A.J. Hinch could appreciate the battle, despite the loss. Helps that the Tigers will be playing again Saturday with another chance to advance to the ALCS.
"What an incredible game, with a lot of big-time performances on both sides," Hinch said after the Tigers' 5-4 loss to the Guardians in Game 4 of the ALDS on Thursday.
Detroit and Cleveland went back and forth in a game with multiple lead changes and several tense moments in the late innings. Ultimately, the Guardians got the biggest swing of the night, a go-ahead two-run homer by David Fry in the seventh.
"Expect nothing less from these two teams, playing for the chance to advance," said Hinch. "It's exactly how the games have gone the entire season against these guys. They put up a really good fight, got some big swings, some big pitches. We did the same, and now it ends in a Game 5."
The Guardians started their ace Tanner Bibee on Thursday in a game they couldn't lose. The Tigers will start theirs Saturday. Asked how quickly his team will shift its focus to Game 5 with Tarik Skubal taking the ball in Cleveland, Hinch said, "Oh, we'll be ready."
"These elimination games are incredible," he said. "Everything that we've been playing for up to this point is now going to be on Saturday. Our guys will be able to reset. We'll pack tonight, get on a plane tomorrow, go have a short workout and get the opportunity to do it on their turf.
"And I expect (the Guardians) to show up ready to play, too. Why wouldn't these two teams come with everything they got on Saturday."
The Tigers, though, might not have one of their best hitters. Kerry Carpenter was pulled from Thursday's game with a left hamstring injury that he suffered while running the bases in the sixth. His status for Game 5 is uncertain.
"We all saw him start limping back to the dugout, and he couldn't go any further," said Hinch. "So we've gotta get him looked at. Anytime a player like him has to leave the game, it's concerning, but I'm going to hold off any thoughts until the doctors give me an update and he gets imaging and all the things that we need to do prior to Saturday."
First pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. at Progressive Field.