Detroit keeping focus narrow with tough stretch ahead
Detroit — In some ways, the Tigers’ upcoming schedule is like the solar eclipse. If you stare directly at its totality, you might burn your retinas. Or, at the very least, cause yourself a lot of unnecessary anxiety.
Over the next 14 days, the Tigers play the reigning Central Division champion Minnesota Twins seven times, four at Comerica Park starting Thursday and three in Minneapolis April 19-21. They will also play four games against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers and three against the Rays in Tampa.
Daunting. Dangerous to try to absorb whole. So, the Tigers won’t do that. They are preparing to play the Twins Thursday — another day, another game they want to win.
“I think that’s exciting,” said lefty starter Tarik Skubal, specifically about the early division matchup with the Twins. “But I think the focus is more on just winning. We’ve got to win a lot, period. The schedule is different now. It’s not like you play in the division a ton.”
Teams used to play divisional opponents 19 times. Now, with a balanced scheduled, they play them 13 times.
“I’m not going to say it doesn’t matter, it matters,” Skubal said. “It matters how you play in your division. But with the new schedule, winning is important no matter who you are playing. … You don’t need to make it something it’s not. It’s just, hey, let’s win every series we play in.”
The Tigers, to Skubal’s point, dominated the Central Division last season, posting a 35-17 record, including an 8-5 mark against the Twins. But against the American League East, they were 7-25 and were at or under .500 against all other divisions.
“Every game is important, especially against a good team in the division,” Spencer Torkelson said. “But I think we’re not really looking at it like it’s
anything bigger. There is always an emphasis to win every single day. I feel like if we just maintain that, we will be all right.”
Win today’s game. It’s been drilled into this team
since AJ Hinch became manager four years ago. He’s not about to alter the message now.
“You can’t say this is the series we want to focus on,” Hinch said. “We want to win as many games as we can on the day we play. We can’t try harder for this series or emphasize this one more. Otherwise, you are disrespecting the other games you are playing. We will stay balanced about it.
“We know we have to play well in our division. But there is not a day when I can stand in front of the camera and say we don’t need to play well today and it’s OK.”
The way the Tigers’ and Twins’ rotations have aligned, it’s like a playoff series with the top four starters on each team matching up. The Tigers (7-4) have Skubal, Kenta Maeda, Jack Flaherty and Reese Olson lined up for the four games and the Twins (3-6) will counter with Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Louie Varland.
“I think anytime you face the division, it’s a big deal,” Kerry Carpenter said. “I know we’re up for the challenge. We’re excited. We played well against them last year.”
There is a familiarity between these two teams.
Though, as Hinch said, that familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed comfortability.
“I don’t know that hitters are more comfortable against Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan,” he said. “But obviously, having faced them before, we know kind of what to expect, but you have to go out and win the competition.”
What about carryover? Does the Tigers’ success in the division last year give them any kind of edge?
“It carries over,” Torkelson said.
“We just believe we match up better against them. That gives this team self-belief that we’re a better team.”
With all due respect, of course, since the Twins are still holding the divisional championship belt.
“They have earned the right to be on that perch,” Carpenter said.
“We did play well against them last year and against the entire division.
“But they earned the right to be confident. They won the division and we’re trying to knock them off.”