Arlington, Texas – When Javier Baez came to bat with one out in the ninth inning Friday, Riley Greene had just hit a two-run home run to bring the Tigers within a run, 7-6, and Victor Reyes followed with a single.
It was the type of script-flipping situation the Tigers envisioned him being in when they signed him for six years and $140 million last offseason. It’s a situation he has thrived in throughout his career. Until this year.
Baez saw five pitches from reliever Jose Leclerc. Not one of them was thrown in the strike zone.