Inside the Article:
There was not much luck for the Detroit Tigers this afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays, a rainy affair that resulted in a 10-6 win for the visitors. Clutch performances from Yandy Díaz and Wander Franco powered the Tampa Bay offense, and while Detroit was able to eventually claw their way back into it, it proved to be too little, too late.
The Rays were aided by Detroit Tigers mishaps
The aforementioned Díaz and Franco each had three hits apiece while also driving in two runs; Díaz homered in the 2nd inning with a two-run shot that increased Tampa's lead to 5-0. Detroit's comeback effort which started with a double from Spencer Torkelson followed by singles by Kerry Carpenter and Andy Ibañez wasn't aided by Eric Haase striking out with the bases loaded.
The Tigers lamented their mistakes which cost them
According to manager A.J. Hinch, the Tigers were “chasing” the game from the get-go.
“We were chasing the game right from the start,” Hinch said. “I liked the way we fought to the end, but we made too many mistakes to be encouraged.”
They also weren't aided by a balk from newcomer Andrew Vasquez, which allowed the Rays to tack another run on the scoreboard after the Tigers had cut their lead in half.
“(The umpires) said he was too quick, and we could tell something had been different on that pitch,” Hinch said. “I think the game sped up on him a little bit, and it just happened in a bad spot — he had Ramirez punched out on that pitch.”
Key Points
- The Tigers dropped their finale against the Rays this afternoon at Comerica Park
- Tampa was aided by Detroit's mistakes that included a balk on the mound
- A.J. Hinch stated the Tigers were chasing the game right from the start
Bottom Line: The Tigers must rebound
The Tigers are now in crunch time of their schedule if they have any realistic chance of catching the American League Central Division-leading Minnesota Twins before it's too late.
And as it happens, the Tigers open up a series against the Twins starting tomorrow at Comerica Park.
