The Detroit Tigers stopped the bleeding Sunday night in Texas, edging out the Rangers 2-1 to avoid a sweep and end a six-game losing streak. The win was their first since the All-Star break and marked their 60th victory of the season through 100 games.
Next up: a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are in an even deeper rut. The Pirates were swept at home by the White Sox and have lost nine of their last ten. Detroit will look to build momentum starting Monday night at PNC Park.
Upcoming Tigers vs. Pirates Games
- Today
Tigers at Pirates – 6:40 PM - Tomorrow
Tigers at Pirates – 6:40 PM - Wednesday, July 23
Tigers at Pirates – 12:35 PM
Tigers Still Holding MLB’s Best Record
Despite the recent cold stretch, Detroit enters the series with the best record in baseball at 60-40, just ahead of both the Cubs and Brewers. They maintain a healthy 11-game cushion atop the AL Central over the Guardians.
Detroit also boasts a +83 run differential, the fourth-best in MLB. For comparison, Pittsburgh is sitting at -73, a gap that speaks volumes about the trajectory of each club this season.
Monday’s Matchup: Flaherty vs. Skenes
Detroit sends Jack Flaherty to the mound in Game 101, while Pittsburgh counters with their young ace, Paul Skenes. The numbers paint a clear picture.
Pitching Comparison
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Flaherty | 100.2 | 29.5 | 9.5 | 4.36 | 0.9 |
| Paul Skenes | 121.0 | 27.9 | 6.4 | 2.41 | 4.0 |
What the Data Shows
Flaherty racks up strikeouts (88th percentile in K%) and whiffs (76th percentile), but command has been a problem. His Baseball Savant profile also reveals below-average fastball effectiveness and a tendency to give up hard contact, reflected in a low barrel rate (10th percentile) and ground ball rate (14th percentile).
Skenes, on the other hand, is living up to the hype. He ranks near the top of the league in just about every advanced metric, including expected ERA (2.49), xBA (.206), and fastball velocity (98.1 mph). His pitch arsenal has elite movement and efficiency, making him one of the toughest right-handers in baseball.
Stats via Baseball Savant: Statcast, Trending MLB Players and Visualizations | baseballsavant.com
Key to the Series
For the Tigers, the path to a series win lies in patience at the plate and capitalizing on Pittsburgh’s struggling bullpen. The Pirates have had a tough time stringing together clean innings, and Detroit needs to force them into high-stress situations early.
If the Tigers can scratch across a few runs off Skenes or get into Pittsburgh’s pen quickly, this could be a much-needed bounce-back series before heading into a tougher stretch.
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