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Detroit Tigers haven't been .500 this late into season since 2016
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- Detroit Tigers haven't been .500 this late into season since 2016
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch isn't interested in spending too much time talking about his team's .500 record .
He acknowledges the accomplishment, describing it as "good, given where we've been," but the fourth-year manager ultimately wants to keep his team focused.
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Hinch, who hasn't had a winning season in his Tigers tenure, is locked in on the three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park, scheduled to begin Tuesday.
"But I'm proud of the way we're playing," Hinch said pregame Tuesday, following a four-game sweep of the putrid Chicago White Sox . "I do think our energy level, our enthusiasm, our attention to a lot of subtle things in the game is getting better and better, and it's showing up in the games, and it's showing up in wins."
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Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson celebrates with infielders Jace Jung (17) and Colt Keith (33) after hitting a three-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field, Aug. 26, 2024 in Chicago.
The Tigers (66-66) reached the .500 mark for the first time since June 5, winning 11 of their past 14 games. Next up is exceeding .500 for the first time since June 4.
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The Tigers haven't been at .500 this late into a season since 2016.
There are 30 games remaining, including 15 against teams with a losing record. Still, the Tigers have a 2.9% chance of making the postseason, according to FanGraphs. (Two weeks ago, those odds were 0.2% .)
Entering Tuesday, the Tigers were nine games back in the American League Central. They were 6½ games out of the final spot in the AL wild-card , with three teams in front of them, and two behind them within 1½ games.
"Both things can coexist," Hinch said, "where I don't really talk or think about a record on a particular date, but I'm very proud of the work that it's taken to get positive results."
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The Tigers reached .500 for the first time in roughly 12 weeks in Monday's 6-3 win over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, which featured a key three-run home run from first baseman Spencer Torkelson in the seventh inning.
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It was Torkelson's 25th birthday.
"That felt really good," Torkelson said. "That's definitely it. Just trying to keep it simple in that at-bat, just get a good pitch to hit. I had a lot of trust in the guy behind me, so it wasn't like I was in the at-bat trying to get everyone home right now, so that makes the at-bat a little bit easier to go about."
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In the seventh, the White Sox replaced left-handed reliever Jared Shuster with right-handed reliever Justin Anderson for a two-on, one-out matchup against Torkelson.
Torkelson fouled a first-pitch hanging slider, but after refusing to swing at an outside fastball, received another hanging slider in the same location. He hammered it for a 439-foot home run to center field, hitting the middle-middle mistake with a 108.8 mph exit velocity.
The homer took the Tigers from a 3-2 lead to a 6-2 lead, all but guaranteeing a win.
"I was planning for that at-bat the entire inning," Torkelson said. "I was just watching video on him. I missed the first pitch. I felt myself get a little excited when I saw him hang the first pitch. I quieted myself, kept it a little more simple and connected."
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Torkelson, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, is hitting .333 (12-for-36) with two home runs, four walks and nine strikeouts in nine games since returning Aug. 17 from Triple-A Toledo. He spent more than two months with the Mud Hens cleaning up his weight distribution and discovering his optimal right-center approach.
The Tigers have a 7-2 record since Torkelson's return.
"Keep going," Torkelson said. "Keep having fun. Stay the course. We're still in this fight. We're going to go until the end of the year."
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Casey Mize ready, Tarik Skubal to get sixth day
Right-hander Casey Mize (left hamstring strain) completed a successful bullpen session Tuesday and is eligible to return from the injured list Friday against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park.
The Tigers aren't ready to announce their decision about Mize's next start, even though Mize already took down four starts with Toledo on a lengthy rehab assignment, posting a 2.63 ERA in 13⅔ innings. Essentially, Mize is expected to start Friday as long as he is healthy.
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"Things are trending in the right direction for him," Hinch said. "That's our hope, but we'll see how he bounces back tomorrow. I'm not anticipating any problems, but we're not going to make a decision for the next few days."
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Left-hander Tarik Skubal , regardless of what happens to Mize, will start Saturday on six days rest in his 27th start. It will be Skubal's eighth time starting on six days rest this season, as the Tigers continue to monitor his innings .
Skubal has a 2.58 ERA.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers haven't been at .500 this late into season since 2016
