Greene adds to highlight reel with clutch, tumbling catch in stands

DETROIT -- Riley Greene has a history of diving catches. He now has a tumbling catch to go with it.

It wasn’t his intention as he chased Ryan McMahon’s fly ball with a runner on and two outs in what was already a three-run Rockies fifth inning. But the more the ball tailed, the more focused he was on getting it, left-field box seats be damned.

“It was twilight, so it was a tough sky,” Greene said after the Tigers’ 7-4 win on Wednesday night at Comerica Park. “Didn’t want to take my eye off the ball, so I kept my eye on the ball the whole time. Didn’t realize how close I was. I caught it and looked down and thought, ‘Oh … '"

Tyler Holton, who had replaced starter Casey Mize to face McMahon, figured on the ball falling and his at-bat continuing to a seventh pitch.

“I thought it was a foul ball,” Holton said. “It looked like he had a bead on it, so I was hoping that he’d go and make a play.”

Greene caught it. Nobody caught him.

“I feel like I was running over and everybody just cleared out,” Greene jokingly complained.

He has a method of diving into open outfield that lessens the impact on his body. Going into the stands is a different matter.

“I caught [the ball], looked down, and I kind of just let my body go into the stands so I wouldn’t hit my legs and it wouldn’t hurt as much,” Greene said.

Once Greene got back up and showed the ball, the crowd erupted. So did teammates.

“Spectacular play,” Holton said. “I was hoping that he was all right after he dove into the stands, but he seemed to be all right. Incredible play.”

It was a big play at a critical moment, evidenced by manager A.J. Hinch turning to Holton after Mize had struck out seven of Colorado’s first 18 batters.

“They were creeping back into it with [four hits in the inning],” Hinch said. “We just wanted the inning to end, and we wanted to end it with the lead. Obviously, it’s foul, but it would’ve been another pitch where we’ve got to deal with their best hitter.

“Big-time player. Big-time play.”

It would’ve been a tone-setter for the Tigers’ fourth straight win and fifth in six games, except that Greene had already done that. His first-inning solo homer set off a six-run, six-hit opening inning off Rockies starter Tanner Gordon. His fourth-inning sacrifice fly scored Jake Rogers with what became an important insurance run.

“Defense, offense, all-around player,” Rogers said. “He’s the kind of player you want on a team, any team really.”

It was a display fitting of Greene’s role on this team. The Tigers are playing meaningful games in a playoff race in September for the first time in eight years, and it has put Greene’s work on display in a way even beyond his All-Star play in the season’s first half. He’s batting 12-for-34 (.353) with five extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in nine September games. Moreover, with most of the Tigers’ veterans traded away in July, Greene has taken a more central role in helping lead a club that suddenly includes several rookies.

“We start every day with a hitters meeting before we come out on the field,” Hinch said, “and Riley is always in the middle of the banter. Part of that is his personality. Part of that is just where he is in the eyes of his teammates. And then he provides a ton of energy on the field, in the dugout, in and around his at-bats.

“The production on the field is one thing. The self-deprecating, crush-yourself style in which he judges himself is pretty entertaining. I do appreciate that he has that youthful exuberance, and he’s a magnet. Him emerging as an All-Star and maintaining the same personality has been a joy to watch.”

Hinch has taken opportunities to give Greene a break when he can, knowing his history of injuries and how vital his presence is down the stretch. He was substituted in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 9-1 win at Oakland and again in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s 11-0 win over Colorado, along with others.

“An hour off, a half-hour off, 15 minutes off, is beneficial at some point,” Hinch said.

Greene, for his part, is feeding off the intensity of the games, as well as the crowd.

“The fans are coming,” he said. “They’re being loud. They’re doing the wave. They’re here, they’re showing up, and we appreciate it.”

They certainly appreciate him.