Tigers ride 'pitching chaos' to advance to ALDS over Parents: Takeaways

DETROIT – The Tigers unleashed their patented postseason “pitching chaos” to claim Game 3 of the ALDS, 3-0. With one more win, a team left for dead in July will be in an incredible fight for the American League pennant.

In Game 2, Detroit star Tarik Skubal did the heavy lifting to silence the Cleveland Guardians' bats. This time, six pitchers combined to blank the opposition in front of a crowd of 44,885, a record for a playoff game at Comerica Park. It was the first playoff game at the venue in a decade.

The Tigers scored twice in the first off Guardians starter Alex Cobb and left it up to their pitchers to hold on to that lead. The pitching chaos paid immediate dividends. Keidar Montero tossed a scoreless first and then Tigers manager AJ Hinch turned to left-hander Brant Harter, prompting Cleveland to pinch hit in both the second and third innings. Detroit's blueprint was much better than in Game 1, when the Guardians exploded for five runs before the Tigers' pitchers recorded outs.

The teams will meet again Thursday at Comerica Park, with the Guardians looking at elimination by a division foe that has stared them down in the standings throughout the regular season. Tanner Bibby, Cleveland's Game 1 starter, will return to the mound. Tigers will lean on their familiar method: chaos.

Brant Harter shows why pitching chaos works

The Tigers' unorthodox approach to pitching in Game 1 didn't work. Game 3, though, served as a reminder of how this unorthodox philosophy got the Tigers here. Montero started the game and threw just six pitches in 1-2-3 innings. Fans tuned in to the Tigers right now might wonder why in the world Hinch would pull him into the frame in a breeze. But after watching Harter sweep a Guardians lineup full of lefties, it made sense once again. Cleveland manager Stephen Vog had to go to his bench early.

The Tigers still put their unheralded pitchers in positions to succeed throughout the game. The biggest turning point came in the fifth when Beau Brees entered in relief of left-hander Harter to face right-hander David Frye and switch hitter Jose Ramirez. Will Vest scored a crucial out in the seventh when a fly liner with two runners on left the bat at 102 mph and hit the glove of Matt Vierling at third.

The sixth and final pitcher, Tyler Holton, finished off the Guardians in the ninth inning, sending Comerica Park into a frenzy. This approach can be maddening. It can be difficult for those who are used to it to follow. It keeps working over and over again.

Spencer Torkelson is finally going

Entering his sixth inning at bat, Spencer Torkelson was 0 for 14 with nine strikeouts this postseason. The often criticized No. 1 overall pick was slumping for an offense that needed all the production it could get. Leave it to Torkelson and the 2024 Tigers to flip the script just when you least expect it. After two ugly strikeouts, Torkelson ripped a high fastball down the left-field line to drive in Colt Keith to give the Tigers a key insurance run.

APB on the offense of guardians

There's a lot to dissect in terms of managerial decision-making and heater placement against Detroit's revolving door on the mound. But the primary takeaway is:

• Innings in which Guardians have batted: 26
• Innings in which Guardians scored: Two

The last time they touched home plate was in the sixth inning of Game 1, when a gallon of milk cost a nickel. The Guardians are 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the last two games. They drew just two walks, and one was an intentional free pass to Ramirez. They got nothing from the bottom of the order, as the club's catchers and right fielders had yet to hit a single. Ramirez was 1-for-9, and that lone hit was essentially ruled an error in the first inning of Game 1.

Will Brennan was in the starting lineup in Game 3, but didn't get a chance to bat, as Vogt replaced him with Jonkensi Noel in an ill-fated attempt to spread some platoon-friendly offense in the second inning. Kyle Manzardo got one at-bat before Frye pinch hit for him, but Frye went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. All three of his at-bats came with a runner in scoring position.

(Photo by Harter: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)