TORONTO — Sometimes, usually after a loss, Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch likes to look at win-probability stats.
It’s a way to beat himself up while replaying the game in his head, studying the numbers, as he agonizes over different decisions.
And this 2-1 loss was particularly agonizing.
The Tigers had a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning on May 17 against the Toronto Blue Jays, giving them a 77% chance of winning, according to an ESPN calculation.
Then?
Well. It became agonizing.
How?
Will Vest gave up an RBI single in the eighth inning, as the Blue Jays tied the game, 1-1.
Then, Hinch turned to Brennan Hanifee to pitch in the ninth inning. Vladirmire Guerrero Jr. hit a grounder to second base. Colt Keith ranged far to his left, scooped up the ball and threw him out with no problem.
Up came Daulton Varsho, who doubled into right field.
Hanifee got George Springer to ground out, as Varsho went to third. Hinch intentionally walked Anthony Santander to get to Ernie Clement, who singled to right for the win.
All that blew a great pitching performance by Reese Olson. On “Barbie Day” at Rogers Centre, of all days.
An order of Reese’s pieces, please
Olson was simply magnificent against the Blue Jays. He gave up just one hit over six scoreless innings, recording six strikeouts while walking just one.
Was it his best performance? It depends how you measure it. It was the fourth time he has held a team scoreless.
He has lasted longer in a game — he pitched 7⅓ innings against San Diego on April 23. He has recorded more strikeouts three times this season. And it was the third time that he had walked just one.
But make no mistake, he was simply dominant, and it was far better than his last outing, May 11 when he lasted just four innings and gave up three runs to Texas.
Tork on the big screen
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In the second inning, Spencer Torkelson’s at-bat against Eric Lauer was fascinating.
Torkelson took a curve for a strike. Then, Torkelson pounced on a changeup, drilling it into left center, taking over the team lead with his 12th homer of the season.
For the record, Riley Greene jacked his 11th homer the night before.
These two are like a buddy movie on their own: Anything you can do, I can do better.
The Tigers are only one of five teams in baseball with two players already at 11 or more homers, joining the New York Yankees (Aaron Judge/Trent Grisham), Arizona Diamondbacks (Corbin Carroll/Eugenio Suarez), Boston Red Sox (Alex Bregman/Wilyer Abreu) and Chicago Cubs (Pete Crow-Armstrong/Seiya Suzuki).
The old plot twist
It got stressful for the Tigers in the seventh inning.
After the Blue Jays put two runners on with one out against Beau Brieske, Hinch turned to Tyler Holton to face Myles Straw. Holton threw one pitch — an 89 mph cutter — to get Straw to ground into a double play to end the threat.
Trying for the sequel
Holton was still fresh, so Hinch used him in the eighth.
But Holton got into a jam. After Holton walked Clement, the Blue Jays bunted him to second. The Blue Jays brought in pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk, so Hinch countered with right-hander Will Vest. But Kirk tied up the game with an RBI single to right. Then Vest got out of the jam by getting Bo Bichette to ground out.
In the ninth inning, the game was tied, 1-1.
Gleyber Torres walked on four straight pitches. Greene flew out to left field and Torres was called out trying to advance to second.
The Blue Jays took care of business in the ninth with Clement’s walk-off RBI.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff.
Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
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