DETROIT >> The Tigers struck out 16 times on Wednesday. Their starting pitcher didn’t finish five innings. They left eight runners on base and were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

But when the 27th out was recorded, they had swept the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park, taking a 4-3 win in the finale. It was their Major League-best 37th win.

Crazy times.

“We did a lot of things right and we did a lot of things we can review and do better,” manager AJ Hinch said. “But never, ever, ever be disappointed with a series sweep.”

Sound advice.

“You know what, that’s a true testament to our offense,” said Justyn-Henry Malloy, who delivered the kill shot in the fifth inning. “Even on one of our worst days, we’re still able to find a way to win games.”

The Tigers scored all their runs in one burst in the fifth. For four innings, they had no answer for Giants righty starter Landen Roupp and his 3,000-rpm curveball. He punched out seven and took a 3-0 lead into the fifth.

His demise began with an error by five-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman Matt Chapman.

Kerry Carpenter singled and Rogers scampered to third base despite the ball being fielded quickly by Mike Yastrzemski in left.

“My favorite play of the game was Jake going first to third right in Yaz’s face,” Malloy said.

“That’s a really good oufielder and that sets a tone. It makes sense that we’d have a big inning after a play like that.

“That was sic. That was super ballsy and that’s this team, ballsy.”

Colt Keith shot a two-run double inside the bag at first to end Roupp’s day. Right-hander Randy Rodriguez followed, throwing 98-mph heaters and destabilizing sliders.

He struck out Riley Greene and Wenceel Perez and it looked like the Giants would escape the inning with the lead.

Malloy, who has been his best in clutch situations like this, didn’t let that happen. He was 8 for 24 with 12 RBI with runners in scoring position before that at-bat.

“I like (those situations), I really do,” he said. “I like to call myself an adrenaline guy.

“I love big moments. I think everyone in this locker room does. Runners in scoring position with a chance to impact that game. I love it. For me, that’s like excitement.

“I have an opportunity to impact the game right now and you want to get the job done.”

Malloy went into the at-bat hunting Rodriguez’s slider, but he fell behind in the count 1-2.

“With two strikes, it was like, ‘Let’s get into battle mode,’” he said.

He got a 2-2 fastball in the heart of the plate and spanked it into left field, scoring the tying and go-ahead run.

“We find a way to win,” Hinch said.

“This team has learned, like, we don’t know who it’s going to be.

“Today it was J-Hen. He gets in there and it’s not the right matchup for him necessarily. But he’s going to fight.

“He had a tough defensive play earlier and he didn’t hang his head. He comes back with a huge base hit with two outs.

“That’s our team. We don’t care who the hero is. We’ve shown it over and over. We’re going to try to beat you with our full 26 (players) and sometimes it works.”

In the other corner of the clubhouse, Tommy Kahnle represented the other side of this story.

As much as it was Malloy’s day, the Tigers’ bullpen was stout.

“The bullpen was incredible,” Kahnle said. “We all came through. It was a good day.”

Starter Jackson Jobe didn’t have his A-stuff in this one and he turned a 3-0 deficit over to the bullpen in the fifth. Brenan Hanifee and Tyler Holton tag-teamed to get six outs. John Brebbia got the final out in the seventh but didn’t get an out in the eighth.

With runners at second and third, nobody out, Hinch signaled for Kahnle, who sprinted in from the bullpen.

“He’s unique,” Hinch said with a smile. “He’s unique behind the scenes and he’s unique on the field.”

Kahnle was uniquely good on this day.

He threw seven changeups to the first two hitters he faced, getting pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey to fly to shallow left and striking out Christian Koss, who trailed and failed to bunt the first two pitches.

“It’s hard, I guess, to bunt a changeup,” Kahnle said with a grin.

Next up was lefty-swinging Yastrzemski, who was 1 for 11 in the series. He aggressively went after a first-pitch changeup and rolled out to first base. Crisis averted.

“I knew I had to get some weak contact,” Kahnle said. “After I got the first out, I know I’m not the strikeout pitcher I once was but getting the second guy to strikeout was big-time. I couldn’t allow them to cross (the plate).

“It’s always been a pet peeve of mine, inherited runners. The bullpen, it’s a tight-nit group and you hate giving up somebody else’s runs. That’s not a great feeling.”

Kahnle had at that point thrown eight straight changeups and he still had to get through the heart of the Giants’ order in the top of the ninth. But he did it in style.

He threw three more changeups to Heliot Ramos to start the ninth. Ramos had hit a 426-foot, two-run homer of Jobe in the fifth. But on a 1-2 count, he shocked Ramos (and himself) by firing a 96-mph fastball right down the middle for a called third strike.

“The fastball has been feeling much better the last few outings but I haven’t seen 96 in a while,” Kahnle said.

Rogers called it a surprise attack.

“He threw a lot of changeups and they have some great hitters who can sit on it, wait for it,” he said. “And then you throw a 96-mph heater, it seems really hard. We were on the same page and he reared back and threw it. It’s hard to cover both. So, yeah, sneak attack.”d he reared back and threw it. It’s hard to cover both. So, yeah, sneak attack.”

Kahnle got Wilmer Flores and Jung Hoo Lee on changeups to secure the win.

“That changeup, everyone in baseball knows how he pitches and yet he finds a way to get soft contact and miss bats,” Hinch said. “He’s a fun player.”

“He’s a pro’s pro,” is how Rogers put it. “He will throw every day and love it. He’s a baseball guy. It was a huge thing for him to come in like that and get those outs. Huge moment in the game.”

The Tigers, 21-8 at Comerica Park, head back on the road, with series in Kansas City and Chicago.

“It feels good that we played well at the latter part of this homestand and getting the sweep is important,” Hinch said.

“But I think we need a day away from each other (smiles) tomorrow. It’s awesome to have a day off. We will get after Kansas City on Friday.

“We’re just checking off boxes on the calendar and getting to the next day. We’re going to stay super grounded.”