For much of Tuesday night, it looked like a step forward for the Detroit Tigers.
Casey Mize was in rhythm. The offense had delivered a timely surge. Comerica Park had reason to believe the early-season frustrations might ease.
Then the eighth inning arrived, and everything unraveled.
The Tigers surrendered a late lead in a 7-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, dropping their third straight and falling to 2-3 on the young season.
Mize Delivers, But Can’t Finish the Story
Mize gave Detroit exactly what it needed for most of the night (6IP, 4H, 2BB, 9K, 1 ER. He settled in after a shaky stretch early and found consistency with his splitter, a pitch that repeatedly kept Arizona hitters off balance.
“I threw well,” Mize said via MLive. “I finished better than I started. It took me a second to get into the game, especially with the trouble in the second inning.”
There were moments where his command drifted—deep counts, a couple of walks—but overall, it was the kind of outing the Tigers were hoping to see after an uneven spring.
“On a personal level, it was a pretty good start,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate we didn’t win the game.”
A Debut to Remember — and One Detroit Won’t Forget
The game shifted on the performance of an unlikely source.
A 22-year-old making his major league debut, Jose Fernandez, became the difference. He collected two hits off Mize, including a solo home run, before delivering the decisive blow later in the game.
That moment came in the eighth inning, when Fernandez turned on a pitch from closer Kenley Jansen and sent it over the wall for a three-run homer that flipped the game.
“Yeah, wow. What a day for him, huh?” Mize said. “I’ll be a part of his story for his life, which is unfortunate for me. But he had a great night, and we struggled with him.”
Splitter Provides Encouragement Moving Forward
While the loss stung, Mize pointed to one encouraging development: the continued effectiveness of his splitter.
“It was a tough spring, so I was trying to find some silver linings,” he said. “I truly believe the splitter was one of them. I was happy to see that carry over and be a useful pitch for me tonight, especially against that lineup.”
That pitch gave him a reliable weapon, particularly as he worked deeper into the game and began to find a rhythm.
A Familiar Early-Season Problem
Through five games, the Tigers have shown flashes—solid starting pitching, timely hitting—but have struggled to close games out.
Tuesday’s loss followed a similar pattern. Strong stretches undone by a single inning, leaving little margin for error in a tightly contested game.
The bullpen, anchored by Jansen, will be expected to stabilize those moments. On this night, it didn’t happen.
Searching for Consistency
For Mize, the takeaway is clear: progress is there, but refinement is still needed.
“It is encouraging,” he said. “I went into camp wanting to build up for the season, and I think I did a good job of that. Obviously, it wasn’t perfect, but I felt good enough coming into today.”
That balance—between progress and frustration—defined the night for Detroit.
A strong start. A late collapse. And another reminder that early-season consistency remains just out of reach.
