Tigers build series win around Carpenter's tools

MILWAUKEE -- The Tigers’ second consecutive win over the Brewers went to a Mason [Englert], whose eight key outs earned the rookie reliever his first MLB victory. But it was built by a [Kerry] Carpenter.

Considering the Tigers were facing one of the tougher left-handed starters in baseball in Eric Lauer, it was an odd blueprint for a 4-3 victory Tuesday at American Family Field. But as Carpenter sent Detroit's second three-run homer in as many nights into the Tigers' bullpen beyond right field, it was a reward for an unexpected start.

It was also a reminder that, for all the hand-wringing over Riley Greene’s recent struggles and turning Spencer Torkelson’s exit velocities into home runs, the more formidable run-producer could well be Carpenter, a former 19th-round Draft pick who was just starting to emerge in Double-A Erie around this time a year ago.

Manager A.J. Hinch loaded his lineup with right-handed hitters against Lauer, who had held left-handed batters to 1-for-12 this season and a .217 average last year. But Hinch didn’t have enough for an all-righty lineup; He had to play one lefty. Normally that might be Greene, but his struggles earned him a break. Instead of Nick Maton -- who hit Monday’s three-run homer -- Akil Baddoo or Zach McKinstry, Hinch turned to Carpenter, whose lone at-bat against a lefty this season was an April 1 strikeout against Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger, and batted him ninth.

“There’s reasons why we match our guys up and who they’re against,” Hinch said. “I mean, I’m not going to disclose them all, sorry. But we liked the matchup that we had. Obviously, I hit [Carpenter] at the end of the order … but we liked that specific matchup for a reason.”

It could well have been how Carpenter’s approach played into the game plan against Lauer.

“The approach with him was just [to] get his fastball middle-middle, and then have a lot of discipline inside with the cutter and see that over the plate,” said Torkelson, whose RBI single five batters after Carpenter’s homer provided the eventual deciding run. “Not anything crazy, just kind of take him out to center field and trust the inside part of the plate.”

Still, if it was just about crushing fastballs, Maton can do that. Carpenter -- 5-for-23 with five strikeouts off lefties with Detroit last year, but a .308 hitter with seven homers off southpaws last year with Minor League at-bats added in -- was the better option.

“I mean, I’m confident against lefties, too,” Carpenter said, “so I was ready for it. … I have a pretty set approach against a lot of lefties anyway, just looking for a heater out-over and seeing any offspeed [pitches] start closer to me.”

There was also a benefit to batting Carpenter ninth. The Tigers had already taxed Lauer for 46 pitches -- 24 in the first inning, then 22 over the first three batters in the second -- when Carpenter stepped to the plate. Miguel Cabrera battled Lauer for eight pitches before striking out to lead off the inning, Jonathan Schoop hit the sixth pitch he saw for a single, then Jake Rogers drew an eight-pitch walk.

Carpenter took a first-pitch fastball off the plate, then chased a cutter off the corner to even the count. Then he got his pitch.

“I was looking for a heater out-over,” Carpenter said, “and I was trying to just stay through the middle with it. I just saw it out of his hand well and got to it.”

The resulting drive went 390 feet and built a lead Detroit would hold the rest of the night. It was his second career MLB homer off a lefty, and it set his career high in RBIs for a game.

Carpenter is now tied for the team lead in home runs (four) and total bases (29). His .468 slugging percentage is second only to Rogers. All of his homers and all but one of his hits have come off fastballs, according to Statcast. He entered Tuesday hitting heaters at an average exit velocity of 94 mph.

Detroit worked Lauer for 85 pitches in three innings. Thirty-six were fastballs, and the Tigers swung at 25 of them, missing just five and averaging 100.3 mph on the ones they put in play.

It doesn’t mean Carpenter will start against more lefties, especially if Greene gets back on track. But Tuesday gives Carpenter something to build on.