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 opened their final home series with a 10-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves.Right-hander Charlie Morton allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings for the Tigers.Spencer Torkelson’s fourth-inning homer, his 30th of the season, provided the only run for the Tigers.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch climbed out of the dugout and walked to the mound with one out in the second inning. He took the ball from right-hander Charlie Morton after four outs against the Atlanta Braves, ending his fifth consecutive bad start.
The Tigers, led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris, acquired Morton from the Baltimore Orioles at the July 31 trade deadline.
It has been a disaster.
The Tigers lost, 10-1, to the Braves on Friday, Sept. 19, in the opener of a three-game series at Comerica Park, losing seven of eight games and winning just seven of the past 23 games. The Braves scored six of their 10 runs off Morton within the first two innings.
Position player Zach McKinstry recorded the final out in the ninth inning.
After the loss, the Tigers (85-69) have a three-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central with eight games remaining, but the Guardians were still playing Friday night against the Minnesota Twins.
Next up, the Tigers and Braves (71-83) clash at 1:10 p.m. Saturday (FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) in the second of three games in the series, with the Braves riding a six-game winning streak.
Blame Morton for Friday’s loss.
It went downhill in a 34-pitch first inning.
The first four batters: Jurickson Profar (double), Matt Olson (hit by pitch), Ronald Acuña Jr. (walk) and Drake Baldwin (walk).
The Braves took a 1-0 lead on Baldwin’s four-pitch walk with the bases loaded. After that, Morton threw three middle-middle curveballs in a row to Ozzie Albies, who watched the first two before hitting the third for a two-run single, making it 3-0.
In the second inning, the Braves extended their lead to 6-0 on Olson’s RBI double on a down-and-in curveball and Acuña’s two-run home run on a middle-away fastball.
The home run ended Morton’s start.
Morton allowed six runs on five hits and two walks (plus one hit batter) with two strikeouts across 1â…“ innings, throwing 45 pitches. The 41-year-old owns a 5.89 ERA in 32 games (26 starts), including a 7.09 ERA in nine starts since joining the Tigers.
In the ninth inning, right-handed reliever Paul Sewald — acquired from the Guardians at the trade deadline — made his Tigers debut, following his return from a right shoulder strain that has plagued him for most of the season.
Facing Sewald, the Braves extended their lead to 10-1 on Baldwin’s two-run home run.
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Chris Paddack eats innings
The Tigers acquired right-handed reliever Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. The 29-year-old joined the Tigers as a starter before getting demoted to the bullpen due to performance reasons.
He took down five innings in Friday’s loss.
Paddack allowed two runs on three hits and zero walks with two strikeouts in those five innings, throwing 68 pitches. He surrendered a two-run home run to Ha-Seong Kim in the eighth inning, which extended the Braves’ lead to 8-1.
Aside from Kim’s homer, Paddack had a positive experience in his fifth appearance out of the bullpen.
There haven’t been many positives for him in 2025.
Paddack owns a 5.27 ERA in 32 games (27 starts), including a 6.12 ERA in 11 games (six starts) since joining the Tigers. He has a 4.61 ERA in his seven-year MLB career.
Spencer Torkelson hits 30th home run
The Tigers faced right-hander Bryce Elder.
He entered Friday’s game with a 5.56 ERA in 26 starts, but he shut down the Tigers — tossing seven innings of one-run ball on five hits and zero walks with six strikeouts, throwing 98 pitches.
The Tigers scored their lone run in the fourth inning, thanks to Spencer Torkelson. He blasted Elder’s second consecutive sinker at the bottom of the strike zone for a solo home run to left-center field, trimming the Tigers’ deficit to 6-1.
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It was Torkelson’s 30th home run in 148 games.
In 2025, the Tigers have two players — Torkelson (30 homers) and Riley Greene (34 homers) — with at least 30 home runs in their age-25 season or younger, which marks the first time that’s happened in franchise history.
Elder has a 5.36 ERA after his 27th start.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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