In an up-and-down rookie season, it was beginning to go sideways again for Matt Manning. The Brewers had the bases loaded in the second inning, two outs, one run home. And here came leadoff hitter Kolten Wong.
"Those are the points in games where it can either go bad or go good, Manning would say afterward. "It’s just how we respond to those situations."
Three starts ago, Manning reached a similar tipping point against the A's: two on, two outs in the first. Back-to-back homers defined his day. And now he was nearing the tipping point against Wong, ready to hurl his seventh pitch of the at-bat. It was a good one, a 95 mph sinker that Wong hit softly on the ground to first. Threat extinguished, Manning tapped his glove and turned toward the rest of his day. It was maybe the best one of his young career.
Manning held the first-place Brewers to two hits and one run in six innings with a career-high six strikeouts in a 4-1 win for the Tigers.
"He responded well to a messy second inning, was able to get out of it, and then he didn’t try to be too perfect after that," said A.J. Hinch. "He just tried to make his pitches and get his outs and got pretty deep into the game. He’s starting to mature within his outings, which is key."
This was as good as we've seen Manning in the majors, and Manning said it was as good as he's felt. He came out hot, firing his fastball at 95 mph in the first, and he breezed through his middle three innings. He had everything working, including the curveball that made him such a glittery prospect. This was a pro, and a preview, the Tigers hope, of the next several years.
"I thought today I was a real five-pitch pitcher, including my sinker," Manning said. "I could throw anything whenever I wanted to, and that’s when I’m at my best."
Manning is coming. The 23-year-old is closing in on what he can be. He hasn't yet arrived, but you can see his long arms and his 6'6 frame winding up like a spring. Next spring could be special, with Manning, Mize and Skubal leading the way. Manning's been prone to blow-ups, like all rookies, but the baseline is getting better and better. He has a 5.75 ERA, but he's allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his 15 starts, and one run or fewer in three of his last four.
Catcher Dustin Garneau has a unique view of Manning, not simply from behind the plate. Garneau was with the Tigers in spring training when Manning was trying to make the team, and then he and Manning were in Triple-A Toledo together. After a brief stint with the Rockies, Garneau returned to the Tigers last month just as Manning was settling into the bigs. A lot can change in a couple months.
Garneau saw a new pitcher when he caught Manning against the Pirates last week. Manning was cruising before taking a liner off the knee that ended his day. On Wednesday he picked up where he left off, and there was no caveat this time about the team on the other side. The Brewers are among the 10 highest-scoring teams in baseball.
"For me, when I saw his last start in Pittsburgh when his stuff was crisp, that’s when it really started to click for him. And then he carried it into this outing," said Garneau. "When he establishes the zone and establishes his fastball, man, he’s going to be tough to hit. I think he’s starting to realize how good he actually can be."
Manning owes a few of his good starts this year to good fortune. He's seen a lot of hard-hit balls find gloves. That wasn't the case on Wednesday. He tied a career high with 12 swinging strikes and only allowed a few line drives. Manning had a good team, a playoff team, off balance for most of the game. He's one of the reasons the Tigers are aiming to be a playoff team next year.
No, he's not here yet, not in the way everyone envisions. But this is the manifestation of Matt Manning, one strong start, one smooth inning, one clutch pitch at a time.
"He showed a lot of maturity today," said Garneau. "The kid has unbelievable stuff. Once he starts believing in himself, you see the confidence after the (second) inning. It just steamrolled for him."