The Detroit Tigers looked like a team searching for answers again Wednesday night at Comerica Park.
Coming off the devastating news surrounding Tarik Skubal’s injury, Detroit dropped Game 38 to the Boston Red Sox in a performance that felt heavy from the opening innings. The offense struggled to generate anything consistently, the defense continued to unravel, and the overall energy around the club looked noticeably drained.
Tigers Still Searching for Energy After Skubal Injury News
While the reaction from fans to Skubal’s injury has been emotional, the expectation inside a clubhouse is usually different. Players are supposed to focus on the next game, the next inning, and the next pitch. But over the course of this series, the Tigers have looked like a team carrying the weight of the news with them.
That said, Skubal’s absence was not the direct reason Detroit lost Wednesday night.
Jack Flaherty Shows Improvement Despite Ongoing Command Issues
Jack Flaherty took the mound and showed some improvement despite ongoing command issues. He finished with 10 strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs, though the outing still featured too many deep counts, non-competitive pitches, and missed locations.
Still, considering Detroit’s growing list of injuries, the Tigers need Flaherty to keep taking the ball every fifth day, and Wednesday’s outing at least provided signs of progress.
The bigger issue was everything happening around him.
Sonny Gray Continues to Frustrate Detroit Hitters
Detroit’s offense once again had no answer for veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, who has seemingly frustrated Tigers hitters for years. Gray mixed speeds, located well, and kept Detroit off balance throughout the night. Even when Boston went to the bullpen, the Tigers failed to create any sustained pressure.
Defensive Mistakes Continue to Sink the Tigers
But the most frustrating part of the loss was the defense.
The Tigers continue to give away outs and extra base runners with sloppy fielding, missed routine plays, and poor execution. Three separate defensive mistakes opened the door for Boston, turning manageable innings into damaging rallies.
Colt Keith Error Highlights Detroit’s Frustrating Night
One of the roughest moments came on a ground ball that slipped under Colt Keith’s glove at third base, extending another frustrating inning for Detroit. It was the kind of basic play that winning teams routinely make, and the Tigers simply are not making enough of them right now.
One of the roughest moments came on a ground ball that slipped under Colt Keith’s glove at third base, extending another frustrating inning for Detroit. It was the kind of routine play that winning teams are expected to make, and the Tigers simply are not making enough of them right now.Meanwhile, Boston consistently made the routine defensive plays behind its pitchers throughout the night.That frustration is starting to boil over because these issues are no longer isolated mistakes. Defensive breakdowns have been a recurring theme since the opening weeks of the season, and Detroit pitchers are constantly being forced to record extra outs.Tigers Head Into Off Day Needing a ResetThe Tigers now head into an off day needing a reset after another frustrating night at Comerica Park. At this point, the problem is not simply losing games. It is how often they are helping the opponent do it.
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