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    • Justyn-Henry Malloy becomes a hero for the Detroit Tigers
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    Justyn-Henry Malloy becomes a hero for the Detroit Tigers

    Bronwen Cerys Posted on

    Detroit ― More than a team of nobodies, it has become a team of everyone.

    You don’t win 30 of 40 games without contributions from all corners of the roster, and the Tigers’ next-man-up ability was on display again in Thursday afternoon’s 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park, where Detroit took the win completed and secured the most unlikely playoff spot with another win and another loss for the Minnesota Twins.

    “I mean, it’s just a game of passing the baton,” said Justyn-Henry Malloy, who took the baton and had the game-winning sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. “Guys just do what they need to do in big spots when their number is called, and guys want those big spots and just want to be there for each other. I think that’s kind of the coolest thing about it.”

    “I just wanted to be able to contribute in some way and just try to get the work done.”

    Tigers coach AJ Hinch has played in matchup games all season and has won more than once in the last two months.

    In the sixth inning Wednesday with two outs, Colt Keith on third after an RBI triple and the Tigers trailing 3-1, Hinch pinch-hit for Spencer Torkelson, who hit a monster home run in Wednesday night’s win . Hinch walked left-handed slugger Kerry Carpenter, who didn’t start against Rays lefty (and former Tiger) Tyler Alexander, and Carpenter ripped a 3-1 pitch from Hunter Biggie to right for an RBI single to make it 3-2.

    Then, two innings later, with one out in a 3-3 game, Hinch pulled Carpenter for Malloy to face Rays lefty Garrett Cleavinger, and Malloy came through with a go-ahead sacrifice fly to center.

    “We have a lot of people,” Carpenter said. “I was recently thinking about how it could be that there is almost no ego on this team.”

    “I have a lot of faith in J-Hen. Everyone has that.”

    The Tigers’ eighth-inning rally began with a one-out single by Riley Greene and then a walk by Matt Vierling (he was on base three times and played three positions, including first base for the first time this season). Keith blasted a single up the middle to score Greene, and Vierling singled on first and third, bringing Malloy to the plate for the first time since Sunday and just the ninth time since Sept. 10. A raucous September weekday crowd of more than 27,000 was on its feet. when he took a 2-0 lead, then took a hit and then committed a line drive foul. Malloy finally counted it all before throwing a fly ball to center field, where Jose Siri caught it and fired it home, but wide of the goal.

    Malloy assumed he had hit deep enough. He also said with a smile, “We have Joey Cora, so he sends V.”

    Vierling slipped in, popped up and let out a huge scream, as if shouting, “Let’s (bleep) go!” As the crowd cheered, Malloy came rushing off the diamond and stopped to celebrate with Vierling.

    It was Malloy’s first RBI since August 3, as he had limited playing time and played almost exclusively against lefties. That makes his contribution on Thursday even more impressive, Hinch said. He stayed within himself, even though it would be easy not to.

    “We were talking this morning about them having four left-handed pitchers, and I wanted to wait for him and pinch-hit him late in the game against one of those lefties,” Hinch said. “He agrees. He doesn’t sulk. He doesn’t wonder why he doesn’t play. He had a specific role to prepare for the attack and he didn’t know who he was going to face because they have four.” But I loved the way he stayed in it and then he looked really calm in the moment.

    “Well, if you count well and hit the ball in the middle of the field, that’s, as you know, basics 101.”

    The 24-year-old Malloy, like so many Tigers, is in his first season in the major leagues, and it’s been a roller coaster ride. He was ahead for most of the season, but only played in 69 games and hit .207/.293/.374. He’s technically a negative WAR player, but not against lefties. His OPS against lefties this season is .944.

    Still, he has taken a backseat to Andy Ibanez in the right-to-left weapons department. But that could be changing as Ibanez has batted under .180 since August 1st. Ibanez struggled to lead Thursday and was 0 of 3.

    Of course, Ibanez had its big moments this season. This also applies to everyone. “It became like a game of chess,” Malloy said. You have many options and sometimes even the pawn can checkmate.

    “So it’s really cool to be a part of this,” said Malloy, who was one of four pinch-hitters used in Thursday’s blowout win. “It’s really cool to just sit back and watch, and then when you get the opportunity to go there and be able to contribute and just win big.”

    “It makes adjusting (to a bench role) a lot easier because it’s like all you do is win. It’s like putting your personal things aside. I think everyone did.”

    “It’s guys taking on these slightly new roles for the good of the group.”

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