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Defense returns, backs Casey Mize to help Tigers topple Twins

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on

Published in Baseball

MINNEAPOLIS — It seemed like a fair question. Especially after a four-game stretch — which comes at the back end of a grinding 14 games in 13 days — where the Tigers made an uncharacteristic amount of errors (nine), gifting eight unearned runs and losing three close games.

Might the Tigers be showing some mental fatigue?

The answer from manager AJ Hinch was a hard no.

“At this level, that is unacceptable,” he said. “I don’t see our guys, from a focus standpoint, I don’t see that as being an issue at all. I think fatigue, extra swings, extra work, guys responding to success and failure — that’s some of the things we’re always looking into.

“Focus will never be a problem on this team, regardless of how many games in a row you play. The schedule is built with these kinds of journeys. It’s the big leagues. You’ve got to be a big boy about your readiness.”

The Tigers had their big-boy pants on Sunday, for sure, beating the Twins 6-1 and winning the series at Target Field.

 

They played a clean game defensively, backing a stout effort by starting pitcher Casey Mize.

Mize, despite a wobbly start, blanked the Twins over six innings. Five hits and three walks cluttered the base paths, but he allowed only three runners into scoring position.

He walked two in the first inning but stranded the bases loaded, getting Austin Martin to line one back to him and then inducing a fly out to center from Willi Castro.

Mize had four swings and misses through the first four innings, but in the fifth he unleashed his most wicked splitters. He got five whiffs with that pitch alone in the fifth.

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