There’s something brewing in the Tigers’ clubhouse lately. Whether it’s a flash in the pan during a long season, youth coming into its own or inspiration gleaned from its crafty new manager, there’s no doubt Detroit has been fun to watch lately.
Though Tuesday’s contest ended in a 10-5 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Field, the Tigers still added a bit of magic to the narrative that has been steadily unfolding since the beginning of May. Among the highlights:
• Detroit’s first hit was a 413-foot home run from Robbie Grossman in the fourth inning. The solo shot gave the Tigers a brief lead and marked long ball No. 11 for Grossman, matching his career high.
• Starting pitcher José Ureña put up zeros through his first three innings. It was the first time since May 26 he opened with three scoreless frames.
• Down 5-2 in the top of the seventh, Eric Haase torched a 2-2 pitch off reliever John King into the right-field stands to tie the game. The three-run bomb marked Haase’s first career hit as a pinch-hitter; he’d previously gone 0-for-8.
Fellow catcher Jake Rogers also went deep in the contest, slugging a solo shot in the sixth that traveled 426 feet. Rogers also legged out a triple in the seventh and finished the night 2-for-4.
• Due to myriad injuries to its rotation, Detroit’s bullpen has been heavily taxed this season. On Tuesday, Buck Farmer entered with two outs in the fifth and twirled 1 1/3 perfect frames.