DETROIT — The postgame dousing Beau Brieske received from Tigers teammates for his first Major League win was gross enough that he closed his eyes.
“I had no idea what was being thrown on me. I definitely tasted some mouthwash, though,” he said after Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Blue Jays at Comerica Park. “I couldn’t open my eyes because they were burning for the most part. I think tuna was probably the grossest thing I had to get out of my hair, tuna and overnight oats. It was cool, though. It was worth it.”
A few lockers over, Willi Castro was mercifully unscathed. He could eat tuna rather than wear it. But he might have played as big a role in Detroit holding down Toronto’s formidable offense.
One of the knocks on Castro last year was that he didn’t have the arm to be the everyday shortstop. The Tigers didn’t think that same arm would be such a strength when they moved him to the outfield.
“I think you have more momentum throwing to bases. It’s a better setting,” Castro said. “You don’t think about mechanics. You just throw.”
Four outfield assists later, teams might be starting to notice.
“He’s learning, he’s growing, he’s fearless,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “You start piling up these assists, I think the advance scouting is going to take notice.”
All four assists have come in Castro’s past five starts. The run began immediately after his biggest misplay on June 3 at Yankee Stadium.
Castro had barely caught his breath from running down Jose Trevino’s triple over his head when Aaron Hicks crushed a liner deep into the gap in right-center for an RBI single. Castro nearly overran the hop but barehanded the ball on the warning track and fired to second base as Hicks tried for extra bases.
Two days later in the series finale in New York, Castro’s spin and throw from left field on an Aaron Judge single nabbed DJ LeMahieu trying to go from first to third with two outs in a scoreless game, keeping Anthony Rizzo from batting with runners at the corners. Then on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Castro threw out Pirates rookie Jack Suwinski trying to stretch a two-out single to a double, again from left field.
Saturday’s out was the biggest by far. Just when the Blue Jays’ offense looked like it might strike, Castro came up with a critical out.
After a Javier Báez throwing error put Teoscar Hernández on to open the sixth inning, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped a one-out single to left field that sent Hernández racing around second in an effort to set up a one-out sacrifice fly opportunity.
On the Bally Sports Detroit broadcast, former Tigers outfielder Kirk Gibson instinctively suggested throwing to second to hold Gurriel. Instead, Castro rounded the ball, charged it and fired to third.
“I thought he was going to stay at second,” Castro admitted. “When I got the ball and looked up, I saw that he was going to third. That’s when I reacted and threw.”
Said Hinch: “He’s fearless when it comes to throwing.”
The throw registered at 86.4 miles per hour, according to Statcast. Just as important, the throw was on target, bouncing to third baseman Harold Castro without him having to leave the bag. All the third baseman had to do was stretch for the throw and tag Hernández as he slid by.
It was Brieske’s final batter of the game as he was relieved by Andrew Chafin. But instead of one out with runners at second and third, which would have the tying run in scoring position in a 2-0 game, Chafin entered with a runner on second and two outs. Thus, Alejandro Kirk’s ensuing fly ball to right ended the inning instead of plating a run.
“That’s winning baseball,” said Brieske, who finished with 5 2/3 scoreless innings allowing seven hits with two strikeouts. “Double plays and plays like that are a pitcher’s best friend.”
Twenty years ago, Robert Fick converted from catcher/first baseman to become the Tigers’ everyday right fielder in 2002 and pulled off a dubious double, leading the American League with 21 outfield assists and 12 outfield errors. The combination of a catcher’s arm and plenty of baserunners behind a struggling pitching staff gave Fick more opportunities.
Castro’s situation is different. Detroit’s pitching has been stingy. Moreover, the 25-year-old Castro has the athleticism of a shortstop and the desire to improve and enhance his versatility.
“[Coach] George [Lombard] out there every day with him,” Hinch said. “He and [coach] Gary Jones are relentless with the review process, with the conversations beforehand. But when you get in the game, there’s no iPad out there; there’s no help. There’s no coach standing there, telling you what to do, and so we rely on the player to make his instincts come to life.
“Now, he’s made some plays that you’d like to have over, but you have to fail a little bit in order to make better plays in the future. And we’re seeing those future plays now.”