Boyd relished his true big-league baptism, wants more

Detroit — Up until the beginning of the week, Tigers pitcher Matt Boyd thought he was going up to Vancouver for the weekend to take in a Canucks hockey game.

Those plans changed when his father procured tickets to Saturday’s Lions-Seahawks wild-card game Saturday.

“Yeah, pretty good trade there,” said Boyd, Mercer Island resident and a lifelong Seattle sports fan. “My dad stumbled onto some suite tickets, north end zone, field level. Pretty crazy. I hope I won’t be on camera during a challenge play or anything.”

Not to worry; if the camera does catch him, his dual allegiances will be represented.

“I will have a Tigers hat on,” he said. “And probably a big blue sweatshirt or jacket with some Seahawks green on it.”

Boyd, one of three young starting pitchers who helped keep the Tigers in playoff contention to the bitter end last season, has already begun his throwing program. Since the second week of December he’s been working out at a facility in Issaqua, Washington, throwing to catchers Gunner Buhner (Jay Buhner’s son who is a senior at perennial NAIA power Lewis and Clark State College) and Caleb Hamilton, his wife’s cousin who is in the Twins organization.

“Just nice and easy right now,” Boyd said. “I learned from last year to take it a little easier. I’ve been picking (Justin) Verlander’s head a little bit. He’s been helping me out. I got ready a little too fast last year and it affected me at the end of the year.

“I wouldn’t say I am taking a cautious approach, but I am taking it a little slower.”

Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Boyd essentially rescued the Tigers’ rotation last season after Jordan Zimmermann was beset with injuries and Anibal Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey faltered. Fulmer’s American League Rookie of the Year credentials have been well-chronicled, but from Aug. 1 on, Boyd was the most consistent pitcher of the three down the stretch.

The Tigers were 6-4 in his 10 appearances (nine starts) and he allowed three runs or fewer in seven of the nine starts.

But typical of Boyd, who is by far his own harshest critic, it’s the two rough outings, both in September, that stick in his gut and are motivating him this offseason.

“Two of the last three starts,” he said. “The numbers were bad, right? Those were the games I needed to win. It was awesome being a part of that and getting a taste of it. But the goal going into next year, for me personally, is to be able to finish stronger.

“I want to be able to win 10 of 10 and put us over the edge. My job is to give us a chance to win every game. That’s what it comes down to. Those two bad games, those could’ve been the games that mattered, right?”

Still, the experience of taking the ball every fifth day in the heat of the pennant race, and keeping the Tigers in the game in seven of nine starts, was invaluable. It was, Boyd agreed, his true big-league baptism.

“I was grateful for it,” he said. “Those are the kind of games when you wake up and you just want the ball. Every day you went to the yard, you were stoked, no matter who had the ball that day. It was really special.

“I talked to Daniel about it. Like, we got a taste of it. We could smell how close we were. Yeah, we are disappointed we didn’t get there. But it was close. And now we know the adjustments we need to make to put the team in a better position. It’s exciting and we’re ready for the next one.”

Boyd said his mission this offseason is to continue to refine and master his delivery. As he said, repeatability of motion is the key to maintaining consistency. His five-pitch repertoire — four-seam and two-seam fastball, change-up, slider and curve — is more than adequate.

But because he is a pitch-to-contact pitcher and doesn’t get a high percentage of strikeouts, his command has to be precise. Which it was, for the most part, down the stretch after pitching coach Rich Dubee got him to lower his arm slot after a bullpen session in Seattle in early August.

“Dubee really helped me out with my delivery,” Boyd said. “He got me to drop my arm angle a tick and that helped me repeat. Down the stretch everything came together. Now it’s just a matter of refining it so every time I go out there I can put my best foot forward and show up with all my bullets in the bag.”

What’s never been a concern with Boyd is his work ethic, his will and his competitiveness. Case in point: On Sept. 13, he gave up seven runs on eight hits and didn’t survive the fourth inning. After the game, he made no excuses and vowed that he would redeem himself in his next start.

Seven days later, at Target Field in Minneapolis, Boyd allowed three hits and a run over eight innings, striking out seven.

That’s probably a better memory for him to take out of his 2016 season.

“I just can’t wait to get back at it,” he said.

chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com

Twitter.com: @cmccosky