Jun 26, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Dietrich Enns (51) pitches in the first inning against the Athletics at Comerica Park. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Tigers Emergency Starter Turns in Shockingly Dominant Performance Against Athletics

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Detroit Tigers found themselves in a precarious position entering their series final against the Athletics on Thursday afternoon.

They needed a pitcher to start the game and made a move before the first pitch to find one.

The Tigers designated left-handed pitcher Matt Gage prior to the contest to make room for Dietrich Enns, who was tabbed as the team’s starting pitcher.

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It was a big moment for Enns, a 19th-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2012 who was appearing in a big league game for the first time since 2021 with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The previous three years have been spent pitching overseas in Japan and the KBO.

This might be nothing more than a one-off start, but Enns did everything in his power to ensure that Detroit and other teams around the league could take a second look and consider him for a longer-term spot.

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The 34-year-old Central Michigan product was dominant against the Athletics, firing five shutout innings. He struck out four batters, allowing only one hit and issuing two walks.

Dietrich Enns, 2Ks in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/0umIuONdnJ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 26, 2025

That is a better performance than anyone could have seen coming, as he needed only 77 pitches to get through the outing, throwing 55 strikes.

Enns mixed up his repertoire nicely, generating a robust 31% whiff rate, getting Athletics hitters to swing and miss seven times at fastballs, five times at a changeup and once at his sinker.

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His velocity was solid, averaging 93.1 mph and reaching a max velocity of 94.5 mph.

Most importantly, when the opponent did make contact, it wasn’t very hard. The Athletics had an average exit velocity of 81.4 mph on the 11 balls that were put into play.

Enns has been performing well in Triple-A Toledo with a 2.89 ERA across 62.1 innings with 71 strikeouts before the promotion.

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He could have certainly earned himself another look with the Major League club, tossing a gem in what ended up being an 8-0 victory for the Tigers.

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This article first appeared on Detroit Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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