‘We’re young and all we want to do is win’: How the Tigers have roared into playoff contention
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
Minutes before the MLB trade deadline in July, the Detroit Tigers shipped out their fourth player of the week and arguably the best to move across the entire sport when they dealt right-hander Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Tigers proceeded to lose six of their next nine games. At 55-63 with barely a quarter of the season left, Detroit looked more or less like it has every year since Tarik Skubal joined the team in 2020: entirely forgettable.
Six weeks later, after securing another victory in a season that will end with him winning his first Cy Young Award, Skubal craned his neck in a half-moon to survey the Tigers’ clubhouse. He saw the members of MLB’s youngest everyday lineup and a patchwork pitching staff that has made the bullpen game into art. He was staring at a team that’s now tied for the American League’s final wild-card spot, a rise that has stunned the game — and even one of the people at the heart of the surge.
“It’s not traditional, and maybe not sustainable, but who cares?” Skubal said. “We need to win now.”
The Tigers own a 25-10 record since Aug. 11, the best in baseball, with a major league-leading plus-62 run differential. The Tigers are winning close games (10-2 in one-run games), they are winning road games (12-5) and they are playing the sort of baseball that manager A.J. Hinch, who knows a thing or two about young, ascendant cores, has been preaching all season.
Left for dead at the deadline, still doubted and dismissed as signs of life turned into much more, the Tigers start their most consequential series in a decade Friday night in Baltimore, where they’ll take on an Orioles team that like the other two current wild-card holders, the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, has spent recent weeks on the struggle bus. Everything has conspired to give Detroit a real path to ending the longest postseason drought in baseball with its first berth since 2014: three games at Camden Yards, three at home against Tampa Bay and a season-ending three-game home set against the worst team in baseball history, the Chicago White Sox.
“We’re young and all we want to do is win,” said outfielder Riley Greene, who at 23 years old is among the most tenured Tigers. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”
What it takes is simple: finishing at least one game ahead of Kansas City or Minnesota, which both own tiebreakers over Detroit as determined by head-to-head record. The Royals and Twins did their damage before this incarnation of the Tigers materialized and started running roughshod through the sport. Detroit’s sweep of Kansas City this week and Minnesota getting walked off in Cleveland on Wednesday and Thursday left the Tigers and Twins tied at 80-73.
On the surface, none of it makes sense. While their upside made the Tigers a sneaky potential contender in the AL entering the season, they cratered in June. The deadline exodus illustrated Detroit’s priorities: As many signs as they had shown, as many we-got-something-here flashes as they had produced, gone were Flaherty, outfielder Mark Canha, reliever Andrew Chafin and catcher Carson Kelly. Generally speaking, teams do not get rid of productive players and then find the best version of themselves.
“I said in July that I thought we were going to get younger and we were going to get better,” Hinch said. “And that was not a knock on anyone. We believed in our young players.”
The rescue operation in August happened with an infusion of youthful talent over the course of about a week. Two days after a one-run win against San Francisco on Aug. 11, Kerry Carpenter (27), their slugging right fielder who had missed nearly three months with a stress fracture in his back, returned. Three days after that, Detroit called up shortstop Trey Sweeney (24) — a player they received in the Flaherty deal — and third baseman Jace Jung (23), another top prospect. A day later, Greene returned from the IL and Spencer Torkelson (25), the 2020 No. 1 draft pick they had demoted, rejoined a lineup filled with other 20-somethings: second baseman Colt Keith (23), outfielders Wenceel Perez (24), Justyn-Henry Malloy (24) and leadoff-hitting center fielder Parker Meadows (24).
“Then we started just rolling from there,” said Matt Vierling, who at 27 is regarded as a veteran. “And it hasn’t really stopped. This is the first time this group of guys has really tasted this. And I feel like we’re just playing with house money. Almost no one thought we’d be here. What have we got to lose? Let’s just see how far we can take this thing and keep it going. It kind of reminds me of a couple of years ago.”
A couple years ago, Vierling was with a Philadelphia Phillies team that blitzed its way to the 2022 World Series on a wave of talent and vibes. He senses similar juju on this team, a function, he said, of how Hinch manages the roster. Tigers players know that Hinch is going to pinch hit based on matchups (they have the third-most pinch-hit appearances in MLB this year) and use his pitching staff more as out-getters than as traditional starters and relievers.
