The Detroit Tigers fell 8-5 to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 23 at PNC Park, a game marred by repeated mental errors that plagued every inning. Manager A.J. Hinch didn’t mince words afterward, calling it “a really bad mental game”–a lapse he stressed was rare for this group but costly nonetheless.
Amid the criticism, first baseman Spencer Torkelson emerged as both an unsettling example and a sincere voice for change. His comments about “getting swagger back” cut to the core of the Tigers’ identity amid a tenuous losing stretch. With his remarks, Torkelson framed the team’s recent skid as mental more than mechanical, something they can and must correct.
“We could easily be the first team to 70 wins,” Torkelson said. “We just got to get our swagger back. That comes with the refocus. We’re a really good team. We just got to play like it.”
Forgetting Fundamental Baseball Basics
Detroit’s reputation this season has been built on small-ball, defense-first play. But on Tuesday night, that identity vanished. Parker Meadows misread a fly ball in the sun, a relay throw skipped past Torkelson, and Wenceel Pérez failed to touch home plate on what should’ve been a sac fly. Add in a Ricochet throw off Jake Rogers and it was a cumulative breakdown in fundamentals.
“We definitely lost some focus on those plays,” Torkelson said, who had one single and two doubles, “and that’s part of it, but if it’s going to happen, it’s a fine time to let it happen now and then refocus and ball out for the next 50-whatever games.”
As one fan site noted, “Tigers’ reputation for playing clean baseball took huge hit in messy loss to Pirates.”
The resulting errors weren’t flashes of bad luck–they were clear missteps rooted in poor focus. Hinch acknowledged them bluntly: “Some of it might be trying to do too much, some of it might be trying to do too little… just kind of easing our way… trying to stay under control. They’re just mistakes that we know we can fix.”
Torkelson Owns the Blunder
Among the many errors, one moment stood out as a turning point: an inning-ending play where Torkelson jogged after a ball, assuming the play was dead. Oneil Cruz, aggressive as ever, sprinted home for a run that ignited the Pirates’ momentum. “I figured the play was dead… didn’t even look. He’s aggressive and [I’ve] gotta know that… he’s thinking I’m falling asleep, and I did,” Torkelson admitted afterward.
Unlike many, he didn’t yap excuses—he apologized to teammates and coaches in the dugout following the game.
“He took the end of the play off,” Hinch said. “He felt terrible. He just fell asleep. He was very accountable. He’s not a guy that generally has those mistakes.”
Mental Reset Ahead, Not Just Mechanical Fixes
In the aftermath, Hinch urged calm urgency. He emphasized the Tigers remain “a much better team and a cleaner team than what we’ve shown,” while also acknowledging this was an uncharacteristic stretch of confusing play. The Tigers have now lost eight of nine games, yet still lead the AL Central–a cushion that may shrink quickly if mental resolve isn’t reclaimed.
Torkelson’s declaration about swagger isn’t about flash–it’s a commitment to fundamentals and confidence. In practical terms, that means hustle on every play, decisive at-bats, crisp defensive reads, and refusing to lull into game-management mode.
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