It was the kind of outing that reminded everyone why the Tigers have continued to believe in him.Casey Mize looks locked inOne of the more important takeaways from the win was just how good Mize’s stuff looked.Spring training numbers did not inspire much confidence, and there were real questions after a diminished spring. But as Mize said, the issue was mechanical, and whatever adjustments were made have clearly paid off. The stuff looks better now, and that is what matters.We have seen Mize pitch well before, but this version looks different.

The fastball has more zip, the secondary pitches are sharper, and he is pitching with confidence. Tarik Skubal may still be the ace of this staff, but Mize is pitching like a legitimate top-of-the-rotation arm right now.There have been stretches in the past where Mize has looked good for a few starts or even a month at a time before hitting a wall. That is still worth keeping in mind.

But right now, he deserves credit. He has been outstanding to begin the season, and Wednesday night was another example of that.Tigers put together their best offensive inning of the seasonThe Tigers fell behind early, but the offense answered with what may have been its best inning of the season.Spencer Torkelson delivered a big moment when he crushed his first home run of the year. It has been an ugly start for Torkelson, and expectations around him are not what they once were, but he can still help this team when he gets a pitch he can drive.

That is exactly what happened here, and Detroit needed it.The fifth inning also featured one of the best at-bats of the night from Kevin McGonigle, who continues to look like one of the most polished hitters on the roster. After already drawing a walk earlier in the game after falling behind 0-2, McGonigle battled through a 10-pitch at-bat, fouling off multiple off-speed pitches before finally getting a fastball and driving it for a double.It was the kind of plate appearance that stands out because most 21-year-olds simply do not have that kind of approach. McGonigle continues to look different at the plate, and the Tigers are benefiting from it.Detroit also got a lighter moment when Javier Báez came rumbling around third and scored while looking completely gassed, but the bigger point was that the Tigers were putting together smart, competitive at-bats and forcing the action offensively.Bullpen bends late, Kenley Jansen finishes it offThe bullpen had a few shaky moments late, and the Brewers once again showed why they are such an annoying team to face.

Milwaukee grinds out at-bats, makes contact, and constantly forces pitchers to work.Kenley Jansen closed the door with a scoreless inning to pick up the save. It was not the cleanest finish, but against a team like Milwaukee, there is some value in simply getting through it. The Tigers played too well overall for the focus to stay on any late discomfort.Tigers now have chance to take the seriesMore than anything, this looked like the version of the Tigers that has won games throughout the early part of the season.They got strong starting pitching.

They hit for power when the opportunity was there. They played cleaner defense behind their starter. And now they have a chance to take the series against a good Brewers team.With Tarik Skubal lined up for the next game, Detroit will feel good about its chances.As for Wednesday night, the player of the game was obvious.Casey Mize was dominant, and for now, the Tigers are riding that wave.