The Tigers Have a Chance at Redemption Against the Guardians

A moment that no one in the fan base, and definitely no one in the clubhouse, will forget.

You think Tarik Skubal doesn’t want another shot at the Guardians? He’s an overly competitive person and knows he is significantly better than he showed last year. I bet he was excited to see the matchup land with Cleveland.

And I don’t blame him. Skubal has faced the Guardians four times this year, resulting in a 0.64 ERA and 40 strikeouts across 28 innings. In the two games in Cleveland, he allowed one run across 13 innings with 18 strikeouts. I’d say he’s ready for a second chance.

Everyone in that clubhouse knows exactly the situation. One team is hot, one isn’t, and one recently bullied you. Detroit has all of the motivation they need to come into Detroit prepared with a little extra vengeance.

If the Tigers fall to Cleveland, the narrative will be loud and clear: You cannot get by a team in your own division, and the the Guardians will continue to run the division until proven otherwise. That alone is motivation, but it goes deeper.

Detroit’s Identity Is On the Line

The “Gritty Tigers” name emerged last season for a reason. The Tigers identity was strong pitching and hard-nosed players who ran the bases, came up with situational hits, and put forth difficult at-bats. It’s an identity that the Guardians hold as well.

Players take pride in what they have built in Detroit. The team is still young and lacking experience, but they played a certain brand of baseball that fit to their city. Recently, that brand has disappeared and been replaced with one that doesn’t follow winning teams.

In order to beat the Guardians, Detroit will have to get back to what made them a first-place team for most of the year: being difficult to play against.

Whether it be hunting matchups in late-game substitutions, working long at-bats, aggressive baserunning, or simply having the best pitcher in the game, the Tigers need to recapture their reputation.

Going into Cleveland and beating the Guardians will flip the script. It would show that the Tigers are not a mentally fragile team who is deflated but rather a team that can crap with the best of ’em.

Usually, I’d say the type of turnaround the Tigers need starts with their stars, but I think it starts with the more secondary players for Detroit. Yes, Riley Greene has to be better, as does Kerry Carpenter. But without the secondary pieces, the Tigers are not the same.

When we have the best version of the Tigers, it consist of unsung heros and lesser players playing to, or beyond, their ability. Right now, Jahmai Jones is the only one fitting that description.

Remember when Gleyber Torres was setting the table and producing run’s early in games? He’s now been a .652 OPS the last month. How about Wenceel Perez filling in magnificently when others were injured? A .623 OPS the last month. Javy Baez has returned from space, posting a .476 OPS.

Getting contributions from depth players is a layup angle, I know. But it is still the truth. It doesn’t lie only with the offense, either.

Casey Mize has taken a step back in the second half, pitching to a 4.92 ERA. Will Vest and a number of pitchers in the bullpen have not been as sharp. The “pitching chaos” brand they leaned into and found success with last season is far from the same this year.

Keep in mind, pitching is the reason the Tigers made the playoffs last year. Winning low scoring games and leaning on the bullpen is what made the team dangerous. The rotation took some injury hits, and the bullpen took a step back.

Detroit earned their identify over the past two years, but has started to lose it the past few months.

Final Thoughts

I truly believe if you count up the total number of legitimately good players, the Tigers would have more than the Guardians. That said, the games are played on the field, and the Guardians have been the better team for awhile now on the diamond.

Detroit didn’t take an aggressive approach at the deadline or add the big name in free agency. They thought their team was good enough to win the division and they were right for 99% of the season. But that 1% was the most important.

Now is the time to prove you, as an organization, were right. That the strides you have made in the Scott Harris era are real and not simply a few steps up from the bottom of the barrel. Overall, signs are pointing in the right direction. But the challenge ahead of the Tigers in Cleveland is a big step they will have to hurdle.