DETROIT -- The moment Spencer Torkelson took to admire his home run Wednesday looked like a throwback to his “Tork Bomb” days at Arizona State. It was well-deserved. Not only was it the Tigers’ first run of the afternoon, it was just the second home run by a right-handed hitter off Guardians reliever Trevor Stephan since the start of last season.

It also wasn’t cheap. Torkelson wouldn’t have it any other way when swinging on a 2-0 fastball in the strike zone.

“You have to take advantage of hitters’ counts,” Torkelson said. “That’s something we emphasize as a team. When you’re in a hitter’s count, it’s time to do damage. You’re not looking for a single through the right side. You’re trying to do damage in that count.”

The Tigers did plenty of damage through the homestand. After hitting eight home runs through their first 12 games, they hit six home runs in five games at Comerica Park, including two in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Guardians. Two of those homers ended games, part of three consecutive walk-off wins to tie the franchise record.

And as Tyler Nevin fouled off one cut fastball after another from Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase on Wednesday with the tying and winnings runs on base, it was easy to think there could be another.

It was an 11-pitch battle that never got to a ball. Nevin fouled off eight consecutive 0-2 pitches, six of them cutters at 98-99 miles per hour, all of those fouled off to the right side as Nevin tried to time up the pitch. When Clase tried to sneak in a slider, Nevin fouled it into the dirt.

“Against a guy like him, you can’t come off the fastball. You’ve just gotta battle as hard as you can, try to stay short to the ball,” Nevin said. “He’s one of the best in the game.”

The look of anguish on Nevin’s face as he popped up the 11th pitch into right field showed his frustration. And yet, he was almost rewarded with a game-tying bloop hit, but for right fielder Will Brennan pulling in a diving catch.

“Nevin with the long at-bat, you feel like you should always go reward the hitter when it’s on your side,” manager A.J. Hinch said.

It didn’t, and Detroit’s five-game winning streak ended as a result. But compared to the feeling when the team returned home last weekend at 3-9, the 7-10 Tigers leave town a more competitive ballclub all around, and a more formidable team offensively.

“Our guys kept fighting,” Hinch said. “Love the way this homestand went, love the way we hung in there today after a 3-0 deficit and gave ourselves a couple of paths.”

Here are three factors that helped the Tigers turn things around and bode well going forward:

Better at-bats
Tigers hitters piled up double-digit strikeouts in eight of their first 12 games. They fanned 15 times in Friday’s extra-inning win over the Giants to open the homestand -- then fanned just 26 times over the next four games combined. They fanned once in five innings against Guardians rookie starter Hunter Gaddis on Tuesday, with just five swings and misses.

Some of that came from Gaddis’ approach, but the Tigers didn’t give him any extra help. Both home runs Wednesday from Torkelson and pinch-hitter Zach McKinstry came in part from forcing Cleveland’s formidable relievers into the strike zone, as did Kerry Carpenter’s walk-off homer Tuesday off James Karinchak.

Cleaner defense
In terms of position and execution, Detroit’s defense took a step forward this homestand, including three games against a Cleveland lineup built around putting balls in play and forcing mistakes. Steven Kwan grounded into two double plays Wednesday for the first time in his promising young career. McKinstry and Javier Báez kept the Tigers tied in Tuesday’s opener by turning a quick double play on Josh Naylor with runners at the corners and one out in the seventh inning. Matt Vierling’s catch at the wall robbed a home run from Naylor in Game 2 Tuesday before Jonathan Schoop made a clutch stop behind Eduardo Rodriguez.

“We’re playing better,” Hinch said. “We’re playing clean baseball, and that’s important for us.”

What a relief!
The Tigers bullpen looked overworked and underwhelming through the first four series, but the combination of better starts and better command led to a relief revival. Detroit relievers combined for 15 2/3 scoreless innings over the final four games of the homestand. Tyler Holton and Mason Englert tossed three each Saturday and Tuesday.