In the wake of a tough loss to the Brewers, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch assesses the contrasting performances of pitchers Enmanuel De Jesus and Keider Montero, revealing critical insights into the teams current pitching dynamics.
John Stevenson·Apr 22, 2026, 8:09 PM Thailand Time
IMAGE: Imagn Images
Tuesday night at Comerica Park was a tough one for the Detroit Tigers as they faced off against the Milwaukee Brewers, ending in a lopsided 12-4 defeat. The Tigers managed to put up three runs in the ninth inning, but the damage had already been done, and the final score still painted a grim picture.
The Tigers seemed to be gaining momentum, having swept their last homestand and split a series in Boston, climbing back over the .500 mark. However, their performance against the Brewers was a setback, highlighting ongoing struggles in both offense and pitching.
Keider Montero stepped up, delivering a solid performance by going 5.2 innings and giving up three runs. This effort kept the Tigers in the game early on, offering a glimmer of hope to the Detroit faithful. Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived as Enmanuel De Jesus took the mound and things quickly unraveled.
In the postgame press conference, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch didn’t mince words about De Jesus’s outing.
“That was a rough one,” Hinch stated. “It started off great.
He comes in, the punch out, and executes to get out of that inning, we’re still in the game… We were going to get him through the lineup, hopefully once, to get the ball to Finny (Kyle Finnegan) or Will (Vest), but things piled up for him a little bit.”
Hinch pointed out that it wasn’t just one thing that went wrong for De Jesus. “Whether it was a mistake pitch or a mistake PFP, which was an out that turned into a crooked number and then not covering first, I think it was just a collection of mental lapses that created a messy game.”
De Jesus’s struggles are evident in his stats, with his ERA now ballooning to 10.13 after giving up seven runs-five of which were earned-on seven hits in just 1.1 innings pitched. His career ERA sits at 8.31, indicating ongoing challenges on the mound.
Hinch also had praise for Montero, noting that he “saved the bullpen” with his performance. Montero’s contribution is even more critical as he fills in for the injured Justin Verlander. When Verlander returns, Montero’s presence could still be invaluable for a bullpen that has shown inconsistency, aside from a few standout players.
In all, the Tigers’ night was a reminder of the ups and downs of the game. While Montero’s outing was a silver lining, the team will need to regroup and address their pitching woes if they want to continue their push above .500.