Beck enabled another run to score later in the frame.
Detroit’s red-hot offense has been garnering headlines, and rightfully so. But on this night, the headlines belonged to the relievers.
“In the last few years, that’s kind of been a strong point of us,” Vest said. “… We feed off of each other. One guy goes out, gets the job done, then passes it on to the next guy. You just want to pick up the guy that came before you.”
Vest entered the game in the bottom of the ninth, tasked with getting Detroit into extra innings. With one out, Ryan McMahon doubled to left-center to put the go-ahead run in scoring position for Colorado.
But Vest struck out the next batter, Hunter Goodman, before intentionally walking Michael Toglia and striking out pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer to escape the jam.
Upon his 97 mph fastball on the outside corner being called strike three on Farmer, Vest let out a scream on the mound and pounded his chest.
Vest’s emotion conveys a scary notion if you’re facing the Tigers -- this is a well-rounded team.
“I think what’s coming through is just a full team,” Vest said. “The offense is playing lights out, our defense is really good and then the pitching has been great.
“So, you put all three of those together and you’re going to win a lot of ball games. And I think that’s what’s been great about our team -- just all three of those facets are showing up day in and day out.”
Vest’s escape act came an inning after Tommy Kahnle, who began his Major League career with Colorado back in 2014, survived a bases-loaded situation by getting Brenton Doyle to line out to third.
When the moments were big, the bullpen answered the bell. And in Vest’s case, he did it with a flourish.
“I love that yell,” Hurter said. “I always make fun of him for it.”
When told of the impression of Vest’s scream that Hurter gave reporters, Vest said he didn’t remember what he did, and that he “blacked out.”
The Tigers hope he “blacks out” a lot in 2025, and if how Detroit’s 'pen has opened the season is any indication, that could very well happen.