Pinch-hit strategy from A.J. Hinch pays off in Detroit Tigers' 4-2 win over Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers superstar Corey Seager, a four-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and two-time World Series MVP, nearly sacked Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize in the fifth inning with a fly ball to right field.

But it wasn't a three-run home run.

The ball traveled 366 feet — and into the webbing of right fielder Wenceel Pérez's glove perched above the wall and in front of the flowers. Pérez pulled down his glove, took a peek at the ball and pumped his fist.

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Mize limited the Rangers to two runs across six innings.

The catch from Pérez at the wall in right field made a big difference in Tuesday's game, as the Tigers ended up scoring two runs in the eighth inning for a 4-2 win over reigning World Series champions in the second of four games at Comerica Park.

The Tigers (10-7) have split the first two games with the Rangers. A strategic decision from manager A.J. Hinch helped the Tigers take a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning.

Kerry Carpenter, a left-handed hitter, led the Tigers on offense with two extra-base hits. He also leads the Tigers in batting average (.302) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.920) this season, but he usually only hits against right-handed pitchers.

In the eighth inning, the Tigers pulled a red-hot Carpenter for Matt Vierling, a right-handed hitter, because the Rangers called left-handed reliever Jacob Latz out of the bullpen with a runner on first base and two outs.

Vierling flared a single to right field to keep the inning alive, and Gio Urshela put the Tigers ahead, 3-2, with a ground-ball single to right field. The singles from Vierling and Urshela had a 63.3 mph exit velocity and a 67.4 mph exit velocity, respectively.

The Tigers tacked on another run, making it 4-2, on a wild pitch by Latz.

Left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, who fired a scoreless eighth inning, recorded the first out in the ninth inning before right-handed reliever Jason Foley got the final two outs — including pinch-hitter Adolis García after surrendering a single and a walk — for his fifth save in as many opportunities.

Right-handed reliever Alex Lange sent down all three batters he faced in the seventh inning.

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Casey Mize returns home

Mize made his first start at Comerica Park since April 9, 2022, a span of 738 days. He missed the entire 2023 season recovering from elbow surgery and back surgery.

The 26-year-old struck out six batters — without a walk — against the Rangers: Evan Carter (swinging strike, splitter), Wyatt Langford (called strike, fastball), Ezequiel Duran (called strike, fastball), Jared Walsh (called strike, knuckle curve), Carter (swinging strike, splitter) and Langford (called strike, slider).

He threw 95 pitches.

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Mize mixed in more curveballs than he did in his first two starts, taking away from the usage of his slider and splitter. He maintained a heavy dose of fastballs.

He generated seven whiffs (on 41 swings) with three fastballs, three splitters and one curveball. The fastball averaged 94.7 mph and maxed at 97.4 mph.

The Rangers couldn't get anything going against Mize until the fifth inning, in which Mize threw 28 pitches. Duran and Marcus Semien were responsible for RBI singles to put the Rangers ahead, 2-1, and with two outs and two runners on, Seager flew out to deep right field.

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Mize bounced back from the 28-pitch fifth by sending the Rangers down in order with a 15-pitch sixth inning. He struck out Carter and Langford, then got Josh Smith to ground out to conclude his third start of the season.

Carter, a left-handed hitter, whiffed at a nasty splitter, while Langford, a right-handed hitter, watched a top-tier slider. Both pitches were painted on the down-and-away corner, the first to Mize's arm side and the second to Mize's glove side.

In the fourth inning, shortstop Javier Báez made an incredible play to his backhand. He fielded a hard-hit ground ball from Langford deep in the hole.

Somehow, Báez got his glove on the ball.

He threw the ball to first baseman Spencer Torkelson while falling away from the play. Langford, who ran from home to first in 4.28 seconds, couldn't beat the throw from Báez. Torkelson stretched to receive the ball, but Báez put it right on target.

Two runs off Jon Gray

For the Rangers, right-hander Jon Gray allowed two runs (one earned run) on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts across six innings.

He struck out all three batters in the first inning: Riley Greene, Torkelson and Zach McKinstry. All three batters struck out swinging on four-seam fastballs. Carpenter hit a leadoff triple in the second inning and Báez drew his first walk of the season, but Gray stranded the runners.

In the third inning, Torkelson recorded his first barrel of the season on a 413-foot flyout to center field. He hit Gray's fastball with a 107.2 mph exit velocity.

It would have been a home run in 18 of 30 MLB ballparks.

Torkelson flew out, but the Tigers still took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on McKinstry's ground-ball single to right field. A fielding error by the right fielder allowed Greene to score from first base on the play.

The Tigers tied the game, 2-2, on Carpenter's RBI double in the sixth inning. McKinstry worked a walk and scored on the double from Carpenter, who hammered Gray's slider. He also smashed Gray's fastball on his triple in the second inning.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers beat Texas Rangers, 4-2, thanks to A.J. Hinch's strategy