(Photo: Carlos Osorio, Associated Press)
Detroit — Manager Ron Gardenhire didn’t want to put any extra pressure on his rookie starting pitcher. He didn’t want to, for example, say he needed Spencer Turnbull to be the stopper or anything like that.
“But we really need him to go deep today,” Gardenhire said.
Spencer Turnbull knew what he had to do. The Tigers used five relievers in the 15-3 loss on Saturday. He knew he needed to work at least to the sixth inning or beyond Sunday — to give the Tigers a chance to win the game, for sure, but also to protect the bullpen.