Tigers Today podcast: Dan Petry pinch-hits, talks mini-surge, Báez situation
Tony PaulTony Paul and Bally Sports Detroit analyst Dan Petry talk about the Tigers' improved record after 17 games (7-10) and how AJ Hinch handled Javier Báez's baserunning gaffe.
Petry, a former Tigers pitcher and member of the 1984 World Series champion, said Detroit has played well during this 5-1 stretch but he feels the Tigers can play even better as they head to Baltimore.
"When the club's record was 2-9, you're just 11 games in and you're saying, 'They can't continue this,'" Petry said on the podcast. "It would be an extremely long season. They started playing better baseball and that's exactly what AJ Hinch was talking about. We're not going to beat anyone with the kind of baseball we're playing. The starting pitching got better, the bullpen, which was kind of spotty to start the season, has been a strength like it was last year. Several guys are starting to fit in and pitch very, very well.
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"The offense, with the walk-offs have been done in a couple of manners. One game they were winning the entire way, then it was tied up and that could've been demoralizing but they won that in a walk-off. The very next day, they got down early and they could've said, 'Ah, we'll get them tomorrow.' But they kept pecking way and then they ended up tying that game and winning that on a walk-off.
"There's a lot of things you're finding out about this team. I always knock on wood a little bit. So far, they've kind of semi-dodged the injury bug, although Matt Manning unfortunately was hit, but if they can start keeping people healthy and if some of these starters, who've they've been very gently with, start going deeper into games, they may continue this good baseball. You know that AJ and his coaching staff will continue to put the pedal to the metal and continue working to make this team better in every aspect."
Here are highlights from The Detroit News' Tigers Today podcast:
∎ 1:40: Tigers can play better than 7-10 start
∎ 4:30: Defining moment with Javier Báez's blunder
∎ 8:40: How Sparky Anderson handled issues behind closed doors
∎ 11:30: Báez stood up and faced the music
∎ 13:00: Former closer Todd Jones never hid from the media
∎ 15:30: Eduardo Rodriguez's 10-strikeout masterpiece
∎ 19:10: Rest of the rotation a work in progress
∎ 23:20: Jason Foley's 98-99 mph fastball
∎ 27:10:Five-hour rain delay vs. Giants
∎ 29:20: Pitch clock ends four-hour games
∎ 31:10: Tiger Stadium memory in 1984 with Al Kaline
Other Tigers Today podcasts
▶ Baseball's back in Detroit! Here are some early observations
▶ Previewing the 2023 season, and remembering Jerry Green
▶ Lynn Henning pinch-hits, 50 years after first Lakeland pilgrimage