DETROIT (AP) — Detroit manager A.J. Hinch planned to start right-hander Reese Olson against Cleveland in Game 4 of the AL Division Series with a chance to advance and hoped to leave him on the mound for more than just an inning or two.
Hinch has used what he calls “pitching chaos” by relying on relievers to pitch when it’s not the turn of AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal.
“It’s OK to have a regular start by somebody not named Tarik Skubal,” Hinch said with a grin Wednesday, a few hours before the first pitch at Comerica Park.
Detroit pitchers had thrown 20 consecutive scoreless innings. Six pitchers combined for a 3-0 win Tuesday, one game after Skubal pitched seven innings in a 3-0 victory.
Cleveland did fare well when it faced Olson during an opening 7-0 win in the best-of-five series.
Hinch did not use a traditional starter in Game 1. Tyler Holton gave up four runs, three hits and a walk without getting an out. Olson allowed Lane Thomas’ three-run homer on his first pitch.
The 23-year-old Olson was 4-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 22 starts during the regular season, a year after going 5-7 with a 3.99 ERA in 18 starts and three relief appearances as a rookie.
“He’s made a ton of starts for us,” Hinch said. “He’s really good, and part of his routine we don’t want to interrupt again.
“I think the challenge is always when you do as many openers as we’ve done and you use as many guys as we have, it always brings up the question if you should do it all the time. But we really believe in Reese.”
The Tigers chose to be creative with their pitching staff after dealing starter Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the July 30 trade deadline and sending reliever Andrew Chafin to Texas. Detroit won 31 of its last 44 games to surge into a wild-card spot for its first playoff appearance in a decade.
“Taking a non-traditional approach to pitching helps a lot of young pitchers assimilate to the game at this level more quickly,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said earlier thois week. “It also took some pressure off of some of our young starters by having them come out of the bullpen. And, it gives A.J. an opportunity to stay a little bit more unpredictable to the opponents.”
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