Hurter impresses in first career start, Tigers secure 5th straight win

DETROIT -- Despite the glaring lack of starting pitching options this season, the Tigers still made time to bring Brant Hurter along slowly.

Hurter was a Triple-A starter but had pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since his Aug. 4 debut. For those four appearances, manager A.J. Hinch watched over his young lefty with an expectant eye, choosing the matchups carefully to foster a bit of big league confidence before Hurter got his first MLB starting nod.

The training wheels came off on Tuesday at Comerica Park and the Tigers were rewarded for their patience as Hurter twirled five innings of two-run ball and fanned four during Detroit’s 6-2 victory over the Angels that extended its win streak to five games.

“The anxiety was pretty much gone, because we're just sitting around in the clubhouse,” said Hurter, who waited out a 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay to make his first career start. “... [I’m pleased] that we won. I wasn't too happy with my outing. I think I wasn't landing offspeed at all; I was getting away with the sinker. [Catcher] Jake Rogers helped me out and the defense helped me out.”

More than just earning his second career win, Hurter, the club’s No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline, did precisely what the Tigers were hoping: avoid letting the game speed up on him, face a lineup assembled specifically to combat him and have the confidence to stay on the attack.

Hurter drew four swing-and-misses during his career-high 80-pitch night, but perhaps most impressive was how he performed under pressure. The 25-year-old opened his start with a leadoff double and a one-out single that put Detroit in a 1-0 hole, then walked a batter, secured an out and was called for a balk that put runners at second and third.

Up came Anthony Rendon, and Hurter sent the veteran packing on four pitches, the last of which was a sweeper that froze Rendon for strike 3. After a 1-2-3 second, Hurter faced the top of the Halos’ order for a second time and sat them down in order, catching Nolan Schanuel looking on a slider to end the frame.

“First inning, under stress and turned out, he made huge pitches at the end,” Hinch said.

“I don’t know what made him zone in,” Rogers said, “but it was great.”

The Tigers backed their newest starter in a big way, with Rogers (home run No. 10 of the season), Riley Greene (No. 19) and Kerry Carpenter (No. 13) all going deep and Carpenter finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs to put the game out of reach.

This is a crucial time of each year. The postseason is all but out of reach for the Tigers in 2024, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still have goals. At its most basic level, Hinch’s words of wisdom ring true: “No one likes to lose.” And even with a two-man rotation, injuries to several key contributors and, at times, a very young, unproven lineup, Detroit isn’t just holding its own, it is surging: The Tigers are winners of 12 of their past 15 games and 29-20 since July 1.

Their .592 win percentage during that stretch is second best in the American League behind only the Royals (.596).

“I'm proud of the way we're playing. I do think our energy level, our enthusiasm [and] our attention to a lot of subtle things in the game is getting better and better,” Hinch said. “It's showing up in the games, and it's been showing up in wins. … I don't really talk or think about a record on a particular date, but we're very proud of the work that it's taken to get positive results.”

Having an AL Cy Young Award candidate in Tarik Skubal -- who’s tops in MLB in ERA (2.58) and wins (15) and second only to the Padres’ Dylan Cease in strikeouts (193) -- certainly doesn’t hurt, but even a guy like Skubal can only pitch every five days.

And that’s where pitchers like Hurter step in to shine. Contributions from the patchwork rotation members, Triple-A visitors and veterans alike make Detroit’s 67-66 record -- the first time they’ve been above .500 since a June 4 win over the Rangers -- all the more impressive.

“It's awesome, man. It's tough. That's hard to do,” Rogers said. “They don't get enough credit for it, it's hard to come up and just do well right off the bat, and they've been doing it.”