'I felt at home, at peace:' Impressive debut for Tigers pitcher Alex Lange

Apr. 11—CLEVELAND — From Jake Rogers and Daz Cameron to John Schreiber, Gregory Soto and Bryan Garcia; from Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal to Akil Baddoo — the Tigers have had a steady stream of big-league debuts over the last couple of years.

Twenty-two, to be exact, since 2019. And they are all special, all heartwarming in their own way because each one represents a dream fulfilled. What's better than that?

Right-hander Alex Lange was No. 22 on that list. He debuted here Saturday night and, frankly, it probably exceeded his dreams. He blew threw the heart of the Indians lineup in 16 pitches, getting ground-ball outs from Jose Ramirez and Eddie Rosario and striking out Franmil Reyes with a dastardly 3-2 curveball.

"Lot of fun," Lange said Saturday night. "It was something I dreamed for a long time, something I envisioned. I just feel blessed and fortunate to be out there."

Lange is an affable, good-natured 25-year-old, but he's a different cat when he gets on the mound. There is an intensity roiling inside him that at any given moment can provide a boost or knock him off the rails.

Here's what he said before the game Saturday:

"I cherish every moment I get to take the field and play," he said. "I don't care if it's against little girls in pigtails on a sandlot field or in spring training. I want to compete. I want to be out there. I want the ball. I want to play."

So hearing him describe what he was feeling walking down the steps from the bullpen to the field and then making the long trek from right-center field to the mound at Progressive Field — well, you didn't expect him to go all Zen.

"I felt very calm out there," he said. "I felt at home, at peace. Just ready to go. It was calming to be out there."

There's got to be teammates from LSU, or guys he's played with since he was traded to the Tigers for Nick Castellanos two years ago who are asking, "Who is this guy and what have they done to Alex?"