Tigers' stunning offensive outburst bails AJ Hinch out from questionable decision

Facing elimination, the Tigers were down by three runs when it came time for them to bat in the fifth. Fans at Comerica were already looking sullen, and they had every reason to; the Tigs' offense regained some life in the bottom of the ninth in Game 3, but that was after fans had endured watching eight innings of nearly hitless baseball for Detroit as the Mariners poured on eight runs.

So a three-run lead for Seattle, while not insurmountable, didn't have anyone feeling good. Manager AJ Hinch had taken starter Casey Mize out after just three innings, even though he'd only allowed one run and put up a clean third.

Tyler Holton and Kyle Finnegan were responsible for the other two runs, and the bullpen arms who could come up after them didn't have anyone feeling great.

Then something happened the Tigers' offense in the fifth. They crawled out of the grave.

Spencer Torkelson lead off the inning with a single, and Dillon Dingler brought him in with an RBI single. Jahmai Jones came off the bench to pinch-hit for Parker Meadows and cut the Mariners' lead to one on a first-pitch swing. Javy Báez — now a postseason hero in Detroit — tied the game. But it didn't stop there.

Tigers' fifth-inning offensive outburst (and more that followed) saved AJ Hinch after pulling Casey Mize early

Mariners reliever Gabe Speier took got out of the fifth without more damage, but Dan Wilson made the mistake of leaving him in for the sixth. Riley Greene, who has been ice-cold all postseason, grabbed a hold of a slider that was right in his sweet spot, and absolutely crushed it, sending it 454 feet into right center field.

Wilson did finally take out Speier after that, but the Tigs kept coming against new reliever Eduard Bazardo. Torkelson roped a double, Zach McKinstry singled him in. Wenceel Pérez, who came in behind Jones to take Meadows' initial spot in center field — doubled with two outs. And then Báez, to put a finer point on his miraculous comeback season, mashed a two-run home run to put the Tigers up 7-3.

Even Gleyber Torres got in on the home run action, with one that got just over the right field wall, and Báez picked up another RBI in the eighth on a groundout.

The Tigers are alive (somebody let them get hot, you might say), and they didn't just luck into it, they grabbed every opportunity and ran with it. Game 5 with Tarik Skubal on the mound is looking a lot more promising.