PITTSBURGH -- The Tigers’ annual series vs. the Pirates is a matchup of the two franchises that Hall of Famer Jim Leyland managed the longest, which means a chance for Detroit and Pittsburgh fans to both show appreciation for their legendary skipper.
Still, the PNC Park scoreboard crew probably wasn’t expecting the scowl affixed to Leyland’s face as he was introduced after the Pirates’ two-run fourth inning on Tuesday night. That scowl never moved, even as he raised his hand to acknowledge the reception.
Even at 80 years old, Leyland is a baseball man with a manager’s mind, and that facial expression was one familiar to those who watched him endure sloppy games during his tenures in both Pittsburgh and Detroit. Tuesday's 8-5 loss was one of those games for the Tigers.
Oftentimes, that scowl from Leyland would precede a terse postseason media session in which he’d say his piece and send reporters out of his office. Current Tigers manager A.J. Hinch’s postgame interview on Tuesday was longer, but to the point.
“I think we had a really bad mental game today,” Hinch said. “I mean, that’s really rare for this team, and we paid for it. It’s tough, because some of it might be trying to do too much, some of it might be trying to do too little and just kind of easing our way, trying to stay under control. ... They’re just mistakes that we know we can fix, we will fix, we’ll be better. [But] it cost us.”
It was that kind of game for the Tigers, whose eighth loss in nine games -- and fourth loss in five games since the All-Star break -- was one of their roughest in the stretch. Jake Rogers’ three-run home run in the fifth inning off starter Mitch Keller and Jahmai Jones’ pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth -- a 451-foot drive off Caleb Ferguson -- kept Detroit in it until Pirates closer (and potential trade candidate) David Bednar shut the door in the ninth for the second consecutive night. But the Tigers also saw a selection of plays that ranged from self-inflicted to borderline bizarre.
Javy gets a trio
These plays weren’t all bad. Javier Báez helped keep the game from getting away early by throwing out two runners at home in the first two innings. His off-balance throw from shortstop to nab Spencer Horwitz helped Casey Mize escape a jam with runners at second and third with one out in the opening inning. An inning later, Báez ranged up the middle to snare a sharp grounder from Nick Gonzales and throw out Isiah Kiner-Falefa to keep the damage to two runs.
“Prevented runs. That’s huge,” Mize said. “Javy’s picking me up there and making some really good plays.”
Once Báez played relay man to throw out Tommy Pham trying to score from first on Oneil Cruz’s second double of the night, Báez became the first Tigers shortstop in at least the Expansion Era (since 1961) to record an assist on three different plays in which the catcher recorded a putout after the assist.
Don’t sleep on Cruz
Cruz’s first double -- a 114.0 mph line drive that center fielder Parker Meadows lost in the sun but probably wouldn’t have run down anyway -- set up a third-inning add-on run after Zach McKinstry’s throw from third on a Ke’Bryan Hayes chopper hit the dirt and skirted past first baseman Spencer Torkelson. Cruz trotted to third base as Torkelson jogged after the ball, then Cruz bolted home and beat the throw for a 3-0 lead.
“I figured the play was dead,” Torkelson said. “Didn’t even look. He’s aggressive and [I've] gotta know that after that play. He’s thinking I’m falling asleep, and I did.”
Said Hinch: “He took the back end of the play off. He came in and apologized. He felt terrible. He fell asleep.”
Run off the board
The Tigers appeared to get a run back in the next inning with help from Torkelson, whose one-out single off Keller moved Wenceel Pérez from first to third. Pérez slid home ahead of right fielder Alexander Canario’s throw home on a flyout from McKinstry, but the Pirates’ replay challenge showed that Pérez never touched home plate, resulting in a 9-2 inning-ending double play.
"That's probably the luckiest I've ever been on the field,” Keller said. “I owe [video coordinator Kevin Roach] something. Probably more than a beer."
Rogers’ ricochet
Cruz got on base again with a sixth-inning walk and advanced to second on a Hayes single. From second base, Cruz timed reliever Brant Hurter and stole third. Rogers tried to throw him out, but his throw struck the bat of Pirates batter Henry Davis, who was standing in the right-handed batter’s box, and bounced back behind Rogers. Hayes advanced to second on what was ruled a Rogers error, Detroit’s third miscue of the night.
No runs resulted from the error, but like Leyland’s face, it summed up the Tigers’ night.
“That was unluckiest thing I think I’ve ever seen,” Rogers said. “I’ve made that throw 100 times, and Henry stood his ground. I hit it right off his bat. It’s crazy. I’ve never had that happen before.”