During their 35-game stretch with baseball’s top record, the Tigers’ starting pitcher has gone two or fewer innings 40% of the time. The only constants in the rotation have been Skubal — who is 17-4 with an AL-best 2.48 ERA and has struck out 221 and walked 34 over 185 innings — and rookie Keider Montero. With right-handers Casey Mize and Reese Olson returning to the rotation from the injured list in the past two weeks, Hinch has not needed to white-knuckle his bullpen decisions quite as much. It has become a simple operation: Whoever is best suited to succeed in a particular spot, you’re up.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” Hinch said. “We’re just focused on strengths. How do we use what we have best? And we have a lot of pitching. We have arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and we have creativity where we’re trying to just maximize what we’re doing. I’ve been there, I’ve done this, I’ve seen this. We just have chipped away. We talk about winning series and winning weeks. We generally play good defense. We’ve got athleticism.”
That dynamic ability was front and center in the finale of the Kansas City series, from Meadows tracking down everything in Kauffman Stadium’s spacious center field to Jung’s acrobatic slide at home to avoid a tag on a play where the ball beat him home by at least 10 feet. “It was just a freak play,” Jung said. “If you told me to do it again 100 times, I probably could only do it a couple.”
At this point, that’s all they need. A lockdown pitching performance here. A clutch hit there. A wild slide. Most of the Tigers are too young to know any different. What they do know is that if they secure that final wild-card slot, it’s likely to set up a matchup with the American League West champion Houston Astros, a franchise with which Hinch managed an upstart group of talented young players once upon a time.
“We just play hard every single day,” Vierling said. “That’s how these guys are brought up. That’s how I was brought up. And we’re never out of it because of that.”
Mike Sullivan, who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, is out as the team’s head coach, it was announced Monday.
Sullivan was the longest-tenured coach in Penguins history after just completing his 10th season. The 57-year-old, who also coached Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, was under contract in Pittsburgh through 2026-27.
In a statement, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said the decision was “the best course forward for all involved” as Pittsburgh navigates a transitional period.
“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Dubas said. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”
The Penguins have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons as Dubas works to retool the team into a contender while Crosby is still competing at a high level. Crosby just completed his 20th straight season in which he posted a point-per-game scoring pace, and he was voted by his peers in the NHLPA as the league’s most complete player. The captain is under contract through next season on a two-year extension he signed prior to the 2024-25 season.
Sullivan was elevated to Penguins head coach in 2015 after leading the organization’s AHL team in Wilkes-Barre. With 409 wins in Pittsburgh, he leaves as the Penguins’ all-time wins leader.
With Sullivan’s departure, there are now seven head-coaching vacancies in the NHL. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers are also searching for new coaches right now. According to sources, Sullivan has been atop the Rangers’ wish list.
Sources also said Sullivan is keen on coaching again next season and will be a top candidate for several of the vacancies. Sullivan worked as an assistant coach with the Rangers and as both an assistant and head coach with the Bruins earlier in his career.
Home teams are on a tear in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, going 21-10 thus far. Will that trend continue Monday?
The early matchup is Game 4 of the Battle of Florida, and the festivities have become heated; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel was given a major penalty for his hit on Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2, and subsequently suspended for Game 3. In that game, Matthew Tkachuk leveled a hard hit on Jake Guentzel but did not receive the same punishment. What will transpire in Game 4?
In the nightcap, the clash of West titans continues, as the Colorado Avalanche look to keep the momentum going after their 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 4 on Saturday.
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down in Sunday’s games, and the Three Stars of Sunday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers
Game 4 (FLA leads 2-1) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
Teams that hold a 2-1 series lead have gone on to win the best-of-seven matchup 69% of the time in Stanley Cup playoff history. The Panthers have won two out of three best-of-seven series when holding a 2-1 lead, and the Lightning are 6-7 all time when trailing 2-1.
Jake Guentzel had three points (goal, two assists) in Game 3, and his 40 career playoff goals are third most among active U.S.-born players, trailing Patrick Kane (53) and Chris Kreider (48).
With his win in Game 3, Andrei Vasilevskiy now has 67 for his postseason career, second most among active goaltenders (behind Marc-Andre Fleury, who has 92), and one behind Andy Moog for 11th on the all-time list.
Matthew Tkachuk scored his third goal of the series in Game 3, and became the third player in franchise history with 20 career playoffs goals (Carter Verhaeghe 26, Sam Reinhart 22); he is also the third Panther to record 50 playoff points for the club (Aleksander Barkov 62, Verhaeghe 54).
Aaron Ekblad‘s return from suspension didn’t go so well. According to Stathletes, Ekblad and Gustav Forsling played 10:50 together at 5-on-5, and the Lightning scored three goals while they were on the ice.
Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars
Game 5 (series tied 2-2) | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
With the series tied 2-2, history is on the Stars’ side: Colorado is 11-12 when a series is tied 2-2. Dallas has gone 18-14 in the same scenario.
Nathan MacKinnon is up to 52 career playoff goals, which is six away from tying Peter Forsberg for second in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history; Joe Sakic is first with 84.
Gabriel Landeskog made his return to the ice in Game 3 for the first time since the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, and scored a goal in Game 4, the 28th playoff goal of his career.
Mikko Rantanen (formerly of the Avs, now of the Stars) has only one point (an assist) through four games, but it’s not for a lack of trying; he has 12 shots on goal, which is second most on the team this postseason (Roope Hintz has 13).
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was pulled in Game 4, just the fourth time in 49 career playoff starts he has played 40 minutes or less. Since 2022, Oettinger has the second-most postseason wins (25), behind Sergei Bobrovsky (34).
Arda’s three stars from Sunday night
Svechnikov potted a hat trick to lift the Canes to a 5-2 win against the Devils in Newark, giving them a 3-1 series lead. Svechnikov is the only Hurricanes/Whalers player in franchise history (45 seasons, 205 playoff games) with a hat trick in the playoffs (he now has two).
His two goals in the third period tied the game at 3, setting the stage for the Oilers to win in OT and tie up the series. Bouchard is now the fourth defenseman to have back-to-back multigoal games in Stanley Cup playoff history.
After two points over the first three games of the series, Neighbors scored a goal and added two assists as the Blues emphatically tied the series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4.
Sunday’s scores
St. Louis Blues 5, Winnipeg Jets 1
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Wednesday
Although he is the overwhelming favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie in the regular season, Connor Hellebuyck is not having a great time this postseason. He was pulled in the third period of this loss after giving up five goals on 18 shots. Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor opened the scoring in this game, but the Blues charged back with five straight goals off the sticks of Jake Neighbours, Tyler Tucker, Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk and Robert Thomas. The home team has won every game in this series. Will that continue in Game 5 in Winnipeg? Full recap.
0:51
Tyler Tucker puts the Blues ahead with a goal
Tyler Tucker scores in the second period to give the Blues a 2-1 lead over the Jets.
Carolina Hurricanes 5, New Jersey Devils 2
CAR leads 3-1 | Game 5 Tuesday
After the Canes went up 3-0, the Devils punched back with two second-period goals, and Carolina starting goalie Frederik Andersen was knocked out after a collision with New Jersey’s Timo Meier. However, that was as close as the Devils would get, as Brent Burns added a goal at 14:14 of the third, and Andrei Svechnikov finished off his hat trick with an empty-net goal to seal the deal. Full recap.
2:05
Andrei Svechnikov scores his second career playoff hat trick
Andrei Svechnikov lit the ice with his second career playoff hat trick in Game 4 vs. the Devils.
Washington Capitals 5, Montreal Canadiens 2
WSH leads 3-1 | Game 5 Wednesday
The Bell Centre was rocking again for this one. Washington’s Dylan Strome started the scoring at 1:25 of the second period, but the Canadiens answered back with two power-play goals (from Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield) to take the lead heading into the third. However, the Caps proved they were the better team, tying it 6:39 into the third, taking the lead 10 minutes later and then pumping in two empty-netters to put it out of reach. Full recap.
0:39
Andrew Mangiapane’s big-time goal gives Caps a lead in the 3rd period
Andrew Mangiapane notches a big-time goal to give the Capitals a lead late in the third period.
Edmonton Oilers 4, Los Angeles Kings 3 (OT)
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Tuesday
Another back-and-forth contest for these two teams. The Kings held a 3-1 lead heading into the third, thanks to goals from Trevor Moore, Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala. But the Oilers came back, thanks to a pair of goals by Evan Bouchard (both of which were assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid) to send the game to overtime. Draisaitl then scored the winner on the power play with just 1:42 left in the extra session. Full recap.
1:14
Leon Draisaitl’s OT winner evens the series for the Oilers
Leon Draisaitl nets the winning goal in overtime to give the Oilers a dramatic win over the Kings in Game 4.
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