Breaking down why Detroit Tigers pitcher Troy Melton features ‘elite stuff’
On “Days of Roar,” Nick Pollack — founder of “Pitcher List” — evaluates Detroit Tigers rookie Troy Melton, who misses bats with his fastball.
The Detroit Tigers lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-2, in their 2025 regular-season home finale.Right-hander Casey Mize allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers.The Tigers’ loss and the Cleveland Guardians’ loss to Minnesota kept the Tigers’ lead in the AL Central at 1 game with 6 to play.
The Detroit Tigers left Comerica Park for the final time in the 2025 regular season with their collapse in full swing: The American League Central lead is nearly gone and the postseason hopes are fading fast with six road games remaining.
There might not be October baseball in Detroit.
The Tigers lost, 6-2, to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, Sept. 21, in the finale of a three-game series at Comerica Park, losing for the sixth time in a row. The Tigers (85-71) have lost nine of 10 games — with wins in just seven of their past 25.
The Braves (73-83) have won eight games in a row.
After Sunday’s loss, the Tigers still have a one-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, thanks to the Guardians losing, 6-2, to the Minnesota Twins.
The Guardians’ loss shaved the Tigers’ magic number to clinch the AL Central to six.
Looking ahead, the Tigers open a three-game series Tuesday (6:40 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) against the Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, with left-hander Tarik Skubal responsible for saving the Tigers’ season.
Busy bases, empty home
Missed opportunities led to another loss for the Tigers, failing to score despite traffic on the bases in all five innings against right-hander Spencer Strider. Facing Strider, the Tigers stranded two runners in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings.
The Tigers also stranded two runners in the sixth inning in the biggest moment of the game, trailing 3-0.
Manager A.J. Hinch needed a game-changing swing after Dillon Dingler doubled and Zach McKinstry walked, so he deployed right-handed pinch-hitters Andy Ibáñez and Jahmai Jones against left-handed reliever Dylan Lee.
The two runners were stranded when Ibáñez struck out swinging and Jones popped out.
The Tigers have averaged just 2.5 runs per game in their past 10 games.
In Sunday’s loss, the Tigers scored their two runs in the ninth inning on Gleyber Torres’ RBI double and Riley Greene’s sacrifice fly against left-handed reliever Dylan Dodd.
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Spencer Strider escapes jams
The Tigers had so many scoring chances.
In the first inning, Spencer Torkelson flew out to strand Torres (single) and Greene (single). In the second, Kerry Carpenter flew out, Greene struck out and Torkelson struck out to strand Parker Meadows (walk) and Torres (walk). In the fourth, McKinstry struck out and Javier Báez grounded into a double play to strand Wenceel Pérez (walk) and Dingler (single). In the fifth, Torkelson struck out to strand Carpenter (single) and Greene (single).
Strider stranded all of those runners.
He tossed five scoreless innings on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts, throwing 101 pitches. He owns a 4.45 ERA through 22 starts in his return this season from internal brace surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
The Tigers finished 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving a total of 13 runners on base.
In the eighth inning, Trey Sweeney pinch-hit for Ibáñez, but he popped out in foul territory on a first-pitch slider from right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley, stranding two runners in scoring position.
Casey Mize gives his best
Right-hander Casey Mize allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts across 5â…” innings, throwing 97 pitches. He has pitched at least five innings in each of his past four starts, allowing no more than three runs.
The Braves scored one run apiece in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
In the third, Ronald Acuña Jr. dropped in a bloop RBI single on an inside sinker with two outs for a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, Ha-Seong Kim crushed a home run on elevated fastball with one out for a 2-0 lead. In the fifth, Derek Baldwin ripped an RBI triple on a middle-middle fastball with two outs for a 3-0 lead.
The RBI single from Acuña had a 67.9 mph exit velocity.
On Baldwin’s RBI triple, Greene tried to make a diving catch in left field that would’ve saved a run, but he missed the ball — and the ball rolled all the way to the wall.
Mize owns a 3.91 ERA in 27 starts.
He also has a 3.68 ERA in his past four starts.
The Braves extended their lead to 6-0 with three runs in the ninth inning — with all three charged to right-handed reliever Tanner Rainey, whom the Tigers selected from Triple-A Toledo before Sunday’s game after cutting Charlie Morton.
Not only did Rainey throw just five of 16 pitches for strikes, but he also walked two batters and surrendered an RBI double. Right-handed reliever Paul Sewald cleaned up his mess, but not before the Braves took advantage of Sewald by adding two more runs on a sacrifice fly and a double.
None of the runs were charged to Sewald.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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