Should Detroit Tigers be concerned about non-Tarik Skubal starters?
On “Days of Roar,” Nick Pollack, founder of “Pitcher List,” evaluates the Detroit Tigers’ starting rotation — aside from left-hander Tarik Skubal.
The Detroit Tigers lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-5, to extend their losing skid to five games.Spencer Torkelson’s 31st homer of the season, in the seventh inning, gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead.Will Vest gave up four singles in the ninth inning, resulting in two runs for the Braves with two outs.
The Detroit Tigers needed a big swing in a key moment to regain the momentum of their winning ways, especially with the American League Central slipping away.
That finally happened.
Spencer Torkelson should’ve saved the Tigers with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, but two Tigers relievers allowed three runs over the final two innings. The result: A 6-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, Sept. 20, in the second of three games in the series at Comerica Park.
Right-handed reliever Will Vest gave up two runs in the ninth inning, including the tying run and winning run — both with two outs and two strikes.
The Tigers have lost five games in a row.
The Tigers (85-70) and Braves (72-83) wrap up the three-game series in the finale at 1:40 p.m. Sunday (FanDuel Sports Network Detroit), with the Braves riding a seven-game winning streak.
AL Central standings
After Saturday’s loss, the Tigers hold a one-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central with seven games remaining, including three against the Guardians.
The Guardians won both games of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins.
The Guardians currently hold the tiebreaker with a 6-4 record over the Tigers in the 13-game season series. The two teams will play Tuesday-Thursday at Progressive Field.
Not only have the Tigers dropped five games in a row, but they’ve lost eight of nine — with just seven wins in their past 24 games.
Spencer Torkelson home run
In the seventh inning, the Braves summoned right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson from the bullpen to protect a 3-3 tie, facing Torkelson with a runner on first base and two outs.
Torkelson battled for seven pitches.
On the seventh pitch, Torkelson pulled Johnson’s middle-in curveball for a two-run home run to left field, doing damage in a full count. He hit the ball 436 feet with a 104.3 mph exit velocity.
The Tigers took a 5-3 lead.
It was Torkelson’s 31st home run in his 149th game.
Will Vest one strike away
The Tigers had to protect a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning.
Manager A.J. Hinch turned to Vest as the fifth reliever used by the Tigers, only for Ozzie Albies and Ha-Seong Kim to open the inning with back-to-back singles.
Vest couldn’t escape the mess.
He struck out Michael Harris II and Sandy León, but with two strikes, Nacho Alvarez Jr. delivered an RBI single to right field off Vest’s up-and-away fastball for a 5-5 tie. An ensuing RBI single from Jurickson Profar off Vest’s slider put the Braves ahead, 6-5.
Gleyber Torres 1,000 hits
The Tigers scored first in Saturday’s game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Torkelson’s single off left-hander Joey Wentz, who pitched for the Tigers from 2022-24. To set up the run, Gleyber Torres singled and advanced on a wild pitch.
It was the 999th hit of Torres’ eight-year MLB career.
Torres collected No. 1,000 in the third inning, lining Wentz’s two-strike curveball at the bottom of the strike zone for a single. He has played 1,027 games in the big leagues.
The milestone single from Torres allowed Jahmai Jones to advance to third base, which paid off when Wenceel Pérez produced a sacrifice fly — cutting the Tigers’ deficit to 3-2.
Torres collected his third hit (and third single) of the game in the fifth inning, as the Tigers loaded the bases against Wentz. With two outs, Riley Greene flew out to end the inning.
Torres finished 3-for-5 with three singles.
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The Tigers tied the game, 3-3, in the sixth inning.
Zach McKinstry, pinch-hitting for Andy Ibáñez, hit an opposite-field solo home run off right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton, who replaced Wentz for the sixth inning.
Before departing, Wentz allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across five innings, throwing 84 pitches. He owns a 5.46 ERA in 38 games (12 starts).
A.J. Hinch managed aggressively
Right-hander Keider Montero allowed three runs on two hits and four walks with two strikeouts across three innings, throwing 84 pitches. The Braves scored all three runs in the third inning, thanks to home runs from Alvarez and Drake Baldwin.
Montero worked ahead 0-2 in the count to Ronald Acuña Jr. with two outs in the third inning before walking him on seven pitches. He then worked ahead 0-2 in the count to Baldwin before surrendering a two-run home run on a seventh-pitch curveball below the strike zone.
That homer put the Braves ahead, 3-1.
Hinch didn’t let Montero continue pitching, replacing him with right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle for the fourth inning. The Tigers completed the final six innings with six relievers.
Hinch managed the bullpen aggressively.
It was like a Game 7 situation.
The six relievers: Kahnle for 1â…” innings, left-hander Tyler Holton for one inning, right-hander Troy Melton for 1â…“ innings, right-hander Kyle Finnegan for one inning, and in the ninth inning, Vest for two outs and right-hander Rafael Montero for one out.
Finnegan — in his first game since returning from the injured list — allowed a solo home run to Alvarez in the eighth inning, which cut the Tigers’ lead to 5-4. The run was the first allowed by Finnegan since he joined the Tigers at the July 31 trade deadline.
In his 60th MLB game, Alvarez finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs on two homers and one single. The homers were the first and second of his career in the big leagues.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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