In a four-game series between the Tigers and Twins last weekend, the team that deployed a bullpen game went 3-0 -- while allowing five total runs and holding the opposing lineup to a batting average of .183.
"That kind of proves to me, those are pretty good advantages for the pitching side," A.J. Hinch said Wednesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show.
The Tigers were forced into their two bullpen games against the Twins due to injuries in the rotation. But even as their rotation gets healthy, "we have to talk about the bullpen day as being a good strategy that's really tough to match up against," said Hinch.
This is a philosophy that comes top-down from Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, not that Hinch hasn't wielded the bullpen game in the past. Clearly, Harris and the Tigers are searching for every edge they can find given the limitations of their roster. Deployed correctly, the sum of a bullpen can be greater than its individual parts. As Harris said this week, "We think that running a 'pen game with a bullpen that can pound the zone from a variety of looks can give us a matchup advantage against certain lineups."
He pointed to last Sunday's win over the Twins as an example:
- The Tigers started the game with Will Vest "who's a power righty with a good slider and a swing-and miss-changeup."
- Then they brought in Tyler Holton "who has two different fastballs from the left side and a five-pitch mix."
- Then Brendan White "who's another power righty with a swing-and-miss cutter and slider."
- Then Chasen Shreve "who's a veteran lefty with a swing-and-miss split."
- Then Jose Cisnero "who's a power righty with a good slider."
- Then Alex Lange "who has one of the best curveballs in the game and a swing-and-miss changeup and a really good sinker."
- And finally Jasonn Foley "who threw bowling ball sinkers at them until he finished the game."
"That's a really difficult assignment for any opposing lineup," said Harris. "So we're not conceding anything when we run a 'pen game. In fact, even when we're healthy, I wouldn't be surprised if we drop in a 'pen game from time to time to give us a matchup advantage and also to give our five starters an extra day before their next turn."
The Tigers have fresh arms on the way, with Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning likely completing rehab assignments this week and Eduardo Rodriguez set to begin one soon. All three should give the rotation a significant boost. But the Tigers won't abandon the bullpen game, which has served them well as they try to hang around in the winnable AL Central.
"It works," said Hinch, "and I think when we're healthy we're still going to do it. That's a little bit different than standardized baseball, but I think it's a great weapon for us with as good of a bullpen as we have."
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