After a disappointing 8–4 loss to the Seattle Mariners in Game 3 of the ALDS, the Detroit Tigers now find themselves on the brink of elimination. The home crowd at Comerica Park came in ready to celebrate a 2–1 series lead, instead, they watched the Tigers struggle to keep pace with a relentless Mariners lineup that capitalized on every mistake.
But if you think A.J. Hinch’s squad is waving the white flag, think again.
“We’re not going to quit”
Following the loss, Hinch’s message to Tigers fans was clear, this team isn’t done fighting.
“Well, we’re not going to quit,” Hinch said via The Detroit News. “You know, we had two games where we pitched tremendously well, and we had a lot of parts of this game where we pitched tremendously well. … They do hit homers when you make mistakes, but we’re going to play the rest of this series out and see if we can answer the challenge of getting through this lineup and putting up more runs.”
Even in defeat, Hinch’s tone carried belief, not frustration. He knows his players have faced adversity before and that the backbone of this Tigers team is their ability to respond.
Battle-tested and built for pressure
This is the same group that did just enough to get into the playoffs, before clawing their way to a 2-1 series win over the Guardians in the American League Wild Card Series.
“We’ve earned our way here, and we’ve had to play more and more back-against-the-wall-type games,” Hinch added. “I know our guys are going to be ready. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew it wasn’t going to be hand-gifted to us. We have to play better in all aspects against a really good team. And we can because we have a really good team too.”
That belief will be put to the test on Wednesday afternoon when Casey Mize takes the mound for Game 4. The Tigers will need him to deliver the kind of performance that has defined his late-season resurgence: calm, composed, and competitive.
What’s next
Game 4 is set for 3:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park following the Yankees’ comeback win over the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Detroit will need to lean on their pitching depth, their defense, and the same never-say-die attitude that has carried them all year.
The road is tough, but Hinch and his players wouldn’t have it any other way.
As Hinch put it best — “We have a really good team, too.”
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