The Tigers fell behind 5-0 just five batters into the game and never recovered.
For the first time in months, Detroit didn’t look like one of baseball’s best teams or like it deserved to be in the playoffs.
Manager A.J. Hinch’s choice to skip a traditional starting pitcher in Game 1 of the AL Division Series backfired. Tyler Holton couldn’t get an out, and reliever Reese Olson allowed a three-run homer to Lane Thomas in the first inning, leading to a 7-0 defeat against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Tigers came into the game feeling good after going 31-13 since August 11 to make the postseason and sweeping the AL West champion Houston in the wild-card round.
However, a terrible start, which included a fielding error by third baseman Zach McKinstry in the first inning, resulted in Detroit suffering its worst shutout loss since Game 1 of the 1945 World Series.
“When they punch you with five in the first, it’s hard to overcome,” Hinch said. “I thought Holton rarely gives up back-to-back anything, let alone guys getting on base. And we never recovered.”
The Tigers had a chance to score first, but they left two runners on base in the first against Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee.
Then the Guardians struck back.
Steven Kwan started with a double off the wall in right field, and Holton walked David Fry. José Ramírez then hit a grounder down the line that caught McKinstry off guard, allowing Kwan to score.
McKinstry took responsibility for the error, saying, “I tried to make a play and I didn’t — and we ended up losing the game because of it.
They watered the field before the game, but they didn’t water it for the game and it took a weird hop. Ramirez hit a ball down the line and it took a bad hop when I tried to block it. Sometimes they bounce in our favor and sometimes they don’t.”
