Why did Tigers' AJ Hinch ride Will Vest to the bitter end? Here's one thought

Detroit — The question was asked after the 10-6 loss Tuesday night and it was asked again before the game Wednesday.

Manager AJ Hinch summoned right-hander Will Vest with one out in the seventh inning Tuesday, hoping he could go one-plus innings to protect a two-run lead. Nothing unusual about that.

Vest quelled a threat in the seventh, but the eighth inning unraveled on him. The third out became tragically elusive and Vest’s pitch count started to climb toward and then over 30 pitches.

And there was no action in the Tigers’ bullpen. That’s what was unusual, especially after an off day Monday. Neither Kenley Jansen nor Kyle Finnegan, the other two parts of the Tigers’ late-inning leverage triumvirate, were up and warming.

Lefty Tyler Holton got up when Vest threw his 30th pitch. His 34th pitch left the yard, a game-flipping grand slam home run by Vaughn Grissom.

Hinch was asked again if everyone was available Tuesday.

“The goal is to never really disclose every single thing,” he said. “With situations like last night, I don’t know that it’s fair to the players or to me to have to give everything out and away. It doesn’t help yesterday’s game. We can’t replay it. It doesn’t help today’s game.

“I had the guy in there that I wanted. I take the responsibility for Will Vest pitching. I want Will Vest in the game.”

Upon closer review of the matchups, that decision might’ve been more matchup-based than pitch count-based.

The Angels hitters at the top of the batting order, Mike Trout and Grissom specifically, were, on paper, a better matchup for Vest. Using Baseball Savant, Trout (.851 OPS) and Grissom (.818 OPS) have been lethal against right-handed four-seam fastballs, which is Finnegan’s best pitch.

With Jansen, he’s only pitched one-plus innings twice in two seasons and the last time was Saturday in Baltimore and it ended in a three-run, walk-off homer by Colton Cowser. Trout is also deadly against cutters (1.275 slug, 1.844 OPS) and that is Jansen’s best pitch.

The hope for Vest, then, was to get through the seventh, which he did, and then plow through the bottom of the order in the eighth. That didn’t happen, though there were mitigating circumstances that seem to crop up against teams stuck in a monthlong slog.

A fly ball to the wall in right by No. 9 hitter Logan O’Hoppe (10-for-68 against right-handed pitchers) was misplayed into a double by Wenceel Perez and a potential third-out ground ball by Zach Neto deflected off Vest’s backside to keep the inning alive.

“It’s not secrets, it’s not trying to hide anything,” Hinch said. “Guys are going through a ton of different things and I’ve used guys in a bunch of different ways. I made the choice to use Will and all of that should fall on me and not some mystery illness or injury you might be wondering about.”

Along the same lines, Hinch was asked why Matt Vierling was not in the starting lineup Wednesday. He was asked if it was related to his misplay that led to an extra run in the third inning.

Vierling slow-played a single to center and Neto sped all the way home from first base.

“We have a ton of conversations after games,” Hinch said. “I’m not going to single him out, that that’s the reason he’s not playing. It’s not a great matchup for most right-handed hitters. Jose Soriano (Angels) starter is pretty nasty against righties, especially with the sinker.”

Soriano is holding right-handed hitters to a .202 average and .202 slugging percentage. Against the sinker, they are 5-for-42.

That’s not to say Vierling was let off the hook for the play.

“We talked to him about the speed of the play,” Hinch said. “If there is indictment on a mistake or an error in judgment or a misjudgment, you will see that happen in the moment. We do address things we do well and we address things we don’t do well. It’s unfair to Matty to hang him because of a mistake.

“I am playing the lineup we hope gives us the best chance to beat the Angels.”

chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com

@cmccosky

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: One thought why Tigers' AJ Hinch rode Will Vest to the bitter end