Matthew Boyd’s outing didn’t end the way he would’ve liked.
Two runners on. Two outs.
Once again, Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire trotted out to the mound so he could remove his left-hander, this time in Tuesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
“I’m good,” Boyd pleaded, as Gardenhire got closer to the mound. “I got this. I’ll get this guy.”
[ The Free Press has started a digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Tigers content. ]
“No,” Gardenhire said. “Give me the ball.”
This scenario has occurred quite a bit this season, where Gardenhire felt the best decision was to pull Boyd. But his most recent performance — because of his long-term confidence — was much different.
Boyd cruised through 5⅔ innings with 105 pitches on Tuesday. He retired nine batters in a row before back-to-back two-out walks in the sixth. He exited the game without allowing a run in what would become a 6-0 victory. It was his first scoreless outing in 476 days, and he only allowed two hits all night.
[ Twelve things to watch for as the Tigers finish season ]
“Matty is one of our veteran pitchers, so I expect that out of him,” Gardenhire said. “Just pass the last one away and move on to the next start. Some guys hang with it and keep it in their minds. Matty studies what he did wrong and moves on. … He knows that he’s struggled, and he’s trying to find it. Tonight was a step in the right direction.”
This season is unlike any other in baseball’s history: 60 games, roster changes, taxi squads, alternate training sites, summer camp, COVID-19 outbreaks, health protocols, no fans, expanded playoffs and much more.
Boyd is just as much a mystery.
His run total in each of his 10 starts this season: four, four, seven, seven, three, two, one, two, seven and, finally, zero. Homers, specifically leadoff blasts, have been the dagger. He misfires with his slider sometimes, factoring into a much larger command problem.
[ Boyd struggles: ‘I stepped away from what brought me success’ ]
“I’ve done things this season, mostly because of what happened earlier in the year, that my eyes were opened, and I’ve grown from that,” Boyd said. “Using all my pitches, commanding my fastball in different spots. I’ve done things that I didn’t do in the years prior. I feel it made me a complete pitcher.”
At times, it was easy to question why he remained in the rotation. But watching Tuesday’s execution (or three of his last four starts), it’s possible to remember why the Tigers banked on him and kept him at last year’s trade deadline.
Boyd knows his season-long stats, with a 6.75 ERA, won’t prove he is complete. Yet he has this peculiar knack for staying positive — even on a day like Sept. 9, when he gave up seven runs in a 19-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
[ Tigers suffer the largest shutout loss in team history; so who are these guys? ]
Much easier said than done, he confidently finds key takeaways and moves on.
“It’s just his belief that he can do these things because he’s done it,” Gardenhire said. “Everybody goes through struggles, and he’s trying not to let it wreck his career. He just is moving forward. He does it every time out there, whether he has a bad outing or a good outing.”
Boyd’s most noticeable change is with his slider and change-up. Last season, he used the slider 36.1% of the time and mixed in 6% change-ups. In 2020, his slider usage has dipped to 26.9%; the change-up surged to 14.6%.
Against the Royals, he used more change-ups (26) than sliders (11). And his change-up generated five strikes swinging, more than any other pitch. He used this offering to get him out of a jam in the second inning with two runners in scoring position and two outs against Maikel Franco.
“I probably could’ve been even a little better with it down, but I got a swing,” Boyd said. “(He) hit it right at Ray-Ray (center fielder Victor Reyes). … That’s probably not a play people remember in a 6-0 win, but it could have been the difference if that thing lands in front of him.”
[ Michael Fulmer desperate to back up statement: ‘I felt good’ ]
His slider usage has decreased each month this season, from 32.2% in July to 24.6% in September. His change-up has increased from 6.8% to 22.2%. He made those altercations to his approach following four rocky starts and stuck with them. With each outing, he learns a little more about mixing his pitches and commanding his fastball in new ways.
Yet another example of adjusting and staying confident.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of shaking (off catcher Austin Romine’s call),” Gardenhire said. “When we start seeing that, we start worrying. … He has to have a plan in his mind, and the catcher has one. Hopefully, they’re on the same page. That’s really important to being successful.”
As the 21-26 Tigers reach the conclusion of the regular season, Boyd should get two more starts to showcase how his confidence has helped him move past a frustrating beginning to a shortened season.
That’s unless the Tigers can somehow sneak into the playoffs.
As of Wednesday morning, they had a 1.5% chance.
“All these games matter,” Boyd said. “We’re all fighting for the same thing: to play this game in October. It’s exciting. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Evan Petzold is a sports reporting intern at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Detroit Tigers content.