Detroit Tigers Finally Return to .500 Behind Biggest Team Surprise, Drew Smyly

Drew Smyly threw one of the best games of his career, defeating the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on July 6. He helped the Detroit Tigers get back to .500 for the first time since May 15, when the team was 18-18.

Smyly threw a gem, with a career-high 10 strikeouts, giving up two earned runs on six hits with zero walks in six innings of work. He struck out the side twice and at one point, retired 10 straight batters.

With the victory, the rookie takes a winning record into the All-Star break, improving to 4-3 this season with a 4.42 ERA. Smyly's won his last two starts, and his only losses this year have come at the hands of the Texas Rangers (50-34), the Cleveland Indians (43-40) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (46-37).

Smyly, who wasn't even expected to make the team going into spring training, has given the Tigers a huge boost this season. He's given up three earned runs or less in 10 of his first 15 career starts. 

"At some point, this guy has a chance to be really good," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said to MLive.com's James Schmehl after the game. "He’ll get a feel for the hitters and how to pitch hitters. He has a chance to be a good one."

Smyly, whose control and demeanor on the mound were the reasons he earned the No. 5 starter spot this spring, has 75 strikeouts compared to just 21 walks in 79.1 innings this season. In Friday's game, he became the first Tigers rookie to record 10 strikeouts in a game since 1991, and the first Detroit rookie to fan 10 batters without allowing a walk since 1918.

"Ten strikeouts," Smyly said to MLive.com. "I feel like control hasn't been my problem all year. You've got to throw strikes. That's first and foremost, you've got to throw strikes."

The Tigers other big first half surprise, Quintin Berry, started the fireworks on the other side of the ball with a two-RBI triple in the third inning that gave Detroit a 2-0 lead.

Tigers fans took a collective breath in the fifth inning when Smyly appeared to have tweaked his back. Catcher Alex Avila summoned trainer Kevin Rand and Leyland to the mound, but after talking it over, Smyly decided to continue.

"(Leyland) just told me, 'Don't be a hero, tell me the truth,'" Smyly said. "I said, 'It's fine. If it gets worse, I'll let you know.' Luckily it was fine the rest of the game."

After the conference on the mound, Smyly gave up back-to-back doubles and allowed two earned runs, but got himself out of the fifth inning with minimal damage.

The 23-year-old showed maturity beyond his years, rebounding from back-to-back defensive miscues from the dreadful gloves of Ryan Raburn and Delmon Young in the sixth inning. He got out of the jam that put runners on second and third with two outs in a tie game, and finished with a career-high 106 pitches.

Delmon Young crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, giving Detroit a 4-2 lead, and putting Smyly in position to earn the win.

The Tigers return to .500 is a good sign, but nowhere near where they saw themselves at the halfway point going into the year.

Detroit went into this season as the runaway favorite to defend its American League Central division crown, and make back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since 1934-1935.

They still have a lot of work to do, but things are looking better.

The Tigers have won three games in a row for the first time since June 19, and for just the fifth time all season. The team is starting to click.

Detroit is now sixth in the AL in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage and closer Jose Valverde has put things together, converting his 16th save in his sixth straight appearance without allowing a run.

"Our whole team's happy," Smyly said. "We're .500 for the first time since I can't even remember. That's big. I think we're all clicking, we're all working together."

The Tigers still remain in third place in the AL Central, just 4.5 games back of the first-place Chicago White Sox. But Detroit is finally playing with some consistency, and looks to have turned the corner going into the All-Star break.