- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,135,750
- Reaction score
- 59
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has earned plenty of goodwill during his time in Detroit.
But after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox, many fans are wondering if that goodwill is finally beginning to run out.
The Tigers completed a disastrous month of May with another loss, falling to 22-38 on the season and extending their slide to 21 losses in their last 25 games. The defeat wasn’t just painful because it completed a sweep at the hands of a White Sox team that lost 223 games over the previous two seasons. It was painful because it appeared to be self-inflicted.
For six innings, Keider Montero gave the Tigers exactly what they needed.
The right-hander allowed just two hits, walked nobody, struck out four batters, and needed only 65 pitches to navigate six scoreless innings. At a time when Detroit desperately needed a win, Montero looked completely in control.
In fact, Montero admitted after the game that he was surprised when Hinch removed him.
When asked if he was surprised by the decision, Montero responded simply:
“Yes.”
He then added:
“I felt really good. It’s his decision.”
There was no indication that Montero was dealing with an injury. According to reports after the game, he felt healthy and believed he could have continued pitching.
Instead of allowing Montero to begin the seventh inning, Hinch turned to reliever Drew Anderson.
The move quickly unraveled.
After recording one out, Anderson surrendered a game-tying home run to Colson Montgomery. Moments later, the White Sox strung together three consecutive hits and took a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.
The Tigers offense failed to answer, wasting one of the best pitching performances they’ve received during this miserable stretch.
Following the game, Hinch defended the decision.
“Drew (Anderson) has been pretty good against lefties, but they put together four straight hits. It’s a tough call because it’s a 1-0 game. You’re trying to win a 1-0 game if we couldn’t put anything together. I thought that was the best way to get there.”
The problem is that the results once again told a different story.
Under normal circumstances, a questionable pitching change would be forgotten quickly.
These are not normal circumstances.
The Tigers entered the 2026 season as favorites to win the American League Central and were viewed by many as legitimate contenders to represent the American League in the World Series.
Instead, they own the worst record in Major League Baseball.
Every loss feels bigger. Every managerial decision receives greater scrutiny. Every mistake gets magnified.
That’s why Sunday’s move has generated such a strong reaction from fans.
When a struggling team removes a dominant starter after six scoreless innings and watches the bullpen immediately blow the game, criticism is inevitable.
The answer is probably no.
At least not yet.
Hinch didn’t become a bad manager overnight. He remains one of the most respected managers in baseball and helped guide Detroit’s resurgence over the past several seasons.
However, Sunday’s decision will only add fuel to the growing frustration surrounding the organization.
The bigger issue isn’t one pitching change.
The bigger issue is that the Tigers are 22-38, have lost 21 of their last 25 games, and continue finding new ways to lose baseball games.
Whether it’s injuries, roster construction, offensive struggles, bullpen collapses, or managerial decisions, the results simply haven’t been good enough.
And when a season spirals this badly, nobody escapes scrutiny.
Not even A.J. Hinch.
Continue reading...
But after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox, many fans are wondering if that goodwill is finally beginning to run out.
The Tigers completed a disastrous month of May with another loss, falling to 22-38 on the season and extending their slide to 21 losses in their last 25 games. The defeat wasn’t just painful because it completed a sweep at the hands of a White Sox team that lost 223 games over the previous two seasons. It was painful because it appeared to be self-inflicted.
You must be registered for see images attach
Keider Montero Was Dominating
For six innings, Keider Montero gave the Tigers exactly what they needed.
The right-hander allowed just two hits, walked nobody, struck out four batters, and needed only 65 pitches to navigate six scoreless innings. At a time when Detroit desperately needed a win, Montero looked completely in control.
In fact, Montero admitted after the game that he was surprised when Hinch removed him.
When asked if he was surprised by the decision, Montero responded simply:
“Yes.”
He then added:
“I felt really good. It’s his decision.”
There was no indication that Montero was dealing with an injury. According to reports after the game, he felt healthy and believed he could have continued pitching.
Hinch’s Decision Immediately Backfired
Instead of allowing Montero to begin the seventh inning, Hinch turned to reliever Drew Anderson.
The move quickly unraveled.
After recording one out, Anderson surrendered a game-tying home run to Colson Montgomery. Moments later, the White Sox strung together three consecutive hits and took a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.
The Tigers offense failed to answer, wasting one of the best pitching performances they’ve received during this miserable stretch.
Following the game, Hinch defended the decision.
“Drew (Anderson) has been pretty good against lefties, but they put together four straight hits. It’s a tough call because it’s a 1-0 game. You’re trying to win a 1-0 game if we couldn’t put anything together. I thought that was the best way to get there.”
The problem is that the results once again told a different story.
Fans Are Running Out of Patience
Under normal circumstances, a questionable pitching change would be forgotten quickly.
These are not normal circumstances.
The Tigers entered the 2026 season as favorites to win the American League Central and were viewed by many as legitimate contenders to represent the American League in the World Series.
Instead, they own the worst record in Major League Baseball.
Every loss feels bigger. Every managerial decision receives greater scrutiny. Every mistake gets magnified.
That’s why Sunday’s move has generated such a strong reaction from fans.
When a struggling team removes a dominant starter after six scoreless innings and watches the bullpen immediately blow the game, criticism is inevitable.
Is It Time to Fire A.J. Hinch?
The answer is probably no.
At least not yet.
Hinch didn’t become a bad manager overnight. He remains one of the most respected managers in baseball and helped guide Detroit’s resurgence over the past several seasons.
However, Sunday’s decision will only add fuel to the growing frustration surrounding the organization.
The bigger issue isn’t one pitching change.
The bigger issue is that the Tigers are 22-38, have lost 21 of their last 25 games, and continue finding new ways to lose baseball games.
Whether it’s injuries, roster construction, offensive struggles, bullpen collapses, or managerial decisions, the results simply haven’t been good enough.
And when a season spirals this badly, nobody escapes scrutiny.
Not even A.J. Hinch.
Continue reading...
