mlive
DETROIT Detroit Tigers manager A.J.
Hinch walked into his postgame press conference Thursday and seemed to summarize the vibe surrounding his team.
Baseballs pretty cool, isnt it? he said following a 4-1 victory over the Athletics at Comerica Park.
The Tigers had a player homer in his first MLB at-bat.
Their backup catcher, pressed into service due to an injury to an All-Star, has homered in back-to-back games.
Their starting pitching continues to dominate.
For team thats 43-50, the Tigers have a positive aura about them as they head into their final series before the All-Star break.
They have won five in a row and are 8-1 in their past nine while registering their sixth series sweep.
Is Hinch concerned about a letdown? So, the Phillies are coming to town, and you should check out that roster before you worry about letdowns, Hinch said.
The Phillies are 52-42 with a lineup that features Kyle Schwarber, who leads the majors with 32 home runs, and Bryce Harper, a two-time National League MVP and nine-time All-Star.
But theyll be facing a pitching staff that is firing on all cylinders.
Framber Valdez rebounded from two rough outings to throw seven innings of three-hit ball, allowing just one run while walking none and striking out a season-high nine.
The Tigers have the best ERA in baseball since June 1, propelling them to an AL-best 21-12 record since then.
Were going to need to play well to continue to take this one step at a time, Hinch said.
I am very proud of how we are pushing right now and were going to need the break, but we cant look to the break until we deal with some pretty high-end pitching and some pretty high-end offense.
The Tigers were 1112 games out of first in the AL Central and 16 games under .500 after being swept by the White Sox to close out May.
Now, theyre just 412 games behind the division-leading White Sox and Guardians.
The Athletics series, and the finale in particular, encapsulated whats been going right.
Eduardo Valencia, a 26-year-old making his MLB debut, received a standing ovation when announced as the pinch-hitter for Kerry Carpenter in the seventh.
Then he sent a 2-1 four-seam fastball from Hogan Harris 425 feet over the centerfield wall in the seventh inning to put the Tigers ahead 4-1.
Hinch said Valencia will be the designated hitter Friday in the series-opener against Aaron Nola.
Jake Rogers, subbing for Dillon Dingler (right hand contusion), homered in the third, his second in as many games.
Kenley Jansen, who entered the game with a career-high 4.76 ERA, closed it out for his 11th save.
You can rest assured Im going to remind our guys (Friday) exactly whats in front of us, Hinch said.
I like where we are this week compared to where we were last week, but I also know how shallow that can feel if you dont come out ready to play.
And so were going to just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep playing good baseball.
- Eduardo Valencia waited years for his emotional, unforgettable debut - Rookie homers in debut as red-hot Tigers finish sweep of Athletics - Eduardo Valencias long climb reaches Detroit as struggling veteran loses roster spot - Dillon Dingler avoids major injury, but will he play in All-Star Game? - Tigers prospect Max Anderson headed to Futures Game as replacement